A Succesful Hostage Rescue

Mayor Diane Watts who served as Mayor of Surrey from 2005 to 2014 had a special relationship with the RCMP.  She had a special “Mountie”  standing guard outside her office at the old Surrey City Hall.   The “Mountie” standing guard was not your usual garden variety “Mountie” but rather a full-sized stuffed “Moose Mountie.”    In an article written by Daphne Bramham in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, November 1, 2008, about Mayor Watts….she wrote “A giant stuffed moose in red serge uniform stands guard outside Mayor Dianne Watts office at Surrey City Hall.  The moose’s name is Fraser, a tribute to the apparently good natured Chief Superintendent Fraser MacRae, who wrangled it home from the RCMP’s training depot where Watts had spotted it.  It was a cheeky request to Surrey’s equivalent of a police chief.”   The article also talks about  Watts huge victory over previous Mayor Doug McCallum who was advocating relacing the RCMP with a city police Force.   

Fraser the “Moose Mountie” remained in place after Mayor Watts left office in 2014.  Her replacement, Mayor Linda Hepner, continued to have Fraser the “Mountie Moose” stand guard at the new city hall.   In November 2018 after Doug McCallum was re-elected as mayor, he ran on a platform of replacing the RCMP, poor Fraser the “Moose Mountie” was placed in solitary confinement.

A Tactical Plan was put in place and authorized by the current Officer in Charge to rescue Fraser the “Moose Mountie” from his confinement.  A lone Senior Non-Commissed Officer, his name is withheld for security reasons (but there was a Smokey in the family tree) was tasked with the rescue and release of Fraser the “Moose Mountie”   The rescue was carried off with military precision.  The Senior NCO had Fraser wrapped in cling wrap to protect his identity and non-chalantly walked out with Fraser under his arm and returned Fraser to Surrey’s main detachment.  He now stands guard, much like the Beefeater’s of London fame, on the upper floor of the detachment over seeing the atrium watching the members comings and goings.   There is a sign on the “Moose Mountie” indicating that his name is now “Dwayne”.  In recognition of the current OIC’s authorization of the rescue.  

What will be the fate of “Dwayne” the “Moose Mountie” and Surrey Detachment in the years to come as Mayor McCallum pursues his vision of his own city police force? 

Ric – Former Surrey Detachment Member