True and Fascinating Canadian History
Honouring the RCMP's Sesquicentennial: 1873 - 2023
Welcome to the RCMP National Grave Discovery Database:
A Unique Canadian Treasure
Here is a home, a detachment of repose, a depot for deceased members of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Members of the Force, RCMP Vets, family and friends sense an obligation to protect and care for the graves of deceased members.
The website consists of two main parts; the website itself, and a database. Each of these can be navigated by using the tabs to the left.
Distinct and unique within the police community, this website consists of over 420 web pages which focus on Canadian history through stories and photographs of deceased members of the RCMP. Their contributions to the early settlement of Canada and the impact of their achievements can be traced back to Confederation days.
The website also lists a catalog of monuments which have been erected in various parts of Canada to commemorate RCMP members killed in the line of duty. The fact that a monument was built by a community of people for a deceased Canadian police officer speaks highly about the overall trust which Canadians have in the RCMP.
Several hundred RCMP lost their lives in the North West Rebellion (1885), in South Africa, WWI & WWII. Many RCMP members are buried in foreign lands, and hundreds more were never recovered. All their names are etched on War Memorials which stand in cemeteries all over the world.
In the database, one will find hundreds of references to the RCMP who were called to WWI including their Canadian Expeditionary Force Attestation Papers, military records, photos of their graves and Monuments.
Hundreds and hundreds of Canadian geographical landmarks are linked to the names of pioneer RCMP deceased members.
The RCMP Grave Discovery Database
The RCMP Grave Discovery Database is a useful information source for the RCMP -- it allows the RCMP to instantly identify all deceased members of the Force, read their obituaries, note their date of death, and the location and condition of all RCMP graves -- those in cemeteries Canada-wide as well as cemeteries all around the world. The database is refreshed every day as new material is received.
The RCMP depends entirely on the content of the database and its accuracy. It is extensively used by senior RCMP Officers, RCMP administrators, RCMP members, RCMP Veterans and volunteers, and several federal departments including: the RCMP Heritage Centre, Veteran Affairs Canada, National Archives Canada and the CBC as well as provincial agencies, and museums. The RCMP Grave Discovery Database averages 1,000 hits or more every day as reported daily by Site Lock Inc. and Google Analytics.
Since the database's inception in 2001, well over half of all the graves of the deceased members of the famous March West (1874) have been found in cemeteries around the world. Nearly every month a new discovery of another March West grave is reported. RCMP Veterans and volunteers deserve all the credit for this important research into Canada's history.
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The RCMP Honour Roll
Two hundred and forty three names are listed (2022) on the RCMP Honour Roll -- these members lost their lives in peace and in the line of duty. Over several years, all of these graves have been found and inspected and photographed. Priority now turns to the restoration of all these graves.
RCMP Photograph Collection
Including obituaries, the collection consists of over 25,000 RCMP photos linked to the website and the database. Over 15,000 RCMP gravesites across Canada and around the world have been photographed by RCMP Vets and volunteers and entered into the database. Thousands of old, previously unknown, lost or forgotten gravesites have been found, clearly identified and entered into the database. The photo library has been described as the largest collection of its kind in Canada.
Thousands of obituaries of RCMP members going back years and years can also be found in the database.
It is the hope of Vets that all members' graves will be found, noted, inspected and cared for and that common information about the career and life of each member of the Force will be acknowledged.
History on Parade
Many aspects of Canadian history are interwoven with the times of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and its predecessors the NWMP and the RNWMP. Contained within this website is a history rich in texture, recollections, photographs and deeds of the Force. The stories told here have their origin from the earliest birthdays of Canada and the formation of the Force in 1873 up to today. The history of Canada and the history of the RCMP run along parallel tracks.
The RCMP Grave Discovery Database and History website exists as a testament to deceased members of the Force, their legacy and contribution to Canada's history and especially their dedication and sacrifice towards the development and hope of a peaceful country.
Mission Statement
Veterans of the RCMP are dedicated to the responsibility of locating, inspecting and maintaining gravesites of deceased Members with the purpose of honouring and remembering these men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of Canada and the Force.
'Maintain Our Memories' has been adopted as the motto of the website. It calls to mind both the official Motto of the RCMP which is; 'Maintiens Le Droit' and our need to remember. The motto pays homage to the Force, to the service of community performed by members and the lives sacrificed by many members killed on duty.
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Goals
The goals of the RCMP Grave Discovery Database and History website are:
1. to create a thorough and accurate record of the burial locations of NWMP, RNWMP and RCMP deceased members,
2. to ensure that the graves of our deceased members are regularly inspected and maintained.
An Invitation
Veterans, active Members, families and friends are invited to become involved in RCMP Grave Discovery and History activities. Much data has yet to be collected. Many volunteers are needed to aid the investigation of cemeteries, as well as to assume responsibility for inspections of gravesites as they are found. Input that contributes to this website is welcome. The involvement of many will make the work associated to this project possible.
I am honoured to be involved in the meaningful task of remembering and offering continued respect to deceased RCMP Members.
Site Status:
Web Site refreshed: Every day
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& a faithful friend, 'Honey'. 'Depot' Stables. 1964
(My horse 'Honey' is on the left)
& a faithful friend, Gracie. Fort Healy. 2012