Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko is on a quest: to have her great uncle91裸聊视频檚 service as a Mountie in Canada91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an adventure into a new world which you have to live in to fully appreciate,91裸聊视频� an inscription penned by Van Norman to his parents reads, in part. 91裸聊视频淵ou must toil and battle all your life to exist, but you are happy and near to God91裸聊视频� and it91裸聊视频檚 all wonderful.91裸聊视频�

Sturko, a South Surrey resident, first learned of the journal last March, while visiting with Van Norman91裸聊视频檚 brother 91裸聊视频� her great uncle Jack 91裸聊视频� and his wife for research on another book project.

Jack pulled the journal from a box of memories that he91裸聊视频檇 inherited after his mother passed away, said Sturko.

Its pages have yellowed over the years, and the journal91裸聊视频檚 cover is similarly fragile. But the passion that Van Norman had for his job and for the people is indelible, said Sturko 91裸聊视频� and, it inspired an idea: to share her great uncle91裸聊视频檚 words and photography in a book the whole world could see.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 see that it needed to be the end91裸聊视频� of his story, Sturko said of the chapter of disgrace that hung over her great uncle91裸聊视频檚 exit from the national police force.

91裸聊视频淚 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.

91裸聊视频淭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 we91裸聊视频檝e come.91裸聊视频�

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Today, 50 years after LGBT activity in Canada was decriminalized 91裸聊视频� under the same bill (C-150, introduced by then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau) that also allowed abortion, regulated lotteries and more 91裸聊视频� 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 country91裸聊视频檚 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 RCMP91裸聊视频檚 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, 91裸聊视频渉as been an interesting journey.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭he RCMP has come a long way. There have been questions at times, I read the paper like everybody, and it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频楥an the RCMP change?91裸聊视频� And I91裸聊视频檓 like you know what? Heck yes, we can. I91裸聊视频檓 living proof,91裸聊视频� she said.

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Speaking with Peace Arch News last week, Sturko91裸聊视频檚 pride in the RCMP hasn91裸聊视频檛 wavered.

The journal project 91裸聊视频渨as personally important to me, but also I think that it91裸聊视频檚 a good example and hopefully encourages people to know how far we91裸聊视频檝e come 91裸聊视频� and not just for LGBT people, but women, people of different, diverse backgrounds,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淭his is a true example of how human rights and Canada91裸聊视频檚 diversity really is reflected in one of our major institutions, and the progress we91裸聊视频檝e made as a country. I think it91裸聊视频檚 very91裸聊视频� awesome.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 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.

91裸聊视频淚t hasn91裸聊视频檛 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 I91裸聊视频檓 grateful to all the work that91裸聊视频檚 been done inside and outside the organization to make that a possibility.91裸聊视频�

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Sturko hopes to finish her journal project 91裸聊视频� Paanialuk: The Tall One, Remembering Robert David Van Norman 91裸聊视频� 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 Norman91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频渓ocal knowledge91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渓ittle pieces of historical context91裸聊视频� to correct or clarify some of the things her great uncle shared.

91裸聊视频淭here was some things he obviously didn91裸聊视频檛 understand,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淪ome of the language in here, I would say even to be unacceptable by today91裸聊视频檚 standards.

91裸聊视频淎t the same time, too, I have not changed any of it. Because you shouldn91裸聊视频檛 sanitize history, you should acknowledge history.91裸聊视频�

The book has also been translated into Inuktitut, a language her great uncle learned from the Inuit people he91裸聊视频檇 sworn to serve and protect.

Sturko said Van Norman91裸聊视频檚 time in the North 91裸聊视频渄efined a lot of who he was as a person91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� and she can relate to that.

91裸聊视频淚 served up North, too, and I can really tell you that the North gets into your blood. When you leave, you still feel that.91裸聊视频�

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Van Norman 91裸聊视频渘ever recovered91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淧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,91裸聊视频� Sturko said.

Diagnosed in 1985, he died in Winnipeg under the care of Sturko91裸聊视频檚 grandmother and great-grandmother.

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

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very freeing to be able to have those type of discussions, and I think that91裸聊视频檚 why the prime minister91裸聊视频檚 (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.91裸聊视频�

Sturko said she met 91裸聊视频渁 lot of survivors 91裸聊视频� and thrivers91裸聊视频� from the purge when she and her wife attended the apology. The decision to attend wasn91裸聊视频檛 to accept the apology on behalf of Van Norman, but 91裸聊视频渢o bear witness to something that actually is part of our own family history,91裸聊视频� she said.

She said family members she spoke with 91裸聊视频渂elieve he would91裸聊视频檝e accepted the apology.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淏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.91裸聊视频�

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Sturko said she91裸聊视频檚 been surprised by the ripples created through the telling of her great uncle91裸聊视频檚 story. Since it came to light, people have reached out from across the country to tell her of their own connections to Van Norman.

91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� she said.

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

91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 expect it to be helpful to anyone else,91裸聊视频� she said.

And while for Sturko, there weren91裸聊视频檛 91裸聊视频渁 lot of deep discussions91裸聊视频� around what happened to her great uncle while she was growing up, she said her own children know no such hesitation 91裸聊视频� regardless of the topic.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 have to talk about LGBT issues,91裸聊视频� she said, explaining that the taboo that existed in her great uncle91裸聊视频檚 time 91裸聊视频渄oesn91裸聊视频檛 exist in my children91裸聊视频檚 life.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no question, if they want to talk about it, I91裸聊视频檓 going to talk about it with them, as with any subject. It wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be a secret.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 part of their family history, it91裸聊视频檚 nothing to be ashamed of.91裸聊视频�

tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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