Regina's RCMP Depot Division offers inside look at training facilities

The Saskatchewan RCMP offered an inside look at its training facilities at Regina’s Depot Division on Thursday.

Regina is home to the official Training Academy of the RCMP. Recruits from all across Canada come to learn a variety of skills required to be a member of the RCMP, and live at the Training Academy for 26 weeks.

One part of the tour included the Integrated Training Centre.

Cadets go through a series of different kinds of training including firearm training, driving courses, marching drills, and many other policing skills.

“Its not just about learning to drive, or how to handle a firearm, but that intergration based training and situation based training,” said RCMP Chief Superintendent Sylvie Bourassa-Muise.

The shooting range where cadets are taught how to properly handle firearms and improve their shooting skills was opened in 2020 and features state of the art equipment.

“While cadets are in training, our firearms training is 104 hours,” said Sgt. Mike Bourque. “It constitutes 9mm pistol, 12g shotgun and 223 carbine trainings which makes up 104 hours.”

RCMP firearms instructors hold carbine rifles at the 100m firing range at the RCMP Training Academy. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News)

Another stop on the tour was the driving track. While cadets come in with a driver’s license, this course teaches them policy driving.

“We’re the only driving facility in Canada that has a 4X4 court where we teach them every component of what they could experience driving in any part of Canada,” said Sgt. Earl LeBlanc, officer in charge of the Driving Unit.

One of the newest additions to the academy is the virtual simulation room. Cpl. Julie Gardiner said they put cadets in there through a use of force scenario.

“Sometimes the desired outcome is only verbal de-escalation, sometimes the outcome escalates all the way up to using a firearm, but we teach the cadets to look for cues that are going to amount to behaviour you’re going to have to react to,” she said.

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The simulation works with a variety of mock weapons, which all interact with the screen via lasers.

Amongst the abundance of new technology, there are many locations on the site which have remained relatively unchanged in the 150 years the RCMP has been in service.

One of those locations is Sleigh Square, which hosts the Sargent Major’s Parade every weekday at 12:50 p.m. sharp.

The tour also included stops at the Drill Hall, Fort Walsh dormitory, and Officers’ Mess.