Portage College honours memory of Cst. Leo Johnston 20 years after tragic Mayerthorpe event

LAC LA BICHE – Each year in March, Portage College honours the memory of RCMP Cst. Leo Johnston through the post-secondary institution’s Leo Johnston Memorial Endowment fund.  

This year, March 3 marked the 20th anniversary of the Mayerthorpe shooting in which Johnston, who was originally from the Lac La Biche area, along with RCMP constables Brock Myrol, Peter Schiemann, and Anthony Gordon, were killed in the line of duty.  

In March of 2005, the ‘Fallen Four’ as they have become known, were shot while executing a search warrant for stolen property and a marijuana-growing operation on a farm in the Mayerthorpe area.  

In 2020, the 15th anniversary of the incident, Portage College, working in conjunction with Lac La Biche County, announced the creation of a memorial endowment to honour the Fallen Four, specifically recognizing Johnston’s connection to the community.  

The idea to establish an ongoing memorial bursary and scholarship came about during discussions in August 2005, when then Lakeland County Mayor Peter Kirylchuk met with Leo’s parents, Grace and Ron Johnston. 

The following year, on June 28, 2006, Lakeland County and Portage College signed a memorandum of agreement with the purpose of funding an annual bursary and scholarship. 

The award was done with the intent of continuing to fundraise to build sufficient funds for a permanent endowment.  

Since the award was put into place in 2006, 45 students have been awarded in Leo Johnston’s memory.  

“On March 3, 2020, those involved were pleased to announce that the goal of a permanent endowment had been achieved through the support of Lac La Biche County, Leo’s family and friends, and the community,” according to information from Portage College.  

“With the change from an award to an endowment, an everlasting legacy was created that will see students awarded for their commitment in honour of the fallen four and to the memory of Leo Johnston as a community hero.” 

According to Portage College, the award is given in recognition of academic achievement to students who are registered in programming that will lead to them furthering their education in a field of study related to law enforcement.  

Future correctional officers, conservation officers, military personnel, criminologists, firefighters and advanced care paramedics or university studies that move into one of those careers are examples of some of the fields of studies that are eligible for the award.  

“This award has served as a reminder to students of Leo’s example of determination, commitment and bravery as they pursue their own careers,” reads the information. 

Bev Moghrabi, the vice president of student and college services at Portage College, said the post-secondary institution continues to be connected to the people and communities it serves.  

“The Mayerthorpe tragedy touches all of those communities and beyond,” Moghrabi told Lakeland This Week.  

Moghrabi continued by saying that Leo Johnston, along with constables Shiemann, Myrol and Gordon, are recognized as heroes.  

“That title continues to hold strong 20 years later for the ultimate sacrifice they made, and for the legacy that continues through initiatives like the Leo Johnston Memorial Endowment Fund at Portage College,” she said.