TROOP #1 - 68/69

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Wilfred George Bliss

Home town: Prince Albert, Sask.

Joined at Prince Albert April 2, 1968

Arrived in Regina April 2, 1968

First person I met after arriving at Depot was Al Hanson.

Part I training in Regina for 3 months, then to Penhold south of Red Deer for Part II training of 3 months.

First posting was to Chilliwack City Detachment in October 1968.

Transferred to Penticton April 1969.

Transferred to Haney Municipal Traffic January 1970.

 


 

Transferred to, and opened, Boston Bar Highway Patrol July 1971.  What a place.   It's 42 miles north of Hope BC on the Trans Canada Hwy.  In my 7-1/2 weeks there I had 9 fatals and in the last four weeks I worked 417 hours.  As you may recall, that was before overtime. 

In the fall of 1970 I applied for Northern Service and my transfer came through late July 1971.  I left Boston Bar late August 1971.  The daytime temperature was usually over 100 degrees.  I left there and 10 days later..... 

In September 1971, I arrived in Resolute Bay, N.W.T. and it was 25 degrees Fahrenheit and snowing.  I almost got back on the plane.  Did you know Resolute Bay is the largest detachment by area at 239,000 square miles and the second most northerly detachment? 

February 1972 transferred to Grise Fiord, N.W.T.  This is the most northerly detachment and the most northerly settlement in Canada.  The sun goes down November 3rd and doesn't come up again until February 11th.  Population at the time - 9 whites and 99 Eskimos, now more correctly called Inuit.  The detachment opened in 1955 and I had the first prisoner in the spring of 1972. 

After a few temporary transfers back to Resolute Bay and to Frobisher Bay I moved to Whitehorse Highway Patrol in June of 1973.  I was promoted to Corporal in June 1976 as I/C Highway Patrol until May of 1978.

In May, 1978 I was transferred to Watson Lake Detachment as 2-I/C. 

As a result of problems I was having with my neck from an on-duty accident in November 1975
where I tangled with a semi-trailer in a snowstorm 80 miles south of Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway, I moved to a desk job in Regina. 

February 1979 I arrived in the Regina ("F" Division HQ) Admin office.  I did security clearances for a year and moved to the benefits position in 1980. 

On August 30th, 1980 I married my wife Joan.  She is a Regina girl and all her family is here. 

In July 1982 our first son, James, was born.  In August 1984 our second son, Johnathon, was born.  And, in June 1986 our daughter, Rebecca, was born.

As a result of problems with my neck and daily headaches from my 1975 car accident, I took a medical discharge and retired in October 1989. 

Jack Andrews was my pit partner.  We keep in regular touch with Jack and Joyce and visit back and forth usually every year or two.