Columbia Valley RCMP Report

By S/Sgt. Marko Shehovac

On Wednesday, Feb. 5 a combined snowmobile patrol was conducted by the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment and Conservation Officer Service at Catamount Glacier, west of Invermere. Three people were charged with disobeying a recreation order under the Forest and Range Practices Act. This area is closed to recreational vehicle from June 1 to Feb 15. The fine under this act is $115.

Mischief for two

At 11 a.m. on Feb. 3, Columbia Valley RCMP responded to a complaint of mischief after two males got into a verbal argument. A 44-year-old adult male struck the roof of the victim’s vehicle causing damage. The investigation is continuing.

Theft from vehicle in Radium

At 2 p.m. on Feb. 3 Columbia Valley Detachment received a complaint of theft from a vehicle in the 4700 block of Blakely Place in Radium Hot Springs. It is believed that the Ford F-250 vehicle was left unlocked. A small amount of money was stolen from the vehicle as well as a Tom Tom GPS. Anyone with information is requested to contact the detachment.

Stop sign runner hits 81-year-old driver

On Feb. 5, Columbia Valley Detachment responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Burns Avenue and Arbuckle Street in Canal Flats.

A 1997 Chevrolet pickup driven by a 34-year-old male from Canal Flats failed to stop for a stop sign and collided with a 2012 Ford pickup driven by an 81-year-old male from Canal Flats. There were no injuries to the drivers. The driver of the Chev pickup was charged with failing to obey a stop sign.

Extensive damage to van after collision with deer

On Feb. 7, Columbia Valley Detachment responded to a single vehicle accident involving a 2002 Dodge Caravan driven by a 60-year-old female from Calgary hitting a deer.  Extensive damage was done to the vehicle. No injuries to the driver.

Citizens on Patrol

Need to get volunteers in the community to come forward and look at getting involved in Citizens on Patrol. Invermere is need of numbers and a few more bodies in Radium would help out. Contact me at the Detachment. Would like to arrange an information session in the spring (250-342-9292).

The haunted detachment

One of the funniest guys I had the pleasure to work with in Salmon Arm was Tony Holland. He is the fellow who I accidently pepper sprayed during an altercation. Tony’s stories, and more so on how he told his stories, always had us in stitches.

One of his legendary stories was when he worked at a one-man detachment up north. The detachment was also their living quarters. It got to the point where Tony was convinced the detachment was haunted. He kept hearing voices. At one time he heard his name called out. He checked with his wife and asked if she had called him. She did not.

Tony had enough. He contacted the local priest, a friend in the community, and he asked the priest for what he called was an exorcism. He told his friend he would pay him. Can’t remember the cost, maybe $50, to put Tony at ease.

A proper exorcism obviously could not be performed, but the priest did come over and did a simple blessing of the detachment. If anything, it would comfort Tony.

Anyways, 50 bucks is 50 bucks and Tony submitted a claim to headquarters. In the explanation of the expense claim he documented; $50 – exorcism of detachment.

Now, you have to put yourself at the other end of the expense claim when it arrived at headquarters; to a bunch of pencil pushers who sit, proofread the claims and stamp their approval.

The pencil pusher had a dilemma. He had to search the Administration Manual.  It would have went like this: “E, Exorcism, EX exorcism, EXO exorcism… no not there.”

For the first time in RCMP history a decision from above had to be made; will we pay for a blessing of a detachment? Tony was bound and determined to get his money back and after going back and forth the decision was made to give Tony his out-of-pocket money. I’m sure there was an agreement between the RCMP and Tony that they would keep it quiet. I made no such agreement.

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