RCMP red serge in Regina
Yesterday we awoke to heavy fog in Calgary, but by 08:30 when I shot this picture from our room at the Delta, things were starting to clear up nicely.
At 12:50 we left for Regina – this is my view of the control tower at Calgary (YYC) as we took off. The Rocky Mountains can just barely be seen in the distance.
This is the first look at our reason for the trip – my son greeted us at the Regina airport in his new Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) red serge. It’s graduation time 🙂
Once we picked up our rental car and got checked in at the Radisson, we went back to “Depot” to see where he’s spent the last 24 weeks. This map shows the communities that all the members of his troop have been posted to – from coast to coast to coast (Pacific to Atlantic to Arctic).
This is the room where cadets spend a lot of time, cleaning their guns (on the left) and polishing their boots (on the right)!
This morning was cold (-21°C) but beautiful – this is the view from our room (#507) at the Radisson.
We had a lot of beer last night at a couple of very good pubs a short walk from the hotel, so we had ordered a room-service breakfast on the assumption that we may not be moving too quickly this morning – it was a good plan 🙂
The first event of the graduation series was a service at the RCMP chapel, a lovely building that is the oldest building in Regina (it was built as a guardhouse for the North West Mounted Police in 1885).
The official chapel portrait pose by the Troop.
Outside, the troop was marched a short block to the cenotaph, a memorial to officers who have lost their lives in the performance of their duties.
Formed at the cenotaph.
Marching back to the chapel.
We then went over to the RCMP Heritage Centre for a family workshop and to tour the excellent museum.
A Yukon Mountie sled dog team and an early Skidoo.
One of the Bombardier snowmachines used for some Northern patrols in the 1950s.
Downtown Regina from the side of the hotel.
The lobby of the Radisson Hotel Saskatchewan, a historic Canadian Pacific Railway hotel that opened in 1927. A $25 million restoration in 1992 has brought it back to its original glory – we had the pleasure this afternoon of talking to a woman who has worked there for 26 years, and her pride in the property was a joy to hear.
Our room, #507, is lovely.
We all went to see Avatar tonight and then made it an early night – we have a very long day of emotional ceremonies coming tomorrow! Nite-nite 🙂
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