True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: March 2014
O.645, Superintendent W. F. 'Bill' MacRae
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
Early this week, I was very sad to hear from RCMP Assistant Commissioner Fraser MacRae, (R'td) that his father, Reg.#15070, Superintendent W. F. MacRae had passed away in Regina, SK on Monday, February 24, 2014. Fraser, his brother Graham (serving RCMP) and their mom, Muriel MacRae were with Supt. MacRae when he died. An RCMP legend's voice is stilled.
Truly, an RCMP legend's voice was stilled and he will be greatly missed most especially within the wide Force family all across Canada. One of my earliest, favourite memories was standing with him on 'Depot's Parade Square in Troop formation on Flag Inauguration Day, February 15, 1965 (see photo at bottom).
Over many years, let's say, between 1950 and 1980, every RCMP recruit at 'Depot' Division in Regina, SK knew Corps Sergeant Major MacRae who later became a Superintendent. He unquestionably left a positive impression on a generation of RCMP recruits estimated in the range of about 20,000 people. He was a stylish and one of a kind RCMP Officer. He will be remembered as a leader, a creative thinker and an RCMP Officer who set and expected a high standard of work performance from subordinates.
This week, thousands and thousands of RCMP members will fondly recall Superintendent MacRae. As members of the Force, in one way or another, Superintendent MacRae enriched our lives.
A memory for many involves hockey. A vast net of RCMP members have enjoyed the speed, roughness and skills of a hockey game at Depot's ice arena. However, hockey was not the only game played in the RCMP. In the 'ole days, another form of theatre which many RCMP members became very familiar was Service Court. Hockey and Service Court shared many, many similarities. As a young boy, I once played hockey and over the span of a long RCMP career, I can also recall two memorable occasions when I held the distinct honour of being an accused in Service Court.
However, on another separate day, at 'Depot' in 1974, I acted as Defence in Service Court for another Saskatchewan RCMP member who had been charged for a discreditable conduct in relation to a provincial liquor offence.
Briefly, here were the case circumstances. While on patrol in his police cruiser, a young constable came upon a group of teens who were found in unlawful possession of a box of beer. After introducing himself, the constable seized the beer and set it on the police cruiser. He then offered the beer to the teens and began to consume a bottle himself. The case came to light only when the teens complained to the Detachment Commander about the very bizarre and unsusual behaviour of the constable. After being charged with an offence, the constable contacted me at 'Depot' Division to represent him in Service Court. Later, I was notified that Corps Sergeant Major W. D. Pomfret would act as prosecutor and Superintendent W. F. MacRae was to be trial judge.
As well as providing great theatre, RCMP Service Court had a purpose both in myth and in reality. Originally, Service Court grew out of four basic ideas; first, men will always find trouble, secondly, an RCMP accused was always guilty, thirdly, a member would not be in the presence of a trial judge unless he was truly guilty and lastly, Service Court was only a matter of determining minor degrees of sentence. Time was of an essence and since the early days of the North West Mounted Police, Officers felt little need of a trial. In the RCMP, Service Court was designed to be as brief as a wall clock's tick and tock.
On the one hand, after the young constable chose me to act as his council, I wanted to present a defence. On the other hand, my heart told me that the constable had acted foolishly. He could have saved himself the grief of Service Court by having acted professionally. I decided to plead him guilty.
On the day of Service Court, the young constable and I appeared on the top floor of A Block in Red Serge. I wore Stetson, spurs and leather. The constable did not. All of a sudden, from around the corner appeared Corps Sergeant Major Pomfret and Superintendent MacRae. Superintendent MacRae waved me aside. With a twitch of his moustache, he eyed me and said, 'No funny stuff inside Healy; he's guilty'!
My mind flashed back to my boyhood days and hockey. And so, on that day, Service Court for the young constable was the equivalent of a hockey game. The proceedings were over in the same time that a referee determines guilt. On behalf of the constable, I plead guilty and he received a severe scolding from Superintendent MacRae plus a fine.
In his lay sermon, Superintendent MacRae made it clear to the constable that he was unsuitable for the RCMP. The constable was not discharged that day, but a couple years later his career was cut short by other indiscretions in the field. There was little question that Superintendent MacRae could well predict the future of RCMP members and whether or not one would be a good, solid, reliable, trustworthy police officer.
As the Senior Training Officer at 'Depot' for the RCMP, Superintendent W. F. MacRae was an orator par excellence. Above all things, he had the interest of Canadians at heart. While speaking of the role of the police in society, he insisted, righty so, that police training must be grounded in the law and Canadian democratic principles; refuse and limit the use of force, use your tongue and talk -- negotiate the prisoner into the cruiser, respect the rights of the accused, have the accused appear before the judiciary, be firm but fair and so on.
Having the knowledge of law and democratic principles, and exercising them in the daily duties of the police officer is what Superintendent MacRae would label as 'the Canadian tradition'. And, it would not be a stretch for him to say '...there is a vast difference between standing on a legal principle versus stomping on someone's legal rights'. In short, he professed the high standard of policing service which Canadians deserved of the RCMP. Further, he saw police officers not only as an integral part of the community but he instructed members of the Force to ignite, activate and press the community to solve its problems with the police. In his mind, it was the law first, and the community then the RCMP.
I kept in close contact with Superintendent and Mrs. MacRae though all the years of my career. He was always reassuring and he loved to recall particular incidents which had transpired at 'Depot'. I was also honoured to have him, Fraser and Graham in our Ottawa, ON home a few years ago for dinner. He was among 'old friends including retired Commissioner J. P. R. Murray and CSM H. M. Mel Gilby. He loved his family and the Force as a family too.
My good pal retired A. E. 'Al' Nicholson of Regina, SK will deliver Superintendent MacRae's eulogy on March 7, 2014. I cannot be present in the Chapel next Friday but my heart and memories will be.
Good-bye, good friend.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
February 27, 2014
I wish to sincerely thank BC RCMP Vet Ian Parsons and Vet Sheldon Boles for the use of the photo of CSM W. F. MacRae at the top of this piece.
My thanks also to Vancouver Vet Ric Hall for his photos of Supt. MacRae.
I wish to sincerely thank my friends Jan & Alan Nicholson for sending me Supt. MacRae's obituary which was written by journalist author Mr. Will Chabun of the Regina Leader-Post and published in Regina, SK on February 27, 2014. Thank you.
