Policing in Canada Part II: Gender and the RCMP

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In early 1978, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Constable Dennis Onofrey was shot and killed outside a motel in Virden, Manitoba. The shooter also fired on Onofrey’s partner, Constable Candace Smith, who survived a shotgun blast to the thigh and abdomen. Rendered momentarily unconscious from the blast, Smith was unable to fire upon or apprehend the shooter before he fled the scene. The shootout made national headlines for a few reasons, not the least of which was the terribly unfortunate death of Onofrey. Smith too garnered a considerable amount of attention, but for unfair reasons that deserve exploration. In our previous post we briefly explored the history of policing in Canada with a focus on the development of the RCMP. Today we build on that history by examining gender conceptualizations of policing in Canada, as well as the connection between the RCMP and representations of Canadian national identity.  

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A Brief History of Policing in Canada

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For many Canadians the presence of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on highways and city streets is a common sight. Not only is the RCMP Canada's national police force, they also serve as the official police for most of Canada's provinces and territories. Only Ontario, Quebec and part of Newfoundland have a provincial police force (Newfoundland's is limited to Saint John's and Corner Brook).  How did some provinces end up with the RCMP policing their roads and towns, while others instituted their own force? Today we look at the history of policing in Canada.

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Conservative Diplomacy and Canada's 'Place' in the World

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Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and potential Iranian nuclear activity – on each of these three leading international issues today, Canada has been outspoken and steadfast. The views of Harper’s Conservative government are not shared unequivocally across the Canadian populace, but nonetheless as Canada’s representative voice internationally these are the views and opinions that shape Canadian interaction on the global stage. Both Harper and John Baird, Canada’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs, have come under sharp criticism lately for adopting a loud voice on international matters which has at times resonated with tones of arrogance. The Conservatives’ foreign diplomacy has certainly sparked heated debate in media and public circles. Some applaud their decidedly different form of Canadian politics, while others question their purpose and resolve. Whichever side of the debate you may fall, it’s important to situate current Conservative diplomacy in its proper context by reflecting on Canada’s international contributions of the past.

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The Silent Epidemic of Environmental Sensitivities

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In the first part of this series, we broadly touched on environmental and medical history as new (to us) areas of discussion. We examined the impact of poor policy on lead regulation and the “silent epidemic” of lead poisoning in the 1960s. We wonder what silent epidemics afflict us today as we look for lessons from these fields. So today we turn to what could be a modern day epidemic that has far reaching consequences, chemical contaminants and environmental sensitivities.

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The "Silent Epidemic" of Lead Poisoning

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Clio's Current has wandered widely in its foray into online history, but there are some topics which we have avoided. Some because we know nothing about them, and others because we know just enough that we know we have nothing worth saying. Environmental and medical history fall into the second category. In a two part series, we touch on these unfamiliar fields while exploring the history of lead use in North America.

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Palestinian Sovereignty and Peace in Israel

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Recent events involving the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers have escalated existing tension between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza and sparked a wave of protests across Israel. As a result, Israel has mobilized roughly 20,000 troops for a possible invasion of Gaza in an attempt to neutralize militant targets. Israel’s mobilization of troops and aerial strikes against Gazan targets, as well as Hamas’ continuing rocket fire have significantly reduced the possibility of a lasting peace in the region. Coupled with the broader geopolitical situation in which Israel and Palestine find themselves, a meaningful and lasting peace does not seem likely in the near future. Yet, there have been several important developments relating to the peace process in the Middle East that provide some hope for a better future.

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Stuck in Time: A Call for the ‘Transtemporal’ Historian

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Historians are considered experts, not of all history but certainly of a particular subfield. There are those of us who study Canadian history, or British or Japanese history, and within those subfields are additional ‘areas of expertise,’ such as political, environmental, or economic history. The Canadianist is certainly not bound to a Canadian context, nor is she/he restricted to study specific subfields or genres. Nonetheless, and despite recent interest in adopting inclusive modes of inquiry, historians are generally taught to embrace a sense of familiarity in their work that derives from research focused both topically and temporally. Clio’s Current has previously explored issues related to national and regional identities, political and social histories, and inquiry-based methodologies, but given that we recently passed the one-year mark, it’s perhaps appropriate for us to investigate the impact of time on historical writing.

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Clio's Current at One Year

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July 1 marked the anniversary of Clio's Current – one year ago we published our first blog post on Canadian views of the world. A lot has changed over the last year, and as historians we like to look back to better understand what we are doing here and what the future might hold. So for today, we're setting historical investigation aside to reflect on the past and future direction of our site.

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The Incredible Beginning of the First World War: Madame Caillaux on Trial

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One hundred years ago, Europe was on the road to war. By the end of July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, starting a series of declarations between the Great Powers that ended on August 4 when Britain declared war on Germany for its invasion of neutral Belgium. A month before on June 28 1914, the heir to the Habsburg crown, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by the young Serbian nationalist, Gavrillo Princip. None foresaw that Princip's actions would become one of the most monumental acts of the 20th century, though in July of 1914 few cared to notice. For most Europeans (and Canadians!) they were more interested in the “trial of the century” taking place in Paris. French socialite Madame Henriette Caillaux was found not guilty on July 28, the same day Austria declared war on Serbia.

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