Cold Lake RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeremie Landry is making history.
As one of the youngest members of the RCMP in Canada to reach his ranking of Staff Sergeant, Landry is a role model for not only RCMP members, but also the community.
On Sept. 30, he was recognized by Athabasca University (AU) with this year's AU Rising Star Alumni Award.
Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, Landry accepted the award with a humble heart, and thanked his husband for the nomination.
“I want to thank my husband, Rambo, for his unwavering support day in and day out,” Landry said. “Having a spouse, or partner in law enforcement comes with many challenges… I wouldn't be standing here if it were not for his support.”
The AU Rising Star Alumni Award is presented to an AU alumnus who has shown leadership, made significant contributions to their community, and has advanced significantly in their careers.
Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at AU Dr. Veronica Thompson said, “Landry meets all of those criteria in outstanding ways… He has been described to us as a caring and sensitive leader, who leads by example and champions diversity, and one who's dedicated to his community.”
“It feels good to be recognized for my achievements,” Landry expressed. “I think this award means that I am on the right track in regards to what I could accomplish within the community, to promote inclusivity and diversity, and to lead a detachment where we are providing the best service that we can to the public, because they deserve nothing less.”
In 2013, Landry graduated from AU with a Bachelor of Professional Arts Criminal Justice. Over the past five years, he has been promoted three times, and has proven himself through his constant devotion to the community he lives and serves.
Thompson described Landry as “a leader in both his professional work and his personal life,” including his endeavors through various committees.
Along with his work as a member of the RCMP, Landry also plays the role of the Alberta representative for the RCMP's LGBT National Advisory Committee, organized the RCMP's first participation in the Edmonton and Calgary Pride Parades in 2015, and currently sits on the provincial RCMP Diversity Committee.
“Over the last several years, I have, through various committees, tried to make the RCMP… more inclusive, and celebrate diversity rather than simply to tolerate it,” he said.
Landry prides himself on leadership, and said being a leader means treating people well who then in turn treat the organization well.
“Leadership is not a position, it is not a rank, and it is not a title. It is about putting yourself as leader in second place, and about being authentic, having a compulsion, a passion and a love for people… If you are not leading with authenticity than you are not leading at all.”
During the ceremony, Tiffiny Manetta and Lindsey Sarty shared the story of how they met Landry, and the important role he played during a difficult time in their lives.
On Jan. 17, 2015, St. Albert RCMP Cst. David Wynn, 42, was shot in the line of duty while responding to a call at the Apex Casino. He died in hospital four days later.
Wynn was the cousin of both Manetta and Sarty.
“In the days following… our family was surrounded by RCMP members, law enforcement, and others who did everything in their power to guide us and assist us through the difficult journey of having to say goodbye to our loved one in a very public way,” Manetta described. “Jeremie was one of those members.”
Because of the significant number of Wynn's family members flying in from out of province, members were assigned the role as drivers for them, and Landry, who started out as a driver for Manetta and Sarty, quickly took on the role of family liaison.
“We could not have gone through this journey without you,” said Sarty.
Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Scott Cyr was also in attendance to watch Landry accept the award. Cyr commented that he's proud to have such an upstanding officer within the community.
“We all can take pride in the fact that we have such a high quality RCMP officer, and our entire police force, in Cold Lake... This is a big achievement… and I can't wait to see more of his accomplishments.”
