Under Reserve

On October 22, 2014 Sgt-at-Arms Kevin Vickers walked from his office directly into the history books.

Within hours of his actions that morning, actions that he is quick to say were part of a larger effort by RCMP and parliamentary security forces, his name was known the world over as the Sgt-at-Arms who when duty called, his answer was immediate and unwavering - he grabbed his sidearm and without hesitation moved towards and engaged with the terrorist threat.

In this episode, Episode 5 Part 2, Kevin and I talk about the build-up to that morning, the role and nature of the Parliamentary Protective Service, and the level of fitness and discipline he maintained to ensure he was able to execute when the situation required it.

Under Reserve thanks Kevin for his time, and his service.

Kevin Vickers, by any standard, has had an exceptional career in law enforcement and public service more broadly.

After 29 years with the RCMP Kevin accepted a new challenge: the administration of security on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, first as the Director of Security for the House of Commons in 2005 and then in 2006 was appointed to the office of Sergeant-at-Arms. The rest is history.

On October 22, 2014 Kevin was instrumental in bringing an end to a terrorist attack on on our seat of government.

But before his life, and the lives of so many others changed forever that day, Kevin enjoyed a full and dynamic policing career that took him across the country, between sections and departments, and up the ranks. He retired as Chief Superintendent.

In part 1 of this two-part episode Kevin and I talk about his decision to join the Mounties, the curriculum at Depot in the late 1970s and policing in the pre-Charter era. We cover his time up north, in Alberta, and the 17 murder confessions he obtained.

Despite his achievements and his profile, Kevin is modest, genuine and focused on the public good.

Under Reserve thanks Kevin for time, and his service.

Bruce Moncur, a native of Windsor, Ontario joined the Canadian Army Reserves before 9/11. He enlisted with the Essex and Kent Scottish, an infantry regiment. It was a good job at a time and in a part of Canada where reasonably well paying employment for young people was hard to come by.

Come August, 2006 Cpl. Moncur, now 22 years of age, was deployed to Afghanistan and within a few weeks would find himself in the Canadian-led offensive, Operation Medusa, west of Kandahar city. Unfortunately a friendly-fire incident with American close air support seriously injured Cpl. Moncur, bringing his war to an end.

After recovering from his injuries, which included serious brain damage, Cpl. Moncur began carving out a roll for himself as an advocate for veteran's issues.

His most recent initiative, Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, is a not for profit organization pressing for the award of a Victoria Cross to a deserving Afghanistan war veteran, and obtaining a critical reexamination of Canadian heroes from earlier conflicts who may have been overlooked for this prestigious honour.

The Victoria Cross is the highest award within the Canadian honours system. It is bestowed for “the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or preeminent act of valour or self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.”

Since the award was patriated from the British honours system in 1993 it has never been conferred.

You can learn more about Valour in the Presence of the Enemy by finding it on Facebook, or on Twitter @CanadianCross or on Instagram @100thvictoriacross

Under Reserve thanks Cpl. Moncur for his time, and his service.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Queen of Canada: she's on our money and our stamps, her portraits hang in government buildings, courthouses and arenas across the country. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, will soon be our king.

It has been 70 years since our Queen ascended to the throne, but what is her role in a modern Canada? And who is the Governor General and how do they fit into the hierarchy? What powers do these historic offices still hold?

In this episode I dig into these issues with history professor Barbara Messamore, an expert on the role of the Crown in Canada, and in particular the function of the office of the Governor General.

Professor Messamore holds a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh and is a member of the executive committee for the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.

Supt. Talbot is the founder and President of Ned's Wish, a charitable organization committed to supporting retired police service dogs through the provision of financial assistance, education, and connections in the broader community of families living with retired police dogs.

Ned was an RCMP police service dog, born May, 2003 at the Police Service Dog Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alberta.

Ned retired from the RCMP in December of 2010 after a very full career and a collection of injuries to prove it.

In Ned's third month of service he and his handler were called to a violent domestic dispute in Courtenay, B.C. where the suspect had attacked and injured the first two responding RCMP members. The suspect fled over the steep banks of a nearby river. Ned tracked the suspect down the banks and through heavy brush to an area on the banks of the fast-moving river. The suspect then dove into the rapids to avoid apprehension. Without hesitation Ned and his handler dove into the river and pursued the suspect to the opposite bank. Unfortunately Ned was sucked into the rapids and nearly drowned before being pulled free by his handler. The suspect was apprehended shortly thereafter.

Years later Ned survived a severe car crash while on route to an Emergency Response Team call in Nanaimo, B.C. A male suspect was threatening to blow up a building at the ferry docks, and while on route to the call a vehicle that had run a red light struck at high speed the police SUV that Ned was travelling in. The suburban sustained severe damage. Nevertheless, Ned was still able to attend the call and assisted with the apprehension of the suspect.

In his retirement, after a rocky start with a different family, Ned came to live with Supt. Talbot. As she explains, after a career like this, PSD Ned had significant veterinary needs in his retirement. This was the starting the point for Ned's Wish.

You can learn more about Ned's Wish here .

Sgt. Graham was a PSD handler in the RCMP for a decade before working as as a full time PSD trainer and instructor at PDSTC. Sgt. Graham explains the powerful skillset police service dogs possess and how they are used by the RCMP to apprehend suspects, locate missing persons, and build relationships with the community.

Sgt. Graham now provides canine detection services for the private sector. You can learn more about him and his business here .

Ned's Wish also recommends that listeners interested in supporting its charitable work consider buying a bag of coffee from Support Retired Legends, which you can learn about here .

Under Reserve thanks Supt. Talbot and Sgt. Graham for their time, and their service.

Sebastien Lavoie was a police officer with the RCMP for over 20 years. Born and raised in Quebec, Seb spent a few years in the Canadian Armed Forces, pre-9/11, before joining the national police force.

Seb's career revolved around the Mounties' specialized and elite units: first as an in flight safety officer (air marshal) before moving on to be a full time member of the BC Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team (ERT) both as a breacher and later as a team leader. He retired in 2021 as the Divisional Sergeant Major for “E” Division (British Columbia), the RCMP’s largest division.

We covered a lot of ground in our discussion, but the focus was always on the teams: selection, training, decision-making, leadership – and his experiences in the courtroom. In this episode we invite listeners to take a peek behind the curtain, and get an insider's perspective on how ERT operates in BC.

Seb was a devoted police officer. He was committed to his craft and the maintenance of not only his high personal standards, but also elevating the standards of the officers that worked around him.

Today he brings that same pursuit of excellence to consulting. He is the CEO of Raven Strategic Inc., which provides leadership and performance training as well as security related services. He remains active in the fitness and BJJ communities. He is working on a book with a former Canadian SOF operator. 

You can find Seb on Instagram @slavccmdr

Under Reserve thanks Seb his time, and his service.