True and Fascinating Canadian History
The Mystery of A Mountie:
Good Enough for Two Graves
by J. J. Healy
Most people are content to occupy but one grave. They are equally content to pay for just one grave. And most people would also be happy to leave any surviving kinfolk with only one grave to care for -- to cut the grass, clean the grave marker and so on. However, those ideas are strictly for ordinary people.
As the reader will soon discover, Reg.#886, Constable Torquil 'Turkey' MacLeod of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) was far from an ordinary person. Summing up his life, one could say that Constable MacLeod led an illustrious and very colourful career in the NWMP. A Scot of the old school; free spirited, easy, and jovial, Turkey MacLeod eventually became known to everyone in the famous NWMP. He occasionally landed in hot water but he took his punishment in stride. Scotch whiskey may have been to blame. But overall Turkey's long association with the Force was marked by faithfulness and good nature.
In the end, Turkey MacLeod never guessed that he would be granted two graves.
The short story which follows is truly a mystery. I am appreciative to Mr. Allan Fraser Ogston of Ottawa, ON who sent it to me. I have taken the liberty to shorten Allan's original draft.
Torquil MacLeod was born in Stornoway, Scotland in 1852 and he was given the nickname 'Turkey' by his chums. He immigrated to Canada about 1870 and he secured his first job with the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1871, he joined the Manitoba Provincial Police (MPP), and from that time onward, he served Canadians honestly. After a short stint with the MPP, he joined the North West Mounted Police in Winnipeg, MB on May 7th, 1875. He was first assigned to the US/Canada Boundary Commission at Fort Dufferin.
At the time of engagement in the NWMP, Turkey listed his age as 24 years. He was five foot eight and about 160 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes and with dark complexion. His good health and his physique well suited long days of work out of doors and in all kinds of harsh weather. He felt truly at home in the Canadian west. It was said that Turkey was too much of a rover to ever settle down. He never married.
Over the years, Turkey served on Detachment duty at Swift Current, Calgary, North Battleford, Regina and Wood Mountain. He also saw service against Louis Riel in the dangerous days of 1885. He treated the Force as his family so when the boys gathered around the campfire on long winter evenings,Turkey became their great raconteur. He was affectionately tagged 'the Father of the North'.
Constable MacLeod took his discharge from the NWMP on May 7th, 1878. By that time his eyesight had declined due to snow blindness which he first noticed while on patrol from North Battleford to Swift Current, SK. While he was out of the Force, he ventured temporarily into the mining business, but in May 1883, he re-engaged in the Force as a Special Constable. For six years, he served at Regina, SK then in 1890 his application for the Yukon was approved. His eyesight was poor so he was employed as a cook at Fort Saskatchewan Detachment and at Lesser Slave Detachment. He retired on July 20, 1895, but Turkey stayed on for many more years as a cook for the NWMP.
Turkey would admit that he was not a perfect police officer by any measure. In fact, in some ways, he was very much like the majority of pioneer members of the NWMP. They too had seen Service Court for one offence or another. In 1886, Turkey was charged twice for 'breaking barracks' -- the first time he was fined $5.00 plus 30 days 'confined to barracks', and the second time he was given one month hard labour. He was also convicted in Service Court for being drunk on three separate occasions. For each offence, he was handed more hard labour as well as costly fines.
For nearly a half a century Turkey was a devoted member of the Masonic Lodge at Regina, SK and Fort Saskatchewan, AB. After a long and memorable career in the NWMP, Turkey died of heart failure at Lesser Slave Lake on December 2, 1915. The last rites were performed over Turkey's body by members of the NWMP and by his Fraternity. Everyone gathered at his grave and saw that he was consigned to the earth. He was laid to rest in the Church Mission Cemetery at Grouard, AB. This little cemetery is situated north of the church which was founded in 1872 near the Hudson's Bay Company Post at Lesser Slave Lake.
So, Turkey was duly buried in Grouard, AB. But, it was only the first time that he was buried.
The final twist to Turkey's story came about by pure accident by Canadian author Ms. Nancy Ellen Millar. Ms. Miller had written a book about Alberta graveyards. She noticed two graves in Alberta with the same name -- both graves identified NWMP Constable Torquil MacLeod.
Ms. Miller went to visit the first of the two graves at the Mission Church Cemetery at Grouard in Peace River, AB. She noticed that it had a fresh, recently erected headstone and the surrounding ground had been well tended.
Intrigued by the condition of Turkey's first grave, Ms. Millar contacted the closest RCMP Detachment. She learned that a member of the public had once complained to the RCMP about the ill state of the Mission Church Cemetery so the RCMP reported the complaint to the particular responsible department.
As well, based on the poor condition of the Mission Cemetery, the RCMP decided to move Turkey's original grave to the newer cemetery site at Fort MacLeod where it would receive better care and maintenance.
Presumably due to bad record keeping, the department that was assigned to fix up the Mission Cemetery was not aware that Torquil’s remains had been moved so they erected a new headstone where Turkey had once been first buried.
So, the man widely known as the 'Father of the North' was honoured with two graves! An honest mix-up. But the mystery was solved.
As a Constable and as a Special Constable, Turkey MacLeod was a member of the Northwest Mounted Police for nearly 42 years. He had been awarded The Red River Medal and the Saskatchewan 1885 Medal. He was generally a well known and a very popular old timer in the Canadian West.
Wherever Turkey is today, he now has another story to spin with his chums. He will say that for all his efforts with the NWMP, he was a very, very Special Constable and that he deserved to be remembered with two graves -- the one in the Mission Church Cemetery in Grouard, AB and another newer one at the NWMP Cemetery at Fort MacLeod, AB.
It is hoped that Canadian author Ms. Ellen Millar will contact me to clarify some dates for my story.
The end.
Reporting from the Fort,
J. J. Healy
September 3, 2016
