Garry James Loeppky

Divisions Served: “E,” “J,” “HQ,” “Depot”

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal, 125th Anniversary Confederation of Canada Medal, Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, Officer of the Order of Merit Police Forces, Commissioner’s Volunteer Service Award

Pillar Location: Pillar V, Row 8, Column D

Story: 

Garry  Loeppky was one of four siblings born to Henry and Nettie Loeppky in Austin, Manitoba. His early years were spent in Austin where he attended elementary and high school.  During his high school years, his parents purchased a truck stop in Thearea, and that is where his interest in the RCMP developed when local Detachment members would stop in for vehicle service or lunch. After a few “ride-alongs”, he knew that he wanted to become a Member of the RCMP.  However, an old sports injury precluded joining the RCMP immediately so he completed a mechanical/architectural drafting program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba. During this time he had knee surgery and following completion of his college program, he commenced work for Pioneer Electric in Winnipeg while his application for the RCMP was being processed.

Following his successful application, he was sworn in as a Member in Brandon, Manitoba on April 26, 1972 as a member of Troop 4, 1972/73 along with 31 other males from across Canada.  During recruit training, he completed a certified scuba program which was to be put to use once out in the field. 

He was posted to Merritt, B.C. and arrived just in time for Halloween. The next four years were highly educational in terms of developing police related skills as Merritt was a busy detachment with all types of crime to investigate including murders, sexual assaults, sudden deaths and a host of other police calls for service.  In 1974, following the two year required waiting period to get married, Garry married his high school sweetheart, Jean Hughson, who was also from the Austin area.

Jean had completed her x-ray and laboratory training in Manitoba and immediately found employment at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt.  In November 1976, while Jean was still in hospital after giving birth to their son, Jeff, Garry was transferred to Clinton Detachment with a requested implementation of two weeks. After some negotiation with staffing to allow for the sale of their home in Merritt and acquisition of accommodation in Clinton, the transfer took place on January 1st.  

Clinton, a small community in the Caribou region of BC had 3 Members but a large Detachment area.  Working alone was standard practice with a broad range of criminal activity and complaints to investigate.  During Garry and Jean’s time in Clinton, a daughter was born, and it was not uncommon on a Sunday afternoon when making an extended patrol to serve documents or deal with complaints to have the family go along for company.

An interesting case arose when a complaint about parental abduction from Quebec revealed that a one year old child had been left in a commune on the banks of the Fraser River about 40 kms from Clinton five years earlier.  Attendance to the commune required a 6 mile hike along the banks of the Fraser River, and upon arrival, after some difficult discussion with about 10 adult inhabitants, the six year old child was identified and safely removed from the commune.  The child had deformed feet and the six mile walk back to the police vehicle carrying the child made for a long day. 

Involvement in the community as a Lions Club Member and a Scout leader was rewarding but the death of our 14 year old babysitter in a house fire also brought its sad moments.

In July 1979, Garry and his family were transferred to Prince George Drug Section which involved undercover investigations, heroin and cocaine conspiracies, and travel through northern BC, focusing on illicit drugs.  Garry was promoted to a Corporal in February 1983 and transferred to Drug Intelligence and Field Operations at “E” Division HQ in charge of the Human Source and Witness Relocation Program. He subsequently returned to the University of British Columbia for one year in 1985 and upon completion of that program became involved in planning security at the Canada Pavilion for Expo 86 in Vancouver and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Vancouver in 1987, which was held at Canada Place. After doing part time language training for several years, he was selected for full time language training Upon attaining his language profile, Garry was promoted to Sergeant in charge of Prince Rupert Sub Division Drugs in northern B.C. in 1988.  

An international drug importation file, involving a multitude of partners, resulted in the seizure of 22 tons of marijuana on the Queen Charlotte Islands in 1989 and the “Goose”, an aircraft that  purchased by the RCMP in 1946, was invaluable in providing support with investigations.

In 1990, Garry was commissioned to the rank of Inspector and transferred to Protective Services at HQ with responsibility for Governor General, Ray Hnatyshyn when he traveled outside of Ottawa.  Unfortunately, a slow housing market in Prince Rupert resulted in a 5 month separation from the family who remained behind to sell the family home.  The Governor General and his wife, Gerda, were very kind and thoughtful people and a pleasure to work with. Garry also coordinated security for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court  when they traveled abroad.

Over 35 countries were visited in the next two years including such trips as a 9 country tour with Minister Joe Clarke in the middle east six days after the end of first Gulf War in 1991.  In 1993, the Clinton/Yeltsin Summit took place in Vancouver and Garry was responsible for the security coordination for President Yeltsin of Russia.

Garry was transferred to Security Engineering Branch which included responsibility for the covert entry and armored vehicle program.  In 1993 he completed a 4 month exchange program with various Australian police forces, and at the conclusion, his family joined him in Australia for a 6 week “walk-about”.

In 1994, Garry was appointed as the Executive Officer (EO) for Commissioner Inkster for 6 months until his retirement and then continued on in that position for Commissioner Murray. The EO job was a unique opportunity to experience challenges and issues that confronting the RCMP at that time and how great leaders responded.  It was also an opportunity to travel to every province and territory in Canada as an observer or participant in ceremonies with the Commissioner.

In 1996, Garry was transferred to New Brunswick responsible for criminal operations and once again a depressed housing market in Ottawa resulted in Jean staying behind for 3 months to sell the home. In 1997 Garry was appointed as the Commanding Officer of “J” Division and as a result of new policing standards in the Province, the RCMP absorbed a number of smaller departments including the Moncton Police Force which provided a number of challenges and opportunities at the same time.  Some additional highlights included the official presentation of the RCMP Tartan by Princess Anne at “J” Division H.Q. and the official return of Old Government House, which had been the HQ of the RCMP in the Province since 1934, to become the home of the Lt. Governor for the Province.  The official public ceremony on July 1^st, 1999, when Garry turned over the building on behalf of the RCMP to the Lt. Governor was dampened by the news an hour before the ceremony that Garry’s father had passed away in British Columbia.  New Brunswick was a wonderful place to live and work, both for Garry and Jean who worked at the Fredericton Hospital. 

In 1999 Garry was transferred back to Ottawa as the Chief Human Resources Officer, one of the most challenging positions in any organization, but also with its rewards in terms of teamwork.  Following the appointment of Commissioner Zaccardelli in 2000, Garry was promoted to Deputy Commissioner Operations, a position he occupied until his retirement in 2005.  While there were always interesting operational challenges, the 9/11 attacks in 2001 impacted policing more than any other previous challenges in terms of readiness and response. 

The RCMP Senior Executive was holding a retreat at CSIS H.Q. when the airplanes struck the World Trade Centre and everyone knew that life as we had known it had changed forever.

In 2000 Garry had the privilege of presenting badges to his son Jeff and the other Members of Troop 11 at Depot. Sadly, the next time he met the troop was at the funeral of the 4 Mayorthorpe Members in 2005 in Edmonton, one of whom, Cst Peter Schiemen had graduated with Jeff.

In 2002, Garry and Jean completed a cross Canada tandem bicycle journey from Victoria to St. Johns, in support of the Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry and promoting fitness in the RCMP.  Garry and Jean retired in June 2005 and immediately left Ottawa for a 10 month journey, travelling to the east coast, and then south for the winter. 

In 2006, they returned to Canada and moved to a previously purchased home at White Lake in the British Columbia interior.  In 2008, Garry was appointed as the head of investigations into the bombing death of the Prime Minister of Lebanon and spent 5 months in Beirut. As the investigation transitioned to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, Garry returned home to spend time with family.

Garry was the Chair of the National DNA Advisory Committee from 2012-2018 which provided interesting challenges in terms of the advancement of forensic use of DNA in criminal investigations.  From 2006 – 2019, Garry was a member of the White Lake Fire Department and retired as Deputy Chief in 2019.

Garry and Jean travel extensively but their greatest joy is when family comes to the lake to visit.