Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)

Canada’s State Police: 150 years of the RCMP

·37 min·3 clips

The RCMP used a 'fruit machine' to detect homosexuality and a secret 'Profunked' program to list communists for internment in a crisis.

Nicola Byrne hosts Greg Marquis, a historian at the University of New Brunswick, to discuss his 2024 book on the RCMP's 150-year history. Marquis explains he wrote the book due to a publisher's request and the 150th anniversary of the Northwest Mounted Police. He describes the force's creation in 1874 as a federal constabulary for the Northwest Territories, involved in indigenous relations and settlement. The interview highlights key figures like Garnet Wolseley, Francis Dickens, and Sam Steele, who played roles in events such as the Métis resistance. Marquis details the RCMP's involvement in labour unrest, including the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike and 1935 Regina Riot, which led to its expansion as a national force. He examines Cold War-era programs like the 'fruit machine', a pseudoscientific device to detect homosexuality, and 'Profunked', a secret plan to intern suspected communists. The discussion covers the RCMP's pop culture portrayal in Hollywood films and shows like Due South, which romanticize its image. Marquis addresses scandals, such as the McDonald Commission inquiries into illegal activities, and difficulties in reforming the force due to institutional bias. He notes recruitment challenges for women, indigenous people, and minorities, attributing this to a paramilitary culture and elitist mindset. The episode concludes with Marquis reflecting on whether the RCMP has come to terms with its past, suggesting complacency is a major challenge and that external pressure is needed for reform.

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