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Cam Smith Recognized for Outstanding Service

Donnie Mare, Similkameen Spotlight
April 03, 2008

On March 25, 2008, RCMP attended the Princeton General Hospital to present Cam Smith with a certificate of appreciation for some forty three years of dedicated service to Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a guard. Cam commenced working with the RCMP in April of 1964, subsequently making the transition to the Core of Commissionaires. Cam faithfully reported for duty until October of 2007 when illness prevented him from continuing the call for duty.

Cam was a reliable and conscientious individual, he could be relied upon to attend the office on short notice, he always treated everyone with a great amount of respect and dignity, regardless of their circumstances.
Sgt. Macahonic and Cpl. Houben made the presentation to Cam on behalf of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Town of Princeton.

Sgt. G.L. Macahonic

It is with a great deal of appreciation and respect that I add these words to this story about a man that has taught and inspired me throughout my life in Princeton.
I first met Cam Smith just after I moved to Princeton in the mid 1960’s, when I was a young lad just starting my teenage years.

My mother, Edith Baird, thought that it would be a good idea to join the Princeton Rifle and Revolver Club, which met in the basement of the old school on Vermillion Ave. There used to be a shooting range in the school and we were shown the proper ways to handle firearms and Mr. Cam Smith was one of the many people that instructed us in the use of these firearms.

When Mr. Smith was a young lad, he wanted to go into the military, he had joined the Cadet movement at that time, but unfortunately for him, had to wear glasses and therefore could not fly airplanes. As he got older, he joined the ranks of the B.C. Forest Service and was stationed in Lumby, Merritt, Vernon and Kamloops. He met his wife of 48 years, Maria and his first posting was in Chase, then was eventually transferred to Princeton, where the newlyweds fell in love with the area and have been living here ever since.

Mr. Smith remembers times when he would help the RCMP with searches in the forest and, in his travels, met many fine and colourful people.

He remembers a time when there was a major search under way in Penticton, the RCMP were looking for a redheaded gunman. The forestry staff took some of the RCMP members into the bush in an old forestry jeep.

It was during this time that he met and worked with some of the members of the RCMP as a guard for the jail-house.

Mr. Smith served with the forestry office for over thirty-six years, and during that time, studied journalism for a short period.

When the present RCMP building was built in 1964, Mr. Smith started his job as the jail-house guard, which had lasted over 43 years.

“When the Forest Service transferred me to Princeton,” Says Cam of the first time he came to Princeton, “I had enough seniority, and my superiors told me that if I could handle it, I could stay on at the Princeton office.”
“I had given up some career paths to stay here, but I never regretted it. Princeton is a great place to live, raise a family and retire.”

When Mr. Smith retired from the Forest Service in 1991, he was available for service to the RCMP at a moment’s notice, a job that he loved doing and was well respected for doing it.
 

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