As Commanding Officer of Nova Scotia's RCMP, Steve Graham oversees 48 detachments, as well as HQ offices in Halifax Regional Municipality, and 1,271 employees. Now based in Halifax, he grew up in Amherst, NS, and attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. Graham is the first person to serve as Commanding Officer in all three Maritime Provinces, and is also the acting Deputy Commissioner for Atlantic Canada. Saltscapes talked to him about ambition and sacrifice, his parents and children.
Q Were your parents an inspiration?
A My dad was a Cumberland County [NS] boy; he worked in the woods prior to being in the Second World War… Later he was the custodian at the courthouse. My mom worked as well-they both instilled basic values: give back to your community, work hard and things will look after themselves.
Q Did your father bring home any stories from the courthouse in Amherst?
A No, I don't recall anything like that. He dabbled in blueberries and liked the outdoors and the woods, so those were the things he was going to talk about.
Q Are you like your father in that way?
A I have some blueberry land, but I'm not getting rich at it. I do enjoy the outdoors, but the last few years have been so busy with work, those kinds of things I haven't been able to pursue.
Q What appealed to you about the RCMP?
A It looked like a career with many jobs. There was a sense of service to citizens... And it was an opportunity to do different things in different parts of the country.
Q You also worked in BC and Ottawa, and yet you came back East (twice). Why?
A Mom and Dad were getting up in age… my wife and I wanted to raise our kids here and at one point thought, it's now or never. It's mostly a numbers game - people want to come back, but there are more positions in the West.
Q From TV, films, novels, the perception of police work is that it's action packed.
A On TV you've got to tell a story in an hour. Policing is community driven and about community involvement. There are times when it's very hectic and thrilling. There are other times when it's about providing supports to communities.
Q Someone might look at your record and see an ambitious man.
A No… I didn't have a big career plan. Opportunities come along and you take them. I'm genuinely interested in new things and that tends to lead me.
Q You've moved 13 times in your career. How did your family cope?
A My two children grew up between Ottawa and Charlottetown. We've kept a dual residency approach to give the kids that foundation and sense of community. There's a story... I was working in Halifax and living in Ottawa. My daughter was three or four years old. I was home for a few days in Ottawa, and said to her over breakfast, "Did you miss me?" She looked at me and said, "Were you away?" A stake went in my heart.
Q Do you think you've missed out on anything?
A The hours are long and irregular. You never know exactly where you'll be. That comes at a cost in missed hockey games, ball games, music recitals, not being there for family events... but I love the job. When you do what you love, it's not really onerous.
Q What will retirement be like?
A We all have romantic visions of being on a sailboat in the Caribbean, but it will be something more pragmatic. Smaller house, do some travelling, spend some time with people I've lost touch with by virtue of being busy.