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Silent Partners

Silent Partners

By Rob Pilon, OPP Veterans’ Association President  (June 2025)

The collection of Silent Partner Award stories that follow provide some insight into a mainly, at least until now, unwritten history of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), namely the contributions of the spouses of Ontario Provincial Police officers posted to remote locations. For the convenience of the reader, the stories are divided into detachment areas, with a short introduction to that locality.

OPP Inspector (retired) Andy Maksymchuk, the person who conceived of the idea for these awards, said it well: This is “one of, if not the most unique undertakings by the OPP Veterans’ Association. It has rekindled the memories of many Veterans, given their families a sense of reconnecting and belonging, and remade old friends. It brought out many smiles, especially on the faces of award winners, of finally being recognized and thanked, and I’m sure it has also brought a few new members into our unique Association, even though some were spread across Canada and into the USA.”

Andy envisioned the notion of recognizing and highlighting the stories of the spouses of OPP officers during the research and writing of his subsequently published trilogy of memoirs, and in writing the OPPVA Chapter 13, which he entwined with the history of the OPP.

In June 2014, Andy forwarded a request to Dennis O’Sullivan, Secretary Treasurer, OPPVA Chapter 17 for his consideration. From that point on, Dennis led the operation and coordinated applications. Andy was his occasional draft-writer, researcher, applicant / candidate locater, assistant and supporter. As the OPPVA President, it was at this point that I became involved. Our Board enthusiastically endorsed this initiative and we worked with OPP Senior Command to have the Silent Partner Awards become part of the OPP awards.

The name of the Award, “SILENT PARTNER” was suggested by Dennis O’Sullivan and was accepted. Andy Maksymchuk drafted the qualifications, criteria, and application procedures for circulation to all OPPVA Chapter Chairs. Shelley Nemeth and Nancy Merriman in OPP Corporate Communications worked hard throughout the process. Along with applicant processing, a suitable certificate of appreciation and a brooch was designed for each recipient. We thank Commissioner Vince Hawkes for his enthusiastic support of this initiative, and to Commissioner Thomas Carrique for his ongoing support since then.

Since that time, Commissioners Hawkes and Carrique have presented Silent Partner Awards to close to seventy spouses, and will continue to do so as other stories are presented for recognition. The criteria for applying for a Silent Partner Award are set out below.

I would also like to acknowledge OPPVA President Emeritus Bob Arbour for his support of this project from its beginning. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank our team of editors who volunteered their time to prepare each of the stories to a common standard of publication. Thanks to our main editor, Josh Jutras and his team: Karen Lagace, Robert Rudd, Len Aitchison, Judi Armstrong and Dave Osborne.

Now that these stories have been submitted, the Friends of The OPP Museum generously offered to provide a plaque honouring each of the Silent Partner Award recipients. This plaque is displayed beside our OPPVA display case at OPP General Headquarters in Orillia.

OPP SILENT PARTNER AWARD CRITERIA

The OPP Awards and Recognition Unit, in consultation with the OPP Veteran’s Association, identified and recognized the voluntary support that spouses willingly contributed to OPP members stationed at isolated detachments throughout Ontario from 1909 to the 1970s.

While not diminishing any of the appreciated acts of kindness and support provided by wives from time to time, the Silent Partner Award is in tribute for the valuable, unpaid, dedicated, ongoing support by a spouse, for a minimum duration of one year, mainly at isolated one or two-man detachments where the living quarters were usually part of, or attached to, the detachment.

Applicants must have endured a hardship posting for a minimum of one year. With police officer(s) frequently absent on police service calls, investigations, court, mandatory training, etc. the wife was often left alone to face unique challenges on a frequent basis in support of police operations, such as:

  • Answering the telephone
  • Taking complaints at all hours at the office door or by telephone
  • Using the police radios
  • Administering first aid to accident or assault victims
  • Comforting crime victims
  • Providing sanctuary to battered wives

Many were raising their own families in unfamiliar communities, but in loyalty to their husbands and the OPP, they occasionally acted as secretaries, interviewers and matrons. Other unpaid assistance provided by these dedicated Silent Partners included:

  • Cooking and caring for prisoners
  • Transporting and searching female prisoners
  • Taking people into their homes and temporarily caring for abandoned and neglected children
  • Providing meals and entertainment for court officials and visiting senior officers

REQUIREMENTS

  • Name of Spouse
  • Contact Information (address/phone number/email address of spouse or next of kin*
  • OPP Detachment(s) and date of service at that / those location(s)
  • Name, rank, and number of the OPP member (husband) serving at those detachments
  • Brief description of the work performed as the Silent Partner to qualify for the recognition

APPLICATIONS

Those meeting the selection criteria, and who wish to allow their name to be put forward for recognition by the OPP* should submit their application to the OPP Awards & Recognition Unit.

* Family approval is required in the case of posthumous awards

OPPVA SILENT PARTNER AWARD RECIPIENTS – Listed Alphabetical Order                                   … as of January 18, 2024

  1. Glenda ADDLEY (Kenneth R. Addley) – Hudson (1968-70)
  2. Arlene ABERCROMBIE (Robert Abercrombie) – Upsala (1975-80)
  3. Pearl BENDER (Richard Bender) – Dryden (1952-54), Atikokan (1954-56) & Red Lake (1957-63)
  4. Dorothy BLACK (Lloyd Black) – Flesherton (1939-54)
  5. Ruth BERGMAN (Ralph Bergman) – Sioux Narrows (1962-64)
  6. Margaret BIGNUCOLO (Ed Bignucolo) – Gogama (1971-77)
  7. Elsie BROMILOW (John Bromilow) – Central Patricia (1963-66)
  8. Inger M. CALDER (Duncan W. Calder) – Minaki (1973-77) & Grassy Narrows (1979-80)
  9. Norma L. CORBETT (Osborne “Ozzie” Corbett) – Red Lake (1952-56 + 1965-67) & Geraldton (1969-74)
  10. Donna CORSIE (Robert K. Corsie) – Nestor Falls (1968-75)
  11. Allis CRAIG (John Craig) – Chapleau (1955-64) & Gogama (1964-1967)
  12. Rhonda Gail CRAWFORD (Garry Crawford) – Warren (1962-71) & Wawa (1971-80)
  13. Alexandra (Alex) CROZIER (Ralph Crozier) – Kirkland Lake (1933–35), Hearst (1935-38), Temagami (1938-42), Sturgeon Falls (1942-48) & Englehart (1948-49)
  14. Elma DAWSON (Arthur Vernon Dawson) – Still River (1952-53)
  15. Linda DuHAMEL (Norman DuHamel) – Still River (1965–68)
  16. Marilyn DULMAGE (Robert C. Dulmage) – Geraldton (1959-61) & Beardmore (1965-67)
  17. Lila C. EDWARDS (George Vincent Edwards) – Minaki (1965-70)
  18. Evarachel (Eva Rae) FERGUSON (Jack Murray) – Vermilion Bay (1962-67)
  19. Phyllis GAUDRY (Robert Gaudry) (Arthur Dennis) – Minaki (1955-57)
  20. Marg HIEBERT (Lloyd Hiebert) – Minaki (1973-1976)
  21. Beverly HINE (Gary Hine) – Elk Lake (1987-96)
  22. Ann HORNE (Gordon H. Horne) – Smooth Rock Falls (1958-64)
  23. Olean Pearl JONES (Don G. Jones) – Central Patricia (1971-74)
  24. Jean KELLAR (Earl C. Kellar) – Ear Falls (1965–77)
  25. Carolyn KIRKLAND (John Braney) – Grassy Narrows (1975-77)
  26. Sharron KROPP (Royden Kropp) – Hudson (1968–70)
  27. Sharon Marie LANGNER (G.A.R. ‘Butch’ Langner) – Moosonee (1975–77) & Ear Falls (1977–79)
  28. Pearl Lillian Hollinger LAPP (Harvey G. Lapp) – Chapleau (1941-49)
  29. Stella LEVESQUE (Leo Levesque) – Beardmore (1973-76)
  30. Pearl LEWIS (James Ronald Lewis) – Chapleau (1955-71)
  31. Cathy LINTON (Woodrow “Woody” Linton) – Minaki (1967-78) & Sioux Narrows (1978-87)
  32. Alma LOCKE (Charlie Locke) – Foleyet (1955-59)
  33. Myra MAKSYMCHUK (Andrew F. Maksymchuk) – Central Patricia (1967-69 & 1974-76)
  34. Lily McBAIN (James McBain) – Bruce Mines (1928-40) & Fort Frances (1946-48)
  35. Doreen L. McMILLIN (Robert J. McMillin) – Redditt (1958) & Nestor Falls (1960-65)
  36. Aileen Louise MILLER (Robert W. Miller) – Minaki (1957-61)
  37. Lois Muriel MILLER (Alvin Eric Miller) – Minaki (1961-65)
  38. Wendy P. MILLER (Gordo Miller) – Gore Bay (1977-79)
  39. Claudette MINNICK (Greg Minnick) – Beardmore (1971-1973)
  40. Doris MOODY (Glyn Moody) – Still River (1953-56 + 1964-66)
  41. Ruth MOORE (Larry R. More) – Nestor Falls (1967-68)
  42. Ruth MUNN (Dave O. Munn) – Central Patricia (1976-78)
  43. Lucy NAGLE (Ronald Nagle) – Central Patricia (1969-71)
  44. Alice May O´SULLIVAN (Dennis Joseph O´Sullivan) – Central Patricia (1972-76)
  45. Betty Joyce “Jo” PASHUK (Vic Pashuk) – Sioux Narrows (1957-62)
  46. Ella PETERSON (E. Duane Peterson) – Sioux Narrows (1964-69)
  47. Leila PETTIGREW (Don Pettigrew) – Thedford (1964-67) & Forest (1967-69)
  48. Suzanne Claire PILON (Robert H. Pilon) – Dubreuiville (1975-78 + 1980-82) & Hearst (1987-90)
  49. Phyllis RAYBOULD (Scott Raybould) – Elliott Lake 1956-58) & Bruce Mines (1958-61)
  50. Noreen ROBERTSON (Cal Robertson) – Ear Falls (1959-63)
  51. Betty RONNING (Calvin Fulford) – Ear Falls (1958) *Murdered on duty; See “1958”
  52. Shirley RUTHERFORD (Malcolm Rutherford) – Apsley (1966-70)
  53. Emily Theodora SANGSTER (George Alexander Sangster) – Central Patricia (1950-55)
  54. Anne SARGALES (Wallace A. Sargales) – Gogama (1956-61) & Massey (1962-66)
  55. Grace SAVAGE (Len Savage) – Atikokan (1945-46) & Atikokan Municipal (1946-51)
  56. Mary Emma SEYMOUR (Maurice James Seymour) – Hornepayne (1962-1966)
  57. Francoise SHANNON (Pat Shannon) – Mattawa (1973-88)
  58. Gertrude SLEEP (Grant Sleep) – Still River (1966-78)
  59. Bernice SMART (Cyril Smart) – Hudson (1966-67)
  60. Geraldine “Leslie” STANTON (James Milligan Stanton – Ear Falls (1963-65)
  61. Sharon Ann TAYLOR (Jeff Taylor) – Gore Bay (1985-88)
  62. Doreen Mildred THACKER (Cliff Thacker) – Nestor Falls (1965-67)
  63. Rainette D. THERRIEN (Wayne W. Therrien) – Nestor Falls (1975-80)
  64. Margaret ‘Marg’ THOMPSON (B. Everett ‘Ev’ Thompson) – Whitney (1965-70) & Geraldton (1975-80)
  65. Lee WALL (Syd H.A. Wall) – Sioux Narrows (1965-76)
  66. Carole WEBB (Chuck Webb) – Minaki (1979-83)
  67. Flo WHITESELL (Orval Whitesell) – Merlin (1955-60)
  68. Alice WOOD (Richard Wood) – Warren (1958-69)
  69. Peggy WORRALL (Charles ‘Charlie’ Worrall) – Woodstock (1947-49)