Banff has a new top cop as Staff Sgt. Dave Brunner has taken over the local detachment.
Brunner, originally from Magrath, Alta., south of Lethbridge, arrives in Banff after a short stint in Canmore, two years in Cumberland House, Sask. (Sgt.), Redcliff, Alta. (Cpl.) and a pair of other Saskatchewan detachments.
With Staff Sgt. Wayne Wiebe and Sgt. Rob Savage both recently retiring, Brunner was seconded as acting detachment commander until his appointment became official last week.
Currently, the detachment is awaiting the arrival of a new sergeant to be back at full strength.
Working in Banff after the relatively remote Cumberland House in east central Saskatchewan is quite a change, said Brunner. “Cumberland House was a Metis/First Nations settlement of about 2,000 people. The workload is about the same here, but it’s different obviously, with Banff being in a national park where tourism plays a major role in the community.
“And here, the RCMP is part of the town package. We need to be good ambassadors for the RCMP, the Town of Banff and Banff. It’s nice when you can walk down the street in your working uniform and people want to take your picture and talk with you.
“I want to focus on the mandate of safe homes and safe communities.”
Thus far, said Brunner, the volume of visitors to Banff has come as a surprise. “When you have 3 1/2 million visitors in a year, and 5 1/2 million people travelling through the park, it’s pretty impressive. We didn’t get a lot of that in Cumberland House.
“But I feel very fortunate to be in Banff and pleased to be here. Mayor and council, Banff Lake Louise Tourism and all the boards have been very receptive and good to work with. To get on the same page and get on common ground makes it easier for everyone.”
In looking back at his Cumberland House posting, Brunner said it was a rewarding one. “It gave me the skill set to apply and compete for the posting here in Banff.
“And now, here in Banff, we have very good members in the detachment. You’re only as good as the people who work with you and the members here work hard.”
