RCMP Const. Scott Kirychuk has become a familiar face in the community, but after four years of patrolling the streets in this tiny mountain town, it’s time for a change. Ěý
At the end of the month, Kirychuk and his wife Tracy will pack up their belongings and head off to Kitimat, B.C., where Kirychuk has accepted a corporal position.
“I’m ready to go even though I could stay in Jasper forever. I love the community and obviously the scenery, but workwise I’m always looking for the next place to go and the next challenge,” said Kirychuk, who has been an RCMP officer for about nine years. “When you’re policing in a smaller community—it reaches a time when you know everybody and everybody knows you so it gets a little more difficult to do your job.” Ěý
Kirychuk arrived in Jasper from Vegreville, Alta. in 2012. Kirychuk saidĚý from the get-go he was thrust into a supervisor role, sharing acting corporal duties with former Jasper RCMP Const. Ryan Gardiner.
“I’ve got to work with a lot of nice people and I think I’ve gained a lot of experience,” Kirychuk said. “I worked really closely with Ryan and he was kind of like a mentor to me, and (Sgt.) Rick (Bidaisee) helped me a lot.”
As he reflected on his time in Jasper, Kirychuk said he’s had many fond memories including a few that he will never forget.
“There was one time when I went to a call and this person was quite upset that I was there and he didn’t want me there, but since that point he’s become a really good friend,” Kirychuk said. “It makes me feel good knowing that I was able to make a difference in that person’s life and help him when he was having a difficult time.
“When you’re in the RCMP you do a lot of things that people aren’t happy with, but sometimes your actions are appreciated and you can make friends—I think that’s amazing.”
Along with making meaningful connections, Kirychuk said one of his biggest goals was reducing impaired driving in town. While there have been some improvements, Kirychuk said there’s still a long way to go.
“It’s still a big problem here,” said Kirychuk, adding 31 people this year have been charged with impaired driving. “More than half of those cases are locals—it’s unacceptable especially in a community the size of Jasper where everything is within walking distance.
“I hope this is something that continues to improve.”
As he starts packing up his home, Kirychuk said he’s excited and nervous for the challenges his new posting will bring.
“I’ll be supervising a lot more and mentoring younger members,” he said. “My job will include getting these younger officers to a point where they can hopefully get into the positions that they want.”
Another adjustment for the officer will be the size of both Kitimat and its detachment. The British Columbia municipality has about 10,000 residents and an RCMP detachment with 23 officers—almost triple the size of Jasper’s detachment. Ěý
“There are a lot more members so that will need some getting used to.”
However, for Kirychuk and his wife not everything will be an adjustment.
During their time in Jasper, they both took a particular interest in kayaking and hiking.
“We still have the mountains and the water so we can keep up with all the activities we enjoy. We feel pretty lucky to go there. We also know that we were really lucky to be here,” Kirchuk said. “I think Jasper is probably the nicest community in all of Alberta so it would have been very difficult to go anywhere else in the province.
“I think that’s why we had to go to B.C.”
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
