Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko is on a quest: to have her great uncle香蕉视频直播檚 service as a Mountie in Canada香蕉视频直播檚 North be the legacy for which he is best-remembered.
Robert David Van Norman detailed much of what he did in his job and what that meant to him in a hand-written journal rife with photos that he created as a gift for his parents before his policing career came to an abrupt halt in 1964, when he was purged from the RCMP for being gay.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 an adventure into a new world which you have to live in to fully appreciate,香蕉视频直播� an inscription penned by Van Norman to his parents reads, in part. 香蕉视频直播淵ou must toil and battle all your life to exist, but you are happy and near to God香蕉视频直播� and it香蕉视频直播檚 all wonderful.香蕉视频直播�
Sturko, a South Surrey resident, first learned of the journal last March, while visiting with Van Norman香蕉视频直播檚 brother 香蕉视频直播� her great uncle Jack 香蕉视频直播� and his wife for research on another book project.
Jack pulled the journal from a box of memories that he香蕉视频直播檇 inherited after his mother passed away, said Sturko.
Its pages have yellowed over the years, and the journal香蕉视频直播檚 cover is similarly fragile. But the passion that Van Norman had for his job and for the people is indelible, said Sturko 香蕉视频直播� and, it inspired an idea: to share her great uncle香蕉视频直播檚 words and photography in a book the whole world could see.
香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 see that it needed to be the end香蕉视频直播� of his story, Sturko said of the chapter of disgrace that hung over her great uncle香蕉视频直播檚 exit from the national police force.
香蕉视频直播淚 wanted to make sure that he is remembered as an excellent member, not remembered that he was the guy that got kicked out of the RCMP for being gay.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was really important to me, and it sort of would help close a loop on just reconciling my own existence in the RCMP today, and seeing how far we香蕉视频直播檝e come.香蕉视频直播�
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Today, 50 years after LGBT activity in Canada was decriminalized 香蕉视频直播� under the same bill (C-150, introduced by then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau) that also allowed abortion, regulated lotteries and more 香蕉视频直播� Sturko, who is openly gay, has been a Mountie for a decade, and a media spokesperson for Surrey RCMP since early 2018.
She arrived at the country香蕉视频直播檚 largest RCMP detachment nine years after being recruited from Yellowknife, where she had been serving as a full-time reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Her years as a Mountie so far have taken her from the Northwest Territories to the Lower Mainland and back again, as well as to Ottawa, with the Musical Ride; the RCMP香蕉视频直播檚 internationally known 32-member horse-and-rider touring troop.
Last March, Sturko told Black Press Media that reconciling the history of the (LGBT) purge and what happened to her great uncle, and making the decision to join the RCMP, 香蕉视频直播渉as been an interesting journey.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he RCMP has come a long way. There have been questions at times, I read the paper like everybody, and it香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播楥an the RCMP change?香蕉视频直播� And I香蕉视频直播檓 like you know what? Heck yes, we can. I香蕉视频直播檓 living proof,香蕉视频直播� she said.
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Speaking with Peace Arch News last week, Sturko香蕉视频直播檚 pride in the RCMP hasn香蕉视频直播檛 wavered.
The journal project 香蕉视频直播渨as personally important to me, but also I think that it香蕉视频直播檚 a good example and hopefully encourages people to know how far we香蕉视频直播檝e come 香蕉视频直播� and not just for LGBT people, but women, people of different, diverse backgrounds,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a true example of how human rights and Canada香蕉视频直播檚 diversity really is reflected in one of our major institutions, and the progress we香蕉视频直播檝e made as a country. I think it香蕉视频直播檚 very香蕉视频直播� awesome.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 more proud even knowing more of the details of what happened to my uncle and how sad and tragic and impactful and devastating that was.
香蕉视频直播淚t hasn香蕉视频直播檛 diminished it in any way, because now knowing where I sit and the privilege that I get to serve openly and be part of the community and serve and give back makes me extremely happy for the changes that have taken place, and I香蕉视频直播檓 grateful to all the work that香蕉视频直播檚 been done inside and outside the organization to make that a possibility.香蕉视频直播�
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Sturko hopes to finish her journal project 香蕉视频直播� Paanialuk: The Tall One, Remembering Robert David Van Norman 香蕉视频直播� and have it available on Amazon by Christmas. Backed by the LGBT Purge Fund, she said profits from the self-published tome will benefit projects in the northern communities that her great uncle held close to his heart.
She emphasized that no editing was done to Van Norman香蕉视频直播檚 writings; the journal pages appear in full, along with restored versions of many of the photos.
But, with the help of Pond Inlet descendants, elders and the town archivist, she has added 香蕉视频直播渓ocal knowledge香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渓ittle pieces of historical context香蕉视频直播� to correct or clarify some of the things her great uncle shared.
香蕉视频直播淭here was some things he obviously didn香蕉视频直播檛 understand,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淪ome of the language in here, I would say even to be unacceptable by today香蕉视频直播檚 standards.
香蕉视频直播淎t the same time, too, I have not changed any of it. Because you shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 sanitize history, you should acknowledge history.香蕉视频直播�
The book has also been translated into Inuktitut, a language her great uncle learned from the Inuit people he香蕉视频直播檇 sworn to serve and protect.
Sturko said Van Norman香蕉视频直播檚 time in the North 香蕉视频直播渄efined a lot of who he was as a person香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� and she can relate to that.
香蕉视频直播淚 served up North, too, and I can really tell you that the North gets into your blood. When you leave, you still feel that.香蕉视频直播�
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Van Norman 香蕉视频直播渘ever recovered香蕉视频直播� from his departure from the RCMP, Sturko said. He died of AIDS in 1988, about 20 years after he was purged, when she was just 13 years old.
Prior to his death, Van Norman was a store manager, a YWCA manager, and lived in both San Francisco, Calif. and Houston, Tex. for a time.
香蕉视频直播淧eople always raved about, he was such a good worker and such a nice man to work with, but he never had a career like he did with the RCMP,香蕉视频直播� Sturko said.
Diagnosed in 1985, he died in Winnipeg under the care of Sturko香蕉视频直播檚 grandmother and great-grandmother.
Sturko said removing stigmas such as those that remain around HIV and AIDS is another goal of the journal project.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 very freeing to be able to have those type of discussions, and I think that香蕉视频直播檚 why the prime minister香蕉视频直播檚 (November 2017) apology was important. It sort of took something that had been in the closet and brought it out into the light, where people can deal with some of the hurt feelings.香蕉视频直播�
Sturko said she met 香蕉视频直播渁 lot of survivors 香蕉视频直播� and thrivers香蕉视频直播� from the purge when she and her wife attended the apology. The decision to attend wasn香蕉视频直播檛 to accept the apology on behalf of Van Norman, but 香蕉视频直播渢o bear witness to something that actually is part of our own family history,香蕉视频直播� she said.
She said family members she spoke with 香蕉视频直播渂elieve he would香蕉视频直播檝e accepted the apology.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淏ecause he was so proud of his service to the RCMP that even though he had come under a lot of hardship because of what had happened, he actually remained proud of his service and never said any negative words against the RCMP, which I find very inspiring.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播�
Sturko said she香蕉视频直播檚 been surprised by the ripples created through the telling of her great uncle香蕉视频直播檚 story. Since it came to light, people have reached out from across the country to tell her of their own connections to Van Norman.
香蕉视频直播淭hey told me that a lot of people knew at the time that he was gay, but they loved him and he was just such a great person and respected,香蕉视频直播� she said.
While she started off doing the project for herself, learning it was bringing people a sense of peace and closure was unexpected.
香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 expect it to be helpful to anyone else,香蕉视频直播� she said.
And while for Sturko, there weren香蕉视频直播檛 香蕉视频直播渁 lot of deep discussions香蕉视频直播� around what happened to her great uncle while she was growing up, she said her own children know no such hesitation 香蕉视频直播� regardless of the topic.
香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 have to talk about LGBT issues,香蕉视频直播� she said, explaining that the taboo that existed in her great uncle香蕉视频直播檚 time 香蕉视频直播渄oesn香蕉视频直播檛 exist in my children香蕉视频直播檚 life.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no question, if they want to talk about it, I香蕉视频直播檓 going to talk about it with them, as with any subject. It wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be a secret.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 part of their family history, it香蕉视频直播檚 nothing to be ashamed of.香蕉视频直播�
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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