Andrew Gerrard Vos

Divisions Served: “E,” “G,” “L”

Medals and Honours: Queen’s Jubilee Medal 1974, Commissioner’s Commendation for Bravery, Long Service Medal

Pillar Location: Pillar VII, Row 9, Column A

Story: 

Andrew Gerrard Vos (christened Anne Geert) was a little Dutch boy whose family immigrated to Ontario,Canada in 1948, just before he turned nine. His father and teen-aged brothers worked hard on a farm to adjust to this new land and this new language. Young Andy had the advantage of going to school from which he graduated in 1957.
Joining the Air Force seemed a good plan, and he signed up and left for Alberta in 1958. Although he successfully completed the Aircraft Trade program, he realized that doing electrical work on planes was not to be his life’s fulfillment. Feeling he enjoyed more being with people, he quit the Air Force after three years.

Back on the farm he pondered his next move as he helped his father with feeding the pigs.

A discussion, with an Air Force friend who was passing by, about the work of the RCMP in western Canada triggered enough enthusiasm in his mind to make him apply.
The acceptance took Andy off to Regina where after 10 rigorous months of training in 1964, he was posted to Agassiz, Chilliwack and to Boston Bar, British Columbia. After some time of steady night duty he was eager for change and the idea of heading North inspired him..

And it turned out to be a superb inspiration. The following ten years, from 1966 to 1976 were the highlight of his career.

The long drive to Whitehorse, Yukon, was hard on his old car, and when, shortly after, he was transferred to Dawson City, 300 miles north, he arrived with two flat tires. What an engaging little town (far from being a city) Dawson turned out to be, reminiscent of the Gold Rush Days. Wooden sidewalks, unpaved roads and many rickety buildings. Few serious crimes, but busy enough. Here he met his future wife, a teacher originally from Scotland.

When he applied to marry in 1967, he was transferred via the RCMP twin otter, a couple of hundred miles north to Old Crow, an Indian settlement north of the Arctic Circle. Landing near the village on the gravel banks of the Porcupine River was an event in itself. His eight months there were filled with new experiences. Old Crow was the last detachment to maintain sleigh dogs for winter transportation. In 1969 the RCMP disbanded the dog teams and went exclusively into snowmobiles.

Andy quickly learned how to handle a dog team and enjoyed going on patrol with a team of eight sled dogs accompanied by S/Cst. Peter Benjamin with a second team while hunting for caribou.

While discussing further patrols, S/Cst Benjamin suggested a trip by dog team to Fort MacPherson, well over 100 miles away. Checking on trappers on the way would be a worthwhile endeavor. This was an adventure he fondly remembered. Fishing for Dog Salmon under the ice with nets, caching dog food along the trail for their upcoming trip and packing the two toboggans with the necessities for both men and 16 dogs was no mean feat. Thankfully Peter had gone over the trail to Ft. MacPherson many times, but still, camping in the wilderness at night with the small wood stove blazing, the thoughts of Cpl. Dempster and the lost patrol came to mind. When questioned about what he would do if they got lost, Peter’s laconic reply was, “We would just turn around and follow the trail home”.

The 100 or more mile trip took 2 weeks. Most days were spent walking on snow shoes through deep snow breaking trail for the dogs. A day was lost when crossing a lake where thawing had occurred and the layer of newly formed ice was too thin to hold the dogs. Getting the dogs and the toboggans to shore was a weary task. It would take a couple of hours to get the dogs’ feet dry, as well as Peter and Andy drying their own clothes and mukluks. Other days were spent hunkered in the tent waiting for the strong gales to subside so traveling could continue. Frozen fish and lard were fed to the dogs, and canned goods, caribou and moose meat for the men. A week was spent in Ft. MacPherson resting the dogs. The return trip back was completed in one week .

In 1968 his next posting as a single man was to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea. After three months he flew to Scotland to be married at the hometown of his wife’s parents. He returned to Tuk with his bride.
Corporal Jack Knox and Constable Vos worked to maintain a strong community spirit with the 500 Eskimo (as they were still called then) residents There was no television in those days and a great deal of socializing when the natives and the white people all intermingled, at dances, movie nights, whatever was happening.

One event was the risky rescue of an Inuit man who had broken through the ice with his snowmobile while hauling a komatik with a load of wood. While on patrol on his snowmobile, Cst Vos spotted the man clinging to the ice. Realizing the peril Edgar Kotukaik was in, Andy doffed his parka and sliding on his belly over the ice managed to throw the parka towards Edgar who stuffed the sleeve into his mouth and was hauled to safety. Cst. Vos was presented with a “Commissioner’s Recommendation for Bravery”. As a result of his actions he was also awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal later in 1977.

There was an active Fur Shop in Tuk where many of the women made stunning fur garments that were much sought after in the south. Hunting and fishing were important and whale and seal meat prized. Any illegal activities were dealt with calmly. The members’ spouses were involved with feeding any prisoners in the cell close to the quarters, and also sometimes entertaining any dignitaries, such as the British High Commissioner as well as Dutch ambassador, to afternoon tea when they came for a visit.

Shortly before an impending visit of the Queen to Tuk, Constable Vos was transferred to Teslin, Yukon, for a spell before a longer posting from 1970 to 1973 to Whitehorse, Yukon, the capital of about 12000, which seemed enormous and attainable with a road leading to the outside world. Work consisted mainly of general detachment duties and Highway Patrol.

After his promotion in 1973 Corporal Vos was sent for two years to Baker Lake in the North West Territories, an isolated spot, only reached by plane, except when the supply ships came in the summer months. Andy and S/Cst Francis Iago were in charge. It was another friendly, sociable community with low crime incidents, but any night disturbances caused disruptions in the normal routine. Taking leave in the cold months to warmer spots shortened the long, snowy winter.

In 1975 the family was posted to Fort Rae, NWT. about 80 miles east of Yellowknife. In 1976 the decision was made that it was time to take the children to live in the south . Corporal Vos left Constable David Gallant, his partner, in the small village and departed for Prince Edward Island.
There, on this lovely pastoral island, promotion to Sergeant, then Staff sergeant, various duties such as Highway Patrol, Division Representative, Administration NCO and Planning NCO filled the remaining 19 years of his service. A proud moment in S/Sgt Vos’s life was when a month prior to his retirement, he and his wife travelled to Regina, where at Depot he had the honour of presenting his son Cst David Charles Vos with his RCMP badge at his Graduation Ceremony in June 1995. S/Sgt Vos retired in Charlottetown in July 1995 after 32 years of service.

Not ready for a life with no working obligations Andy took a part-time job with a potato shipping company which led to an opportunity to run their “Off Shore” office in Barbados. Four years of sea and sun and travel to meet with buyers in Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela and Puerto Rico who purchased the PEI potatoes were greatly enjoyed.

The return to PEI was welcome when the grandchildren arrived.

The six day a week ‘hobby’ when he took on the purchase of a little business called the “Soccerstop” was busier than anticipated. He eventually passed it on to his sons, one of whom still runs it.

It has been a varied and rewarding life. Helping to maintain the peace in many areas of Canada was a choice of livelihood that Andrew Gerard Vos would not alter.