1st female RCMP boss remembers trailblazing years with humour (4 photos)

It was 1974, and Beverley Busson was among the first batch of women ever training to become RCMP officers.

The situation led to some unfortunate missteps by the police service. The RCMP had hired the same company that made uniforms for Air Canada to make their uniforms, which included heeled shoes.

Outrageously, the female officers were also expected to carry small-sized handguns around in purses.

“Our firearms instructors were absolutely aghast that this was being pondered ... and convinced the powers that be, before we graduated, that it's just unwise and unsafe and just generally a bad idea,” she said.

“We were issued with the full-size Smith and Wesson and a gun belt before we left, which was a very good thing.”

Busson, the first female commissioner of the RCMP, was the guest speaker at the inaugural Dr. Edward J. Conroy Distinguished Lecture Series and Community Leadership Awards, held May 28.

Even as Busson worked her way up the police ranks years later, people would assume her male colleagues outranked her, and during business trips, they were the ones receiving fruit baskets in their hotel rooms.

Now retired, Busson shared several humorous anecdotes about her time with the RCMP. Upon graduation, she worked in the small British Columbia town of Salmon Arm, where one night, she spotted a suspected impaired driver, who refused to pull over.

“It was like a slow-speed chase,” she said. “We were going about 10 miles an hour up this long, straight stretch of highway out of town.”

She followed him right into his driveway, where he proceeded to tell her to get off his property.

“For those of you who have ever done police work, there's some phenomenon where when people get into their own driveways, they think the laws of Canada do not apply,” Busson said.

The diminutive officer tried several tackles before she was able to successfully arrest the suspect.

“His wife came out of the house — I thought 'Oh my goodness, now I'm going to have trouble with this woman,'” Busson said. “She said, 'Quick, I'll help you get him in the police car before he wakes up.'”

She ended up spending 33 years with the RCMP, working undercover and investigating major crimes. She retired in 2007 after serving for a year in the police service's highest role — as commissioner.

The Kamloops, B.C. resident said she was honoured to be chosen as the inaugural guest speaker for the lecture series and awards ceremony.

The event was put on by Huntington University in honour of Conroy, the university's former chancellor.

“Ted's a truly inspirational community leader, and I always say, somebody I'd like to grow up to be like,” said Huntington president Kevin McCormick.

When asked what it's like to have an event named for him, Conroy, a lawyer and community volunteer, said he's thrilled.

“I think the idea of having guest speakers in is good,” he said. “Secondly, I think the idea of awarding people in the community who do good things is great.”

The award recipients were retired pastor and community volunteer Gerry Copeman and the Chief's Youth Advisory Council.

“By receiving this award, we really feel that ... the youth voice is being acknowledged as an important voice to make a difference and to be able to improve the Greater Sudbury community,” said youth advisory council member Julia Martellacci, who accepted the award on behalf of the group.