Chief's 40th Anniversary Gala steeped in history

It was a night steeped in history as Greater Sudbury Police Service celebrated its amalgamation as a police force in 1973, by hosting the Chief’s 40th Anniversary Gala at the Caruso Club on Sept. 14.

Local dignitaries including Mayor Marianne Matichuk, MPP Rick Bartolucci, MP Glenn Thibeault and committee member Gerry Lougheed Jr., among others, were on hand to help mark the occasion.

“It’s great when you think about it — 40 years of helping out and making a difference deserves to be celebrated,” said Thibeault.

Many current police chiefs from outlying areas like North Bay, Peel Regional, Thunder Bay and Ottawa were in attendance alongside Sudbury's top cop, Chief Frank Elsner.

“I am proud to be able to honour our past,” said Elsner. “We should never forget our roots.”

Former Sudbury police chiefs Ian Davidson and Alex McCauley represented these ties to the past. Davidson, who preceded Elsner as chief, said it was great to be in Sudbury to connect with so much history.

McCauley was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and reflected on how 40 years ago, the Sudbury police were a “rag-tag gang” of six different forces.
Chair of the Police Services Board, Coun. Ron Dupuis, commented that even INCO used to have its own police department.

“It has been 40 years since we amalgamated, and we have seen tremendous growth in our area of coverage since then and we are still alive and well,” said Dupuis.

Dupuis also praised the efforts of MPP Rick Bartolucci for spearheading the campaign to have bridges named after police officers killed in the line of duty.

In a moving act of remembrance and gratitude of the eight fallen officers, police Chaplain Anne Germond, said “Let light perpetual shine upon them.”