Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko is on a quest: to have her great uncle乌鸦传媒檚 service as a Mountie in Canada乌鸦传媒檚 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.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 an adventure into a new world which you have to live in to fully appreciate,乌鸦传媒� an inscription penned by Van Norman to his parents reads, in part. 乌鸦传媒淵ou must toil and battle all your life to exist, but you are happy and near to God乌鸦传媒� and it乌鸦传媒檚 all wonderful.乌鸦传媒�

Sturko, a South Surrey resident, first learned of the journal last March, while visiting with Van Norman乌鸦传媒檚 brother 乌鸦传媒� her great uncle Jack 乌鸦传媒� and his wife for research on another book project.

Jack pulled the journal from a box of memories that he乌鸦传媒檇 inherited after his mother passed away, said Sturko.

Its pages have yellowed over the years, and the journal乌鸦传媒檚 cover is similarly fragile. But the passion that Van Norman had for his job and for the people is indelible, said Sturko 乌鸦传媒� and, it inspired an idea: to share her great uncle乌鸦传媒檚 words and photography in a book the whole world could see.

乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 see that it needed to be the end乌鸦传媒� of his story, Sturko said of the chapter of disgrace that hung over her great uncle乌鸦传媒檚 exit from the national police force.

乌鸦传媒淚 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.

乌鸦传媒淭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乌鸦传媒檝e come.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒�

Today, 50 years after LGBT activity in Canada was decriminalized 乌鸦传媒� under the same bill (C-150, introduced by then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau) that also allowed abortion, regulated lotteries and more 乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檚 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, 乌鸦传媒渉as been an interesting journey.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭he RCMP has come a long way. There have been questions at times, I read the paper like everybody, and it乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒楥an the RCMP change?乌鸦传媒� And I乌鸦传媒檓 like you know what? Heck yes, we can. I乌鸦传媒檓 living proof,乌鸦传媒� she said.

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Speaking with Peace Arch News last week, Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 pride in the RCMP hasn乌鸦传媒檛 wavered.

The journal project 乌鸦传媒渨as personally important to me, but also I think that it乌鸦传媒檚 a good example and hopefully encourages people to know how far we乌鸦传媒檝e come 乌鸦传媒� and not just for LGBT people, but women, people of different, diverse backgrounds,乌鸦传媒� she said.

乌鸦传媒淭his is a true example of how human rights and Canada乌鸦传媒檚 diversity really is reflected in one of our major institutions, and the progress we乌鸦传媒檝e made as a country. I think it乌鸦传媒檚 very乌鸦传媒� awesome.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 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.

乌鸦传媒淚t hasn乌鸦传媒檛 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乌鸦传媒檓 grateful to all the work that乌鸦传媒檚 been done inside and outside the organization to make that a possibility.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒�

Sturko hopes to finish her journal project 乌鸦传媒� Paanialuk: The Tall One, Remembering Robert David Van Norman 乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檚 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 乌鸦传媒渓ocal knowledge乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒渓ittle pieces of historical context乌鸦传媒� to correct or clarify some of the things her great uncle shared.

乌鸦传媒淭here was some things he obviously didn乌鸦传媒檛 understand,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淪ome of the language in here, I would say even to be unacceptable by today乌鸦传媒檚 standards.

乌鸦传媒淎t the same time, too, I have not changed any of it. Because you shouldn乌鸦传媒檛 sanitize history, you should acknowledge history.乌鸦传媒�

The book has also been translated into Inuktitut, a language her great uncle learned from the Inuit people he乌鸦传媒檇 sworn to serve and protect.

Sturko said Van Norman乌鸦传媒檚 time in the North 乌鸦传媒渄efined a lot of who he was as a person乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� and she can relate to that.

乌鸦传媒淚 served up North, too, and I can really tell you that the North gets into your blood. When you leave, you still feel that.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒�

Van Norman 乌鸦传媒渘ever recovered乌鸦传媒� 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.

乌鸦传媒淧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,乌鸦传媒� Sturko said.

Diagnosed in 1985, he died in Winnipeg under the care of Sturko乌鸦传媒檚 grandmother and great-grandmother.

Sturko said removing stigmas such as those that remain around HIV and AIDS is another goal of the journal project.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 very freeing to be able to have those type of discussions, and I think that乌鸦传媒檚 why the prime minister乌鸦传媒檚 (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.乌鸦传媒�

Sturko said she met 乌鸦传媒渁 lot of survivors 乌鸦传媒� and thrivers乌鸦传媒� from the purge when she and her wife attended the apology. The decision to attend wasn乌鸦传媒檛 to accept the apology on behalf of Van Norman, but 乌鸦传媒渢o bear witness to something that actually is part of our own family history,乌鸦传媒� she said.

She said family members she spoke with 乌鸦传媒渂elieve he would乌鸦传媒檝e accepted the apology.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淏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.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒�

Sturko said she乌鸦传媒檚 been surprised by the ripples created through the telling of her great uncle乌鸦传媒檚 story. Since it came to light, people have reached out from across the country to tell her of their own connections to Van Norman.

乌鸦传媒淭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,乌鸦传媒� she said.

While she started off doing the project for herself, learning it was bringing people a sense of peace and closure was unexpected.

乌鸦传媒淚 didn乌鸦传媒檛 expect it to be helpful to anyone else,乌鸦传媒� she said.

And while for Sturko, there weren乌鸦传媒檛 乌鸦传媒渁 lot of deep discussions乌鸦传媒� around what happened to her great uncle while she was growing up, she said her own children know no such hesitation 乌鸦传媒� regardless of the topic.

乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 have to talk about LGBT issues,乌鸦传媒� she said, explaining that the taboo that existed in her great uncle乌鸦传媒檚 time 乌鸦传媒渄oesn乌鸦传媒檛 exist in my children乌鸦传媒檚 life.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no question, if they want to talk about it, I乌鸦传媒檓 going to talk about it with them, as with any subject. It wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 be a secret.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 part of their family history, it乌鸦传媒檚 nothing to be ashamed of.乌鸦传媒�

tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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