From the July 2005 Niagara: the visitor magazine:
To Protect and Serve
The Royal Canadian Mountie’s scarlet tunic is a recognizable national symbol
Visit with a recognized national symbol - a Royal Canadian Mountie - at the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, Table Rock Complex, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from June 24 to August 28 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., you can ask questions and take photographs of the officer, who will be in full dress regalia - red tunic and all.
Organized in 1873 to end the unscrupulous practices of white traders who exchanged alcohol for buffalo hides, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has evolved much like the nation itself. From frontier roots, Canada has developed into an urban society. In the same way, the RCMP began as a police force that patrolled vast, unsettled territory on horseback. Today, detachments in the far north can access information from anywhere in the country in a matter of seconds with the aid of computer-retrieval systems. Some RCMP detachments may be in remote areas, but they are no longer isolated.
The RCMP is a notional police force - a high profile, internationally recognized law-enforcement agency. It provides police services to all provinces and territories of Canada except for Ontario and Quebec, who maintain their own provincial police services. RCMP duties range from investigation and intelligence gathering to participating in public relations vehicles. They are responsible for embassy patrols, the protection of visiting foreign dignitaries, the Prime Minister, Governor General and their families, as well as coordinating security for major visits and events in Canada.
The RCMP is proud of its tradition for excellence and its responsibility for the safety of the Canadian public. Although today’s police officer is better equipped and more informed than ever before, he or she still depends on the cooperation of the media, the business community and above all the general public. The goal of any police agency is to server its citizens, and the RCMP takes great pride in both its past and present service to Canada. Sophisticated equipment, combined with highly trained and specialized personnel create a responsive and professional organization able to act immediately to any situation.
See the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer post at the Falls, and enjoy a bit of Canadian history come to life.
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I don’t know where else to post this, but I heard there’s a new law coming out that will require US citizens to have a valid passport to return to the United States from Canada. Didn’t say anything about needing the passport to enter Canada. So that means if we go to the falls and want to cross over the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, we will need a passport when the law goes into effect?
They’ve talked about it numerous times over the years, especially since 9/11 but I think they’ve backed off again. I think both governments want to keep the border between them as open and free as possible.