Mention “exceptional dedication,” “hard work,” and “selfless motivation” within Newfoundland and Labrador Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) circles and the members and Veterans will immediately think of Helen Escott!
Helen is a founding member of the B Division Fallen Members’ Fund. She spearheads events to raise money for the fund, which assists members who want to attend the funeral of any peace officer whose death was duty related. For 19 years, she has helped the RCMP raise money for local charities, co-chairing Klondike Night, raising some $60,000 a year.
Every month, Helen single-handedly produces a newsletter to tell the stories and capture the history of the province’s RCMP Veterans. From tracking down the Veterans, to interviewing them and writing their stories, she does it all. Over a three-year period, Helen interviewed 70 Veterans, including the last four Newfoundland and Labrador Rangers, and wrote their memoirs for inclusion in the book. And so, in 2020, she published In Search of Adventure: 70 Years of the RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In recent years, Helen has developed a plan for establishing a memory garden for B Division. Though the pandemic halted all traditional fundraising, Helen canvassed local businesses and the project gathers momentum. The Memory Garden will soon be opened as a meditative space where employees can find peace and remember those who have passed.