This year, Regina Depot Division celebrates its 125th anniversary. Not coincidentally, 2010 also marks the 125th anniversary of the North West Resistence. It was that 1885 event, which until recent times had been known by the deceptive tag of the Riel Rebellion, that reinforced the need for a strong military presence on the prairies to help Ottawa maintain “peace, order and good government” plus protect the area from American expansionists.
This afternoon, staff and cadets at Depot Division are hosting an open house to celebrate the anniversary with a variety of tours and demonstrations. Included is a talk by Garret Wilson at 4 p.m. on the March West that occured in 1874 when the original contingent of North-West Mounted Police moved into the prairie region.
A performance by the RCMP Musical Ride (pictured) had also been planned. Unfortunately, some of the horses have come down ill and the performance has had to be rescheduled to September 4.
Tomorrow, there’s presentations at 2 p.m. on the Fort Walsh and Fort Battleford National Historic Sites, and at 4 p.m. by Clay Yarshenko on the 1873 Cypress Hills Massacre which was one of the motivating factors behind the decision of the Sir John A. Macdonald-led Conservative government to form the NWMP in the first place.
Finally, on Tuesday there’s a talk by Royce Pettyjohn at 4 p.m. on the Old Forts Trail. Then at 6:45 p.m. (weather permitting) a Sunset Retreat Ceremony featuring the RCMP Cadet Band and Troops will be held. Call 780-5522 for details.
And for a bit of comic relief, here’s Weird Al Yankovic’s parody of Green Day’s American Idiot starring the most famous (cartoon) Mountie of all Dudley-Do-Right. (YouTube)
