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Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Veterans Associations
Fort Steele Heritage Town would like to offer special thanks to the RCMP Veterans Associations who aided our work restoring the Kootenay Post Officers’ Quarters.These supportive and helpful contributors have proved to be of great assistance to us and we would like to acknowledge their support. Without the aid of groups like these Fort Steele Heritage Town could not undertake a project of the magnitude of the N.W.M.P. Officers' Quarters.
The contribution of the Vancouver Veterans Division was used to purchase
1880’s pattern pillbox forage caps, a uniform element needed to dress the
Officers' Quarters display. Photographic evidence has shown that
pillbox forage caps were a common part of NWMP uniforms in the 1880’s and
the Curatorial Section felt that their inclusion was necessary. Placed
in the bedroom of Inspector Albert Huot (who, photographs have shown, often
wore a pillbox forage cap) the painstaking reproduction has become a key
display component.
Fort Steele Heritage Town would like to thank:
President – Mr. D.C. Turnbull
Vice-President – Mr. G.J. Druchet
Treasurer – Ms. Lee Yoblonski
Secretary – Mr. R.L. McKee
All the members of the Vancouver Veterans Division
for their generous assistance to our efforts.
The contribution of the Central Vancouver Island Veterans was used to purchase a uniform element missing from the display, 1880’s pattern steel crane-necked jack spurs. Used exclusively by NWMP officers, these spurs are a unique item and proved very difficult to locate. In fact it required the better part of a year to find a supplier of these spurs; in England of all places. This display item is unique and a very generous gift to the Officers' Quarters exhibit.
Fort Steele Heritage Town would like to thank:
President – Mr. G.L. Saundry
Vice-President – Mr. Des Cunin
Treasurer – Ms. Mary Turner
Secretary – Mr. J.E. Purney
All the members of the Central Vancouver Island Veterans Division
for their generous assistance to our efforts.
Members assisted in the planning and facilitation of the Musical Ride and 125th anniversary weekend activities, as well as making a significant and timely monetary donation to the success of this project. They also provided us with contacts for other Veterans’ Societies in British Columbia. Funds contributed by the East Kootenay division were directed toward the purchase of two of the many pouches used by NWMP officers in 1887-88.
Assistant Surgeon Powell's pouch was considered a priority. An Asst. Surgeon’s uniform was identical to a NWMP Inspector’s, therefore the pouch was important in differentiating the two ranks/ professions. The second pouch purchased was an exact replica of the Dress Cartouche pouch belonging to Zachary Taylor Wood (now in the collection of the RCMP Museum, Regina). As can be seen in the picture below, this item is a beautiful piece of workmanship and is a standout piece in Inspector Wood’s bedroom.
Finally, Fort Steele would like to acknowledge Mr. Barry Beaulac, our
liaison to the association and a driving force behind this project. Mr.
Beaulac has been the heart and soul of this undertaking from its inception
and without his assistance, guidance and continued support we can state
that the Kootenay Post Officers' Quarters would not be the complete exhibit
that it is today.
Fort Steele would like to thank:
President – Mr. Jim Ackison
Vice-President – Mr. Ron Tattersall
Treasurer/ Secretary – Mr. Ron Sheffield
Liaison and Project Advisor – Mr. Barry Beaulac
All the members of the East Kootenay Veterans Division for their
generous assistance to our project.
