There鈥檚 still a month left to help recognize B.C. police officers.

A Vernon, B.C. group has launched a petition campaign aiming to make Feb. 1 RCMP Appreciation Day in Canada.

The petition ends Nov. 10.

鈥淲e are a group of Canadian citizens who would like to acknowledge a date to honour and recognize the men and women of the RCMP on Feb. 1 of each year,鈥� said committee co-chairperson Martin von Holst, joined by co-chair Guy Bailey in presenting the petition at Vernon council.

鈥淲e鈥檙e asking for a letter of support so to move forward with a petition to be signed by Canadian citizens, directed to the Province of British Columbia and the federal government to ultimately acknowledge Feb. 1 as RCMP Day.鈥�

Council did approve the support letter.

The date Feb. 1 was chosen as it was on that day, in 1920, that the newly formed national police force was named the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Parliament of Canada voted in 1919 to merge the Dominion Police of Canada 鈥� formed in 1868, one year after Confederation 鈥� in the east with the North West Mounted Police 鈥� founded in 1873 鈥� to create a national police force.

The Province of Manitoba is the only province or territory in the country to acknowledge and RCMP Day, which they do on Feb. 1 and have been doing since 2016.

The petition in Vernon can be found at both Canada Safeway locations, downtown and Vernon Square Mall, Cloverdale Paint, Sun Dial Lighting, Vernon Toyota, Vernon Dodge Jeep, Bannister GM, Vernon Nissan and The Vernon Morning Star.

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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