Const. Patrick Vallee, a Trois-Rivières, Que. transplant, is the Jasper RCMP detachment’s newest addition.
The recent depot graduate is three weeks into his first posting; it’s also his first time in the mountains. “Everything is new; new life, new job, new friends, new work partners,” said the bilingual officer.
Vallee noticed Jasper’s friendliness as soon as he arrived. “People actually like the police here. Everyone smiles at us and says hi.”
He looks forward to adapting to Jasper’s mountainous terrain and is a huge fan of cross-country running. “So, Jasper is like heaven for me,” he said. “There are so many trails around town, I’m like a small kid in a candy store.” Vallee plans to pursue mountain biking and looks forward to snowboarding at Marmot Basin this winter.
New officers typically do a research project during their first six months in the field. Vallee decided to focus on campground layouts. “Right now we don’t have any layouts or plans of the campgrounds, so when we have to go there, sometimes we’re looking for 15 minutes for the campsite.”
He plans to compile all the information into one binder for easy access.
“I love to talk with people, so it’s going to be good for me.”
After gaining as much field experience as he can, one of Vallee’s future goals is to be on the Emergency Response Team (ERT), which is a specialized group of RCMP members trained to diffuse high-risk situations.
Sarah Makowsky
[email protected]
