Bonus Features

Regina -- The RCMP Connection

Valerie: … in Regina since 1882, almost all of them trained here since 1885. Bill McKay is with the Mountie Museum which has some magnificent artifacts and you’ve brought in a few. Hello.

Curator: I have, Valerie, thanks.

Valerie: Now, I saw Ross Wilson, our military expert drooling over this. Tell me about it.

Curator: Well, this is an 1876 cartouche pouch that belongs to Superintendent James Morrow Walsh. And he was one of our original officers, in fact his Regimental number is 07 so that shows you how early he was.

Valerie: Wow, just like James Bond!

Curator: Exactly. He was a very flamboyant character and you can see this is very decorative, very Victorian piece of military kit.

Valerie: And so Walsh (Saskatchewan) is named for him.

Curator: Exactly. He built that back in 1875 as the Mounties were trying to establish their presence in the Canadian West.

Valerie: And this is a magnificent piece!

Curator: This is a Napoleonic accoutrement, it’s called a sabre tashe. Belonged to Superintendent Grisback who, by the way, had the original number one as a Regimental number. He was the first sworn-in member of the Force.

Valerie: And this has got the beautiful buffalo head on it.

Curator: What’s interesting with these buffalo heads in Great Britain they had no idea what a North American bison looked like so they almost look very werewolf in design in some circumstances. They’re very…

Valerie: Where did that design come from?

Curator: It was actually created by Commissioner James Farquharson Macleod who used his heraldic fighting bull of the Macleod’s, the Angus cattle he evolved into a Canadiana and hence he put the badge together in the late 1870s.

Valerie: Now, this is sort of a (laughs) a bizarre little part of your museum collection but it was sort of appealing to me, which, because the Mounties of course always get their man.

Curator: Those are thumb cuffs and I have to remind you that I didn’t bring the key for this so be careful.

Valerie: So I won’t close them down on my thumbs. What use is the thumb cuff compared to a hand cuff?

Curator: It was just minimal, I guess, gear, but it was just as effective.

Valerie: Now, and this doesn’t look as glamorous or exotic but you say as far as collectors are concerned this may be one of the more valuable things that you’ve got in your collection.

Curator: It’s the first, it’s the original pressing die for the first North West Mounted Police button which was created in 1875.

Valerie: So they just put the molten metal in there…

Curator: They put it in there and they would press it down.

Valerie: Alright. And a pill box hat… from…

Curator: It was from the 1870s as well. This one belonged to Grisback as well.

Valerie: Well, it’s a magnificent collection you’ve got and people actually, if they want to get a sense of things, should visit it next time they’re in Regina. Well, I appreciate very much these things coming in. Thanks so much.

Curator: And thanks for having me.

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