True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: March, 2017
Reg.#14375, Staff Sergeant Kenn W. Barker
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
A high degree of determination, a genuine kindness and a generous amount of time for other RCMP members and for his community of Regina, SK were the outstanding markers which describe the life of Kenneth William Barker. He was first and foremost a very dedicated and reliable member of the RCMP, a celebrated Police Service Dog Handler, a police officer who investigated a wide variety of criminal cases, a mentor to hundreds of younger RCMP, and a loving family man.
Although Kenn passed away last year, the impact of his friendship and his spirit will be felt for a long time not only among his many RCMP colleagues, but especially because of his devotion for helping others and for his volunteer work with the RCMP's Heritage Centre in Regina and at 'Depot' Division. The RCMP was honoured to have had Kenn Barker among their ranks for over seventy years including his long career and all his post retirement years.
Kenn Barker was born in Vancouver, BC in 1922. In 1942, he decided to follow his boyhood dream tojoin the RCMP. After Basic Recruit Training at 'Depot' Division, Kenn settled into Saskatchewan and for the rest of his life, he devoted his time and energy to the people of Saskatchewan and to the RCMP.
As a young boy, Kenn acquired a love for dogs, and so it was not too surprising that his first police assignment was with the Police Dog Section. Kenn's leadership qualities became very noticeable to his superior Officers early in his career -- it was well known that no one worked harder or with more intensity than Kenn Barker and he produced favourable results with his Police Dog when many other people might have felt defeated.
In the early 1940's the RCMP Dog Section was relatively small and Kenn's reputation as a dependable policeofficer gained traction. With one of his faithful Service Dogs, including Bluebell and Ignatz, Kenn worked alone, hour after hour and for days on end. Kenn's determination led to hundreds of successful criminal cases being solved; lost persons, prison escapees, car thieves and runaway youths to name just a few examples.
After a ten year period of working with Police Dogs, Kenn decided it was time to accept a transfer to regular police duties. It was also time to marry and raise his family.
Although his time in the RCMP was long, Kenn would admit that his career whizzed by. After leaving the Service Dog Section, and then over the next twenty-five year span, Kenn was posted to three different and busy RCMP Detachments within Saskatchewan; Nipawin, Tisdale and Regina.
Due to his vast and wide experiences in the Police Dog Section, Kenn gained valuable insightsinto law enforcement and he was known as one of the first and recognizable mentors to hundreds of young RCMP recruits. Kenn did not hesitate to answer calls of all sorts with younger RCMP members; murders, assaults, car accidents, robberies and all sorts of other calls such as thefts.
Later in his career, Kenn was promoted to Staff Sergeant and he was assigned to the role of Section NCO. This job allowed Kenn the flexibility to travel throughout parts of Saskatchewan and to visit and to inspect various Detachments. It was also an opportunity to renew old friendships which he had made over the years.
After a thirty year career Kenn retired from the Force in 1971. He was a recipient of the highly cherished RCMP Long Service Medal. After his retirement, Ken was employed as an investigator for the Workers’ Compensation Board for two years then he joined the Office of the Ombudsman as Assistant to the Ombudsman. In 1976 he served as Acting Ombudsman for the Province of Saskatchewan.
In the meantime, Kenn's interest in the Force continued and his volunteer work intensified. He was very active with the RCMP Veterans Association, the Friends of the Mounted Police Museum, and the Friends of the Mounted Police Heritage Centre. He was also an avid photographer, and anyone who was standingin Kenn's approximate vicinity was sure to be included in one of his snapshots.
Kenn also took particular interest in the RCMP Chapel. He devoted countless hours researching the history of the Chapel and 'Depot' Cemetery, and he valued the hundreds of hours which he contributed to helpingthe RCMP Chaplains. On a personal note, Kenn was very helpful and encouraging to me in the early days of the RCMP Graves Discovery Program. Years ago, he had drawn a map of the 'Depot' Cemetery, and he gave me a copy which was accompanied with an explanation of all the graves in the Cemetery. The 'Depot' Cemetery was just one of Kenn's principal interests, and I have fond memories of having met him at 'Depot' Division in Regina.
Kenn volunteered because he loved to do so. He would be the first to tell anyone that he didn't need recognition. Among his many forms of recognition included the Commissioner's Certificate of Appreciation for organizing the RCMP Tattoo in 1998. In 2000, the Force recognized his contributions to 'Depot' by presenting Kenn with the "Volunteer of the Year" Award.
In 2001, Kenn was awarded a Commanding Officer's Certificate of Appreciation for his tireless work at 'Depot' as a Volunteer. And in 2005, Kenn was justly awarded Saskatchewan's Centennial Medal.
Kenn was a Life Member of Regina Vets. He died in Regina on December 7, 2016 at the age of 94 years.
All in all, Kenn Barker left the world, the Province of Saskatchewan and the RCMP in a better way especially for all the successful projects which he undertook as a generous and tireless volunteer.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
March 23, 2017
Some specific details and dates for this short piece were summarized from Kenn Barker's obituary which can be found in The Quarterly. Spring. 2017. V82(2).
I want to express my thanks to RCMP Vet Sheldon Boles of Vancouver, BC for providing the photos of Kenn Barker.
