Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko is on a quest: to have her great uncle害羞草研究所檚 service as a Mountie in Canada害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an adventure into a new world which you have to live in to fully appreciate,害羞草研究所� an inscription penned by Van Norman to his parents reads, in part. 害羞草研究所淵ou must toil and battle all your life to exist, but you are happy and near to God害羞草研究所� and it害羞草研究所檚 all wonderful.害羞草研究所�
Sturko, a South Surrey resident, first learned of the journal last March, while visiting with Van Norman害羞草研究所檚 brother 害羞草研究所� her great uncle Jack 害羞草研究所� and his wife for research on another book project.
Jack pulled the journal from a box of memories that he害羞草研究所檇 inherited after his mother passed away, said Sturko.
Its pages have yellowed over the years, and the journal害羞草研究所檚 cover is similarly fragile. But the passion that Van Norman had for his job and for the people is indelible, said Sturko 害羞草研究所� and, it inspired an idea: to share her great uncle害羞草研究所檚 words and photography in a book the whole world could see.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 see that it needed to be the end害羞草研究所� of his story, Sturko said of the chapter of disgrace that hung over her great uncle害羞草研究所檚 exit from the national police force.
害羞草研究所淚 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.
害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檝e come.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所�
Today, 50 years after LGBT activity in Canada was decriminalized 害羞草研究所� under the same bill (C-150, introduced by then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau) that also allowed abortion, regulated lotteries and more 害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 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, 害羞草研究所渉as been an interesting journey.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he RCMP has come a long way. There have been questions at times, I read the paper like everybody, and it害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所楥an the RCMP change?害羞草研究所� And I害羞草研究所檓 like you know what? Heck yes, we can. I害羞草研究所檓 living proof,害羞草研究所� she said.
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Speaking with Peace Arch News last week, Sturko害羞草研究所檚 pride in the RCMP hasn害羞草研究所檛 wavered.
The journal project 害羞草研究所渨as personally important to me, but also I think that it害羞草研究所檚 a good example and hopefully encourages people to know how far we害羞草研究所檝e come 害羞草研究所� and not just for LGBT people, but women, people of different, diverse backgrounds,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淭his is a true example of how human rights and Canada害羞草研究所檚 diversity really is reflected in one of our major institutions, and the progress we害羞草研究所檝e made as a country. I think it害羞草研究所檚 very害羞草研究所� awesome.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 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.
害羞草研究所淚t hasn害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所檓 grateful to all the work that害羞草研究所檚 been done inside and outside the organization to make that a possibility.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所�
Sturko hopes to finish her journal project 害羞草研究所� Paanialuk: The Tall One, Remembering Robert David Van Norman 害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所渓ocal knowledge害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渓ittle pieces of historical context害羞草研究所� to correct or clarify some of the things her great uncle shared.
害羞草研究所淭here was some things he obviously didn害羞草研究所檛 understand,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淪ome of the language in here, I would say even to be unacceptable by today害羞草研究所檚 standards.
害羞草研究所淎t the same time, too, I have not changed any of it. Because you shouldn害羞草研究所檛 sanitize history, you should acknowledge history.害羞草研究所�
The book has also been translated into Inuktitut, a language her great uncle learned from the Inuit people he害羞草研究所檇 sworn to serve and protect.
Sturko said Van Norman害羞草研究所檚 time in the North 害羞草研究所渄efined a lot of who he was as a person害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and she can relate to that.
害羞草研究所淚 served up North, too, and I can really tell you that the North gets into your blood. When you leave, you still feel that.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所�
Van Norman 害羞草研究所渘ever recovered害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淧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,害羞草研究所� Sturko said.
Diagnosed in 1985, he died in Winnipeg under the care of Sturko害羞草研究所檚 grandmother and great-grandmother.
Sturko said removing stigmas such as those that remain around HIV and AIDS is another goal of the journal project.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very freeing to be able to have those type of discussions, and I think that害羞草研究所檚 why the prime minister害羞草研究所檚 (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.害羞草研究所�
Sturko said she met 害羞草研究所渁 lot of survivors 害羞草研究所� and thrivers害羞草研究所� from the purge when she and her wife attended the apology. The decision to attend wasn害羞草研究所檛 to accept the apology on behalf of Van Norman, but 害羞草研究所渢o bear witness to something that actually is part of our own family history,害羞草研究所� she said.
She said family members she spoke with 害羞草研究所渂elieve he would害羞草研究所檝e accepted the apology.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淏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.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所�
Sturko said she害羞草研究所檚 been surprised by the ripples created through the telling of her great uncle害羞草研究所檚 story. Since it came to light, people have reached out from across the country to tell her of their own connections to Van Norman.
害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� she said.
While she started off doing the project for herself, learning it was bringing people a sense of peace and closure was unexpected.
害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 expect it to be helpful to anyone else,害羞草研究所� she said.
And while for Sturko, there weren害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所渁 lot of deep discussions害羞草研究所� around what happened to her great uncle while she was growing up, she said her own children know no such hesitation 害羞草研究所� regardless of the topic.
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have to talk about LGBT issues,害羞草研究所� she said, explaining that the taboo that existed in her great uncle害羞草研究所檚 time 害羞草研究所渄oesn害羞草研究所檛 exist in my children害羞草研究所檚 life.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no question, if they want to talk about it, I害羞草研究所檓 going to talk about it with them, as with any subject. It wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be a secret.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 part of their family history, it害羞草研究所檚 nothing to be ashamed of.害羞草研究所�
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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