Search for one Mountie’s cremated remains at the former BC RCMP Headquarters in Vancouver, successful.

B.C.

2024-10-21 11:14 PDT

No one in the RCMP wanted to leave Superintendent Joe Atherton alone.

So, a group of determined former and current RCMP officers set out on a multi-year search to dig into the mystery once and for all—the mystery of Superintendent Atherton’s last resting place.

Let’s just say—in the end—the Mounties got their man. But getting there was an unusual and lengthy process, to say the least.

The biggest hurdle was to determine if the story that had been whispered among Mounties over the last three decades was legend, reality, or maybe a bit of both. As the story went, Supt. Atherton, who served most of his career in British Columbia between 1932 and 1967, passed away in December of 1988. He was a proud and distinguished member of the RCMP, retiring as the Commanding Officer of the Vancouver Sub-Division.

For reasons unconfirmed, but endlessly intriguing, Supt. Atherton’s cremated remains came to be in possession of a few of his Mountie buddies who reportedly buried them at the place Supt. Atherton most loved--Fairmont Barracks—the former headquarters of the RCMP in British Columbia. His resting place was said to be near the flagpole out in front of the building.

But was the story true?

The effort to confirm the facts around the cremation and interment story began in earnest when Corporal Donna Morse (ret.), representing the RCMP Veteran’s Association, met with the BC RCMP Commanding Officer, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald.

A bit of a legend herself, Cpl. Morse, a member of Troop 17, the first troop of women who joined the RCMP in 1974, wanted to know whether the story was of Supt. Atherton was true. I had never heard the story until [Supt.] Ric Hall [(ret.)] mentioned it at one of our executive meetings and pointed to a story written [online] by [Supt.] J.J. Healy [(ret.)], Cpl. Morse said.

Decades after Supt. Atherton had passed, the BC RCMP outgrew their headquarters building and the entire area was sold. The Fairmont Barracks was due to be demolished to make way for a housing development and the hope now was that the Office of the BC RCMP Commanding Officer would support the search for, and possible re-interment of Supt. Atherton’s cremated remains before that happened.

The Commanding Officer had already written the forward to our book [Duty Done: Memories of Fairmont Barracks], so I felt comfortable discussing it with him, said Cpl. Morse. When I left headquarters that day, I knew something would be done. I knew they were supportive.

D/Commr. McDonald assigned the task of uncovering the mystery to his Executive Officer, Inspector Veronica Fox. The role of an executive officer is similar to that of a miscellaneous kitchen drawer—the work can vary wildly. For Insp. Fox, the challenge of solving the mystery was an exciting opportunity that was part historical investigation and part archaeological adventure.

It was a career highlight, and what now feels like a fitting culmination of my time at the Office of the BC RCMP Commanding Officer, to be able to lead the recovery effort for Superintendent Atherton. The interment occurred over 35 years ago, so to say the trail was cold was an understatement, said Insp. Fox.

And thus, began the final effort to confirm the mystery of Supt. Atherton’s resting place once and for all, and if possible, locate and recover his ashes.

Previously, some members of the RCMP Veteran’s Association had worked to uncover the mystery. There had been discussions and even visits to the Fairmont grounds, but after so many years, memories had faded and details were lost. National RCMP Archives was a treasure-trove of old photographs and information from Supt. Atherton’s service file—there were several clues and threads to pull.

Insp. Fox conducted interviews with anyone who had second or even third hand knowledge of the story. Unfortunately, after so many years, there were no longer any direct eyewitnesses. Adding to those challenges, the Fairmont Barracks and grounds had been renovated over the years, and the flagpole moved, but no one knew when. This was not an easy case of X marks the spot.

Electronic records pertaining to renovations had long since purged, so Insp. Fox sought and received permission from the owners of the site to search in the attic of the Fairmont Barracks for physical documents that could help determine Supt. Atherton’s resting place.

After a dusty and hot summer day, pouring over hundreds of documents, Insp. Fox and the Commanding Officer’s briefing analyst Tessa Lau emerged from the Fairmont Barracks attic successful with blueprints and site plans in hand.

According to official records, the renovations of the front entry and driveway had likely been undertaken somewhere between 1982 and 1985. Supt. Atherton had passed away in December 1988 and it was unlikely anyone would have attempted to open up the ground (even in Vancouver) until the following Spring. Meanwhile, Sergeant Major Stewart (ret.) had reported hearing of the clandestine interment in 1990, from at least two who had been directly involved.

And just like that: a lead.

From there, an operational plan was developed and resources from the E-Division Forensic Identification Services were identified to help, along with the BC RCMP Integrated Tactical Troop.
Tac Troop has been the duct-tape of the division for many years, said Staff Sergeant Jeff Ketola, the coordinator for the BC RCMP integrated Tactical Troop. Searches, public disorder, and disaster response are only a few of the various matters our team may be involved in. However, we have never done a search quite like this.

A partnership was developed with the current property owners—Canada Lands Company (CLC) and the Musqueam, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh (MST) Partners—who gave their permission for the RCMP to conduct the search.

Early one sunny summer morning in 2024, members of the RCMP Veteran’s Association, the RCMP Tactical Troop, the BC RCMP Forensic Identification Services and others involved in the search gathered at the Fairmont grounds. Insp. Fox, BC RCMP Chaplain Bill Ashbee, and D/Commr. Dwayne McDonald said a few words before the search started.

Shortly before 9 a.m. on June 25, complying with techniques and processes unique to the RCMP—Forensic Search and Evidence Recovery (FSERT) principles—the Tac Troop team was directed to begin the dig.

Supt. Atherton, by all accounts ‘Bled Mountie Red,’ and thus was his desire to be interred on RCMP lands, said Supt. Nav Hothi, the Officer-in-Charge of BC RCMP’s Forensic Identification Services who led the dig activity. The crew that assembled that day was motivated by his story and the pride he had for the RCMP, she added.

Approximately 45 minutes or so into the search, there was an order to stop digging. Supt. Atherton’s cremated remains had been found, pretty much exactly as had been passed through story: East side of the flagpole, so he would have the morning sun rise on him each day.

If it wasn’t for the Commanding Officer agreeing to this and Insp. Fox taking it on, I don’t know what would have been done, said Cpl. Morse. We can’t thank them enough and it shows what a family the RCMP is. We support each other. It was the right thing to do, she added.

D/Commr. McDonald said, The Commanding Officer of the day was involved in the interment of Supt. Atherton, and I am pleased, as the current Commanding Officer of the BC RCMP, to have supported his recovery. The RCMP is more than a Force; it is a family. I am appreciative of all the individuals both within and outside the RCMP who helped us bring our family member home.

The MST Partnership and Canada Lands Company issued a statement saying they welcomed and supported the RCMP's recovery efforts on the Heather Lands. As they continued, We were pleased to hear that the recovery of Supt. Atherton's ashes was successful and commend the respectful work of the search team.

So, what will happen now that the Mounties got their man?

Supt. Atherton had no children, but historical records show that he did have two known siblings. Insp. Fox says the RCMP will exhaust all efforts to locate any distant relatives and consult with them before finalizing plans. Insp. Fox is arranging for a new urn to replace the original that had degraded with time, and there is a cemetery at the RCMP’s Depot Division in Saskatchewan that might be an ideal location for reinternment.

Ultimately, the RCMP will endeavour to ensure that Supt. Atherton is placed at final rest in a manner commensurate with his life, service, and dedication to the Force.

Any distant relatives of Supt. Atherton wishing to connect with the RCMP, and members of the public who may have information about his life are encouraged to email veronica.fox@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

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