A Sit Down With Cst. Young
The Grizzly Gazette had an opportunity to meet with the Swan Hills RCMP detachment’s newest member, Constable Michael Young.
Cst. Young grew up and graduated from high school in Berwick, Nova Scotia, before moving on to study kinesiology at St. Francis Xavier University. He experienced working directly with the public while working security at a local bar, with some of the incidents involving the police. As he interacted with the police over the course of multiple incidents, Cst. Young decided that he would become a police officer.
The application process with the RCMP took roughly ten months, with plenty of interviews and screening questions. Cst. Young graduated from Depot Division (the RCMP Police Academy) in Regina on July 10, 2023. After a quick trip back to the East Coast to gather his belongings and say his farewells, Cst. Young started his first day on duty in Swan Hills on July 21.
When asked what brought him to Swan Hills, Cst. Young explained that officers can list some preferences of where they would like to be stationed. While the RCMP does its best to keep these preferences in mind, it also needs to satisfy the operational needs of the national police service. Understandably, Cst. Young’s first choice was to be stationed in his home province, but unfortunately, this wasn’t to be. His second pick was Alberta, as he had heard that the province had great training opportunities and a positive police community with excellent support. He adds that he had also heard that Alberta was home to some of the best landscapes and scenery in the country.
Cst. Young has enjoyed settling into the Swan Hills community, noting that everyone he has met has been very friendly and welcoming. “I feel fortunate to start out in a community where everyone waves as opposed to rougher communities that I could have been assigned to.” Said Young. “Every opportunity I’ve had to engage with the community has been a positive experience.”
Now that he’s in Swan Hills, Cst. Young would like to get into hunting, check out the local fishing hotspots, and enjoy living in a wilderness playground. He had gotten into martial arts after high school and through university, studying kickboxing and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, and hopes to find a studio where he can get back to these pursuits.
Please join The Grizzly Gazette in offering Cst. Young a warm welcome to the Swan Hills community.
Dean LaBerge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Grizzly Gazette
