News Release

Canada's Oldest Serving Commissionaire Retires

July 8, 2005, Vancouver, BC — A life-long British Columbia resident and member of Commissionaires BC will retire today after 45 years and seven months of dedicated continuous service. At 84, Charles Brown is also Canada’s longest serving Commissionaire!

“Charles Brown is the unofficial historian of the Commissionaires BC”, says Allen Batchelar, President and CEO, Commissionaires BC. “He’s extremely progressive and has always been an avid supporter of change! For a man his age he’s a real livewire, he has a great memory and believes that new technology is critical in the field of security”, said Batchelar.

Brown was born in Victoria and grew up in Myrtle Point, Powell River and Vancouver. He started his military career with the Royal Canadian Navy in December 1941, serving on both the west and east coasts. He went overseas in January 1944 and was on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 31st All Canadian Mine Sweeping Flotilla, of which he is very proud. He joined the RCAF in July 1953 and served in Air Defense Command until September 1959.

In 1959 Brown joined Commissionaires BC. “It was hard to find work back then and Commissionaires offered me a chance to prove myself. Because of that I will always support them,” says Brown who has been one of Commissionaires most loyal members. Over the years he worked at Western Canadian Steel, Jericho Vandet, RCAF Sea Island, Shaughnessy Hospital, Revenue Canada and at HMCS Discovery. Brown was at HMCS Discovery for 25 years and wrote a yet unpublished book on its history. For the past five years Brown has worked at Head Office Vancouver in an administration support role, handling mailing projects, payroll and quarterly newsletter mail outs.

Charles Brown intends to remain active and in his words, “plans to be around for at least another ten years after retirement”!

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Commissionaires BC is British Columbia’s largest security organization, providing private and public sector clients with complete security solutions that integrate highly trained, experienced personnel and advanced technology with cost-effective delivery. Clients benefit from Commissionaires BC’s unique combination of more than 75 years experience in protecting people and property with a forward-thinking approach to the business of security, including wide-ranging technical expertise that enables Commissionaires BC to offer efficient, economical solutions. Commissionaires in BC protect air and sea ports, border crossings and government facilities. They work in hospitals, schools and commercial enterprises. Every security solution or professional service that Commissionaires BC provides draws on the proven experience of highly trained former military and police personnel, who are the mainstay of its team of more than 1,300 professionals.

Full information on Commissionaires BC is at www.commissionaires.bc.ca.

For more information contact:

Audrey Plé, VP Marketing
Commissionaires BC
T 604 224 6122
ple@commissionaires.bc.ca

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