Weyburn’s Police Chief Marlo Pritchard was part of a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on June 5, where he was named a Member of the Order of Merit for Police Forces by the Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette.
“It was a great honour and a great opportunity,” said Chief Pritchard of the experience, noting he was able to have his family with him for the ceremony.
“This was the first one that was not just about the police. I thought it brought so much importance to the event, because it takes all kinds of people to make a country. It was such a great opportunity to meet people from the military, the RCMP, civilians who are heavily involved as volunteers in their communities,” he added, noting the Governor General gave out awards for a wide variety of accomplishments or acts of bravery, or for meritorious service.
“It was very humbling to hear about the fantastic things people have done, or dangerous situations people were putting themselves into to save or help others. It was humbling to be with them there,” said the chief.
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces honours the leadership and exceptional service or distinctive merit displayed by the men and women of the Canadian Police Services, and recognizes their commitment to this country.
Chief Pritchard was named as a Member of the Order of Merit, which recognizes exceptional service or performance of duty over an extended period, usually at the local or regional/provincial level.
As he has been active at the local, regional and national levels, he was nominated by a peer in the policing community, and the nomination was vetted first at the regional level, then at the national level, before he was approved to receive this award.
Chief Pritchard’s role in developing the regional HUB was one of the factors cited in the nomination for his award.
“It was all quite an interesting experience for me,” said the chief, who noted the group of award recipients had the protocol explained to them, along with a brief meeting with the Governor General before going in for the ceremony.
Asked what his thoughts were about being nominated for this award, he said, “It speaks loudly of the good people I have around me. One individual doesn’t make it happen, it’s the efforts of everyone around you.”
He added it was very humbling that the nomination came from a peer, and that it went through an extensive vetting process, as only a few awards of this level are given out each year.
