Photo: Contributed - Wayne Emde

RCMP Supt. Reg Burgess

By Wayne Emde

After 35 years as a member of the RCMP, Supt. Reg Burgess said Monday he has no regrets about leaving a career as a banker in Nova Scotia to join the force.

“I even took a pay cut,” he said, adding that he was inspired by a roommate who invited him to join some RCMP members in sports and then convinced him to change careers.

After training at the RCMP depot in Regina, Burgess served in a number of B.C. detachments, including Richmond, Alexis Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Texada Island, Kelowna and Lake Country before taking command of Vernon. 

During his career, he has held a variety of jobs within the force, moving from general duties to plain clothes investigations, small detachment commander, commercial crime, community policing and large detachment commander.

He found his community policing role in Kelowna rewarding, and the quieter time in Lake Country provided an opportunity to be more proactive.

“I have no regrets,” Burgess said. “I’m leaving on a high note."

He added he has become “cynical enough to be healthy but not enough to be jaded.”

He has witnessed many changes within the force and in the society it polices.

“There are more female members now. Technology has changed the way we work – member representation and evolving case law in the legal system,” he said have all impacted the RCMP.

There have been big cases. Burgess came to Vernon at the end of the investigation into the Greeks gang murders. “We did some good work on the murder of the girl in Armstrong,” he added.

Some of the most satisfying work, he can't comment on, but he was proud to have prevented a possible murder in one instance.

Burgess is proud of the integrated policing model he instituted. “The administration was integrated when I arrived, but the operations end wasn’t. So, now, instead of assigning members to specific locations, we now have four or five officers who are available wherever they are needed.”

Burgess will go on leave in three weeks before his official retirement. He plans to remain in the Okanagan, spending more time with his carpentry and gardening and “working myself back into better physical condition.” He also plans on doing some travelling.

A successor has yet to be chosen. Until a replacement is found, Insp. Jim McNamara will assume command.

"In general, there is no problem filling any positions in Vernon. “But, he added, it’s also a challenging place and anyone coming here shouldn’t expect to have an easy job.”