About Chuck Bertrand
- Throughout Chuck's 28-year career with the Mounties, 23 of which were in the Yukon Territory, his forte was working with youth. For his work in this field he received many accolades, including:
· the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner's Award in 2001;
· Queen Elizabeth 11 Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002;
· Yukon Department of Education "Excellence in Education" Award in 2002;
· Recipient of the national IODE Police Community Relations Award(Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire) in 1995.
Since 2006...
Chuck has been a guest lecturer on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines -
Alaska Adventures.
In 2002, Chuck and his wife Annette, retired to the idyllic Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada, where he enjoys golfing and kayaking year round.
Alaska Adventures.
In 2002, Chuck and his wife Annette, retired to the idyllic Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada, where he enjoys golfing and kayaking year round.
Extra, extra, read all about it ...
Puppets, Police & Pupils (Vince Fedoroff - Whitehorse Star)
RCMP liaison lures national award by Sarah Elizabeth Brown - A Whitehorse Star Archive story originally published November 14, 2001 Whitehorse RCMP Const. Chuck Bertrand looks like your average cop. He’s got the uniform, the muskrat fur hat and even the police-issue moustache. But not every police officer has his box of secret weapons animal finger puppets, a larger puppet dog named Hugo and an uncanny ability to connect with youngsters, some of whom won’t get their driver’s licences until he’s nearly a senior citizen. Bertrand, 52, revered as simply “Chuck” in elementary school halls, is no stranger to accolades for his work as the RCMP school liaison officer. But now Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli, the RCMP’s national chief, has recognized Bertrand’s years of going above and beyond the call of duty. Bertrand was one of 16 active and retired officers to receive the Commissioner’s Volunteer Award in Ottawa Oct. 25. The RCMP created the awards, one per division, to coincide with 2001 as the United Nations’ International Year of the Volunteer. When the Star caught up with Bertrand on the afternoon of Nov. 6, he was giving his third anti-bullying presentation of the day a slow day for him, considering he usually does four or five daily. Not that his day was over; the one-time Beaver leader went home for only a couple hours before giving some local Beavers a tour of the RCMP station. As soon as the wiry officer steps into the Holy Family School’s Grade 2-3 class with his box of props, the youngsters instantly start chatting with him, straining to be heard over each other. He’s got something to say to each one. When Bertrand first pulls out his mascot, a grey puppet dog in a green-and-black-checkered racing outfit, he tells the students Hugo is shy at first, but quite a character when he gets going. Hugo “whispers” in Bertrand’s ear. “You’re wondering if someone will come up and pet you and tell you it’s all right to talk to the class,” said the officer. One little girl pets Hugo and suddenly Bertrand and his sidekick are off on the first of many sprints up and down the rows with Hugo talking to the kids in his gravelly voice. Bertrand admits to being an overgrown kid in a uniform. “Bullying?” asked Hugo. “Blaaaahhh.” To the delight of every kid who’s ever tortured a sibling by repeating everything they say, Hugo tells the students to say “blah” long and loud every time Bertrand says the word “bullying.” Bertrand returns the favour and tells the 18 students to repeat Hugo’s every word. Seems like goofing around to the kids, but Bertrand has the whole class repeating out loud everything he wants to reinforce. It’s all about getting down to the students’ level, said Bertrand, who was a science teacher in Montreal before joining the RCMP. It’s something teachers do every day, and he only complements their work in the classroom, he said. He uses finger puppets to act out bullying scenarios because using the students sometimes got out of hand. Hugo made his way into Bertrand’s presentation toolbox this year after a Citizen on Patrol volunteer heard about the finger puppets. “One day I came into my office and there was Hugo sitting at my desk.” Everything he says and does in his 45-minute presentation reinforces one message by not taking a stand against bullies, even when it’s someone else being bullied, you’re not part of the solution. With his props, he teaches the youngsters several different techniques to handle name-calling and teasing. He said while he and his wife, Annette, were at Boston Pizza the previous week, one of the waitresses told him her son had talked about Bertrand’s presentation at home. “The message is also getting home to the parents,” he said. No Chuck presentation is complete without the “Who’s in charge of your body?” routine. In response to his question, the students repeat, “Me!” then, with the thumbs-up signal, “Right on, dude!” Even when Bertrand was in Regina for RCMP training back in 1974, he was working with youth. Since arriving in the Yukon 22 years ago, Bertrand and Annette his “right hand” have started or run many sports organizations for both youth and adults. She’s the organized one; he’s got the energy. If he isn’t stomping around the classroom in his size 11 military boots, clip-on tie flapping and Hugo’s furry arms and legs flying about, then he’s bouncing on his feet. Sitting in a chair for an interview, Bertrand kneads the armrest. “I guess I get carried away,” he said. “I put my heart and soul into it.” He volunteers his spare time to take at-risk youth to the ski hill for the RCMP’s Young Riders snowboarding and skiing program. He started and continues to host the Lady Beware women’s self-defence program often on his Saturday mornings and more than 100 times in past years. During their three years in Carmacks and two in Carcross, the Bertrands started cross-country skiing for youth. He travelled all over the Yukon, giving clinics in the sport, and he was the Western Canadian youth coordinator for cross-country skiing. He’s been on community recreation boards, ran adult floor hockey and native ice hockey, even made the ice for curling and hockey rinks. He’s set up youth baseball he’s a Baseball Yukon founder constructed a small BMX track and organized dances and Canada Day activities for youth. He said he and Annette were involved in many of the sports because their own two now-grown children were participating at the time. Others they helped out with because the community needed the programs. That list barely puts a dent in his volunteer résumé. Some of his help is a little more private. Bertrand and some neighbours have been helping out a man with multiple sclerosis by house-cleaning and grocery-shopping. The “Chuck Bertrand Probation Program” is also low-key. Each year, Bertrand keeps an eye on about five students who are in trouble but are too young for the formal justice system. If he sees them in school, he stops to say “hi” and chat. If there’s an “incident” or setback, Bertrand and the student will discuss it. If there’s a behaviour improvement after a few months, Bertrand picks up the student at school in his police car and the pair goes out for lunch, followed by a detachment tour. All of the 30 students Bertrand’s helped so far have gone for that special graduation lunch.
Book Signings
