Greetings from your ‘E’ Division Sergeant’s Major
July 8, 2026
Good Morning Veterans,
I hope this finds all of you well in your parts of the Province. I wanted to take a minute to introduce ourselves to you and ensure you know your Divisional Sergeant’s Major and how we are distributed throughout the Province. ‘E’ Division as you know is the largest Division in the force having over 6,800 RM’s in both Core and Federal Policing. As such we are also unique in having the largest contingent of Warrant Officers in the force as well. The following is how we are distributed:
Sergeant Nathan Olson Acting ‘E’ Division Sergeant Major ‘E’ Division HQ
Staff Sergeant Major Kathleen Darby Lower Mainland District SSM District Office – ‘E’ Division HQ
Staff Sergeant Major Shane Rappel Island District SSM District HQ – Victoria
Staff Sergeant Major Jen Collins North District SSM District HQ – Prince George
Sergeant James Jenkins Acting South East District SSM District HQ – Kelowna
Staff Sergeant Major David Douangchanh Burnaby Detachment SSM Burnaby
Staff Sergeant Major Ross Lundie Richmond Detachment SSM Richmond
Based on the above, I can assume that BC also has one of the largest vets populations by Division as well. The purpose of this email is simply to connect your vets Divisions to our group should you need to reach in for anything. As well, I do have a couple of things to relay to all of you.
2026 Musical Ride Tour
As you may have heard, the Musical Ride is touring in BC this year in the month of August. I have attached the ride schedule for your info; sorry North District, they were only able to do one show for you this year. Please pass this on to your membership and consider going out to support one or more of the shows in your area and connect with our people.
Uniform
As you have likely heard, the force continues to suffer from procurement and supply chain issues with certain pieces of kit. The National Sergeant’s Major group are consistently advocating for formal reviews and changes to our procurement processes with the aim of both modernizing and finding efficiencies without the degradation of our Regimental customs and traditions. In the meantime we are doing our best nationally to bolster our stock of used kit for re-use and ensure Cadets are graduating in Review Order.
To be clear this is not a call out for all of you to turn in your Review Order because our need is more important than yours. If you have your Review Order and it allows you to reflect on your career, or come join us in a Remembrance Day parade, then you earned it, you keep it. What these issues have brought up to us though is a reminder of the Mass Casualty Commission recommendations we received after the shootings in Nova Scotia. In part, that we as a force do what we can to ensure that our uniform cannot be obtained by those who would wish to do harm with it. Whether we are serving or retired, we all need to be responsible with our disposal practices. It has also highlighted that we as a force can be quite wasteful with good kit, and that there is value in assessing it when it is turned in and consider retaining it for re-issue. We are not the only regiment/organization going through these considerations and seeing the value in it. We have been doing this unofficially in our Division for 3-4 years and it has proven successful. This includes members that need simple resizing, or in some cases passing on long shanks, riding crops, pea jackets and mess kit to deserving members.
What I am asking of all of you is to put some thought to the RCMP kit that you still possess, and consider what your plan is with it; both now and at end of life. If you have any in your closest that is not being used, it can be returned to us, and we will assess it for re-use or for disposal. I have sent direction through the District Commanders to ensure detachments do not turn you or your family away from returning kit. If you have your uniform that you intend to keep, I would ask that you communicate your wishes and direction to your family. I don’t mean to bring the mood of this message down, but it is something that we all need to consider at one point or another. We often get calls from family members who do not know what to do with their relatives RCMP uniform. Some vets wish to be buried or cremated with their uniform, but at a minimum we need to ensure that it is turned into the force when it is no longer needed. Again, my goal is to not see these items end up in estate sales and auctions. If you have any questions on this, feel free to reach out to the Warrant Officer in your area.
Thank-you
Before signing off I just wanted to take a moment to thank-you all not only for your service in the force, but also for your ongoing service in your support and advocacy for our serving members. Whether it is supporting members with their VAC claims or just checking in and saying hello, we very much appreciate all that you do. We obviously have experienced a rough few years with the losses of Constable’s Yang and O’Brien, as well as the recent Tumbler Ridge tragedy, but we have always been able to count on you all to support us. For all of you who volunteer and take on leadership roles within your Vet’s Divisions, thank-you for keeping your Divisions alive and active. It is no small feat, and we will do our best to ensure you have continued interest from serving members transitioning to discharge or retirement. I hope you are all able to find ways to connect to our detachments and members in your area and pass on your wisdom and knowledge. If you haven’t, give them a nudge.
Thank-you all again. Take care, and stay safe.
Nathan
N.C.H. (Nathan) Olson, Sergeant/Sergent
Acting Sergeant Major – ‘E’ Division/sergent-major par interim – division E
Office of the Commanding Officer – ‘E’ Division/Bureau du commandant, Division E
#308 – 14200 Green Timbers Way
Surrey, British Columbia/Colombie Britannique V3T 6P3
Office/Bureau: (778)-290-4717
Cell/Cellulaire: (778)-554-7816
Email: nathan.olson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
