New local RCMP constable feels lucky to be here
The Killam RCMP Detachment has said goodbye to one member, Tanya Tremblay, who transferred to her new posting in Parkland, and has welcomed a new member this May.
Cst. Nathan Hulburt, Nate, started his first shift at the Detachment on May 15. He graduated Depot May 3, but headed home to Truro, Nova Scotia to gather up his belongings and have a quarantined visit with his parents before heading west.
Hurlburt grew up around the RCMP; his father is an active member in Nova Scotia to this day.
He says both his mom and his dad are very supportive of his decision to also join the RCMP. “I’ve always looked up to the police, my dad included, and joining the RCMP was something I’d wanted to do from an early age.”
Hurlburt completed high school with his dream intact, but decided to go to university as a backup plan. He attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, where he enrolled in a four-year Kinesiology degree course.
During his third year, he says he put in his application with the RCMP. “I knew it was a long process, so I wanted to get it started.”
He was accepted, and was supposed to attend Depot in May 2020, but that was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I ended up finishing my university degree online from home, and then was called in September to start at Depot in October.”
He says the first two weeks at Depot, the RCMP training school in Regina, were intense, with a mandatory isolation period. He started his courses online, then after the two-week quarantine period was over, his class played catchup on the practical course work.
He graduated May 3, and says it’s unfortunate that his friends and family, particularly his mom and dad, were unable to attend.
Hurlburt says Alberta was high on his list of preferred postings, but Newfoundland was his number one choice.
He knew he wanted a rural posting, though, being used to a more rural life. Truro has a population of about 30,000, he says, closer to Camrose than to a larger centre.
“I actually wanted to serve in a smaller community, to build a repoire with the people we serve, to feel like I’m making a difference, and seeing that every day.” He also thinks it’s an advantage to work with a small team, “You work as an individual and also as a team member.”
Hurlburt says he talked to both Sgt. Colin Thorne, and Corporal Trent Cleveland before arriving in Killam to start work, and what they had to say was very encouraging. “It was great to hear all the positives, and find out that the community was very supportive of the police,” he says.
Detachment members helped Hurlburt find a place to live, and he lived out of a suitcase until the rest of his things arrived last week.
He jokes, “I decided not to pack my surf board.” He did bring his golf clubs though, and his whistle. Hurlburt played hockey through his school years, up to high school, then he got in to refereeing. He worked as a hockey ref all through university, and it’s something he’s definitely interested in pursuing here.
He said as a kid he was involved with hockey, judo, and skiing, and then most recently cross-fit training and coaching, something he’s also eager to return to once he gets settled.
Hurlburt says he played in goal through his hockey years, and lived just 45 minutes away from Nova Scotia’s biggest ski hill.
Hurlburt has one brother, younger than him, and says he may end up in the RCMP too, but in a different capacity. His interests lie in software engineering, and he has a keen interest in cyber security.
Hurlburt says the geography in Alberta is a huge change for him. “It’s very flat, with lots of farms.” Far different from Nova Scotia, where he spent the summer between his university graduation and starting Depot surfing the coasts off Nova Scotia. “I knew I was near the end of the acceptance process with the RCMP, “ he says, “so it was a nice way to end my schooling before I started the next chapter.”
Hurlburt golfs, too, and he’s happy to see so many courses around the Flagstaff area.
He’s currently enjoying watching the NHL playoffs.
Hurlburt will be working closely with Cst. Nick Daigle during his first six months at the Detachment.
When he arrived at the Killam Detachment, he was told, jokingly, that Killam was known as the ‘East coast detachment,’ with a majority of members born and raised in Atlantic Canada.
In fact, he remembers as a youth going to hockey games to cheer on Kirk Rafuse, another Killam member, who played goal for the Truro Bearcats.
He’s found members at both the Killam and Viking Detachments very welcoming, he says.
He’s already experienced the friendliness of the region first-hand, just in his few weeks here. If you see Hurlburt when you’re out and about, feel free to come say hi. “I’m excited to get started meeting more people and getting familiar with the area.
“I feel lucky to be here.”
Leslie Cholowsky,
Editor
