Ronald Irvin Morse

Divisions Served: “E”

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal, 125th Anniversary Confederation of Canada Medal, United States Secret Service Certificate of Appreciation

Pillar Location: Pillar X, Row 18, Column D

Story: 

Ronald I. (Ron) Morse was born on December 3, 1951 in Middleton, Nova Scotia. He spent his early years living in the Annapolis Valley region surrounding Middleton. During his early life, Ron’s father was the reserve constable who supplemented the one-man police department in Middleton and through his father, Ron, met many members of the RCMP. This, no doubt, had an influence on his decision to join the Force.
Ron attended Middleton Regional High School, where he was involved with Air Cadets and spent a couple of summers at air cadet camps at CFB Greenwood, Nova Scotia and CFB Borden, Ontario. Following graduation from high school, Ron attended the University of Kings College in Halifax and upon graduation in 1973, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he applied to the RCMP. Ron was sworn in on November 19, 1973 at Halifax, Nova Scotia and headed to Depot Division as a member of Troop 21 73/74. Upon completion of training, in June 1974, Ron was posted to “E” Division, Port Alberni Detachment. In March 1975, Donna I. Burns, Regimental # 31800, a new female constable having just graduated in Troop 17 74/75 as one of the first regular female members to be accepted into the Force, was transferred to Port Alberni Detachment. It was while attending an autopsy at Port Alberni, where Ron met Donna Burns who was to become his wife.
Donna and Ron were married on November 22, 1975 becoming the first two RCMP members to be married. This created a bit of an issue for the Force as the RCMP had not updated the policy with respect to the marriage of two regular members. After all, it had never happened before! Policy in 1975, also, prohibited RCMP officers from living outside the community where they policed and there was, of course, resistance to the idea of a married RCMP couple working at the same detachment.
The Force reacted quickly to the issue and both were transferred to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Donna was posted to General Duties, Richmond Detachment, while Ron was transferred to Unit A Freeway Patrol whose offices were in the municipality of Richmond, British Columbia.
Ron served in “E Division, Deas Island Freeway Patrol and Surrey Detachment. He was seconded to the Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit on two occasions where he worked on a major domestic terrorism case (The Squamish Five) and a major international credit card fraud project with the United States Secret Service. Ron also served with Drug Enforcement Branch, Anti-Drug Profiteering Unit and Commercial Crime Section. He retired from the Force in 1994 after completing a 20-year career. Ron was awarded the Canada 125 medal and a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Secret Service. Following his retirement from the Force, Ron went on to work with the British Columbia Financial Institutions Commission and in Corporate Investigations within the Canadian banking sector.
Ron and Donna have three children and one of their daughters, Sandra Morse, Regimental # 64386 has followed in their footsteps as a regular member of the RCMP. It was a proud day on March 26, 2018 when Ron was able to present Sandra with her badge. Ron is also a member of the RCMP Veterans’ Association and wears the RCMP Generational Service Insignia pin which represents direct generations of his family who have served in the RCMP