Meeting Fraser Bjornson, he is a what you imagine the “friendly neighbourhood police officer” should be.
He is friendly and easy to talk to, someone you would want to have living next door.
Growing up outside the small town of Cranberry Portage, Manitoba, Fraser Bjornson spent his summers helping fishermen clean and fillet their catch.
His parents owned and operated a fishing lodge and even though he said he enjoyed it, Bjornson himself didn’t necessarily have a desire to follow in his parents’ footsteps.
Unsure what he might want to do, at 16 years old he attended an RCMP recruitment event.
The event worked, because the teen thought he might want to apply for the organization and pursue a career in law enforcement.
At 18 years old he applied to the RCMP and began the lengthy application process, while also taking a year of post-secondary towards a law enforcement diploma at the University College of the North in The Pas, Manitoba. There he met his wife Sylvie. Eighteen months later, at 19, he was accepted to the RCMP, and attended initial training in 2007.
Bjornson is now a 15-year veteran of the organization and has been in Williams Lake since 2019.
“I think the best part of policing is the community,” he said of the RCMP, noting it provides an opportunity to meet and work with people from across the country.
His first posting was to the small northern community of Valleyview in northern Alberta, where he did general duty and Indigenous policing. During his time there, he and Sylvie married, in 2009.
In 2012, Bjornson was then posted to Jasper, Alta., which he refers to as their “four-year vacation,” living in the resort town.
The couple then moved to New Hazelton when Bjornson was promoted to corporal in 2016.
Bjornson transferred to Williams Lake to take on the role of watch commander, before then becoming a forensic identification officer. He and Sylvie now have two children, ages nine and 11, and the couple is hoping to stay put for awhile so their children can have some continuity. He and Sylvie are also working to develop a small business here for their family, selling local berries at markets and enjoy the community they have developed here.
“This year we picked 75 pounds of haskap berries,” he said, of the fledgling business.
Bjornson is an apprentice in the forensic identification role, doing crime scene examinations and exhibits looking for DNA, fingerprints and other forensic evidence to link perpetrators to crimes.
“Actually it’s a really fun switch-up,” he said of the new role, noting it is great to be able to move to such a new and different job within the same organization and furthering his education.
Though it can be difficult to actually get a good fingerprint or DNA evidence, when the conditions do come together to make it possible, he said it is pretty amazing.
Throughout all his years in the RCMP, Bjornson has also been an avid runner, and has trained for and completed half marathons, marathons and even ultra-marathons, which are runs over the 42.2 km marathon length.
Bjornson finished the Grand Cache Death Race, running 125 km, including going over two mountain summits, in 18 hours and 24 minutes. But he likes the “short, fast, hard pain” of a marathon or a half marathon more than ultra-marathon lengths, so he has “retired” from ultras he said. The endurance race did however, help him with mental stamina for those days when he has to work through an entire day after completing a night shift.
“It gives you a bunch of drive,” said Bjornson, noting he can tell himself how much easier working through those tough days are because he gets food and water and doesn’t have to run the entire time.
While his first love in sports is running, this year, Bjornson is also taking on a new challenge, and will be cycling the Tour de North route with Cops for Cancer.
It was while he was stationed in New Hazelton that Bjornson first became intrigued with the idea of doing the ride. Around 2015, he had dinner with the riders as the tour came through and stopped in New Hazelton.
“It’s just a cool way they get to go out and spend their week in September,” he said, noting then he began to look into the cause more, which is helping support research into pediatric cancer research and Camp Good Times. Camp Good Times is a camp for children with cancer and their families.
With it being both a good cause and a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of his previous posting in northwestern B.C., Bjornson decided to take on the challenge.
The longest day is 170 km and to train, he is running five days a week, riding twice a week and doing weights four times a week.
“I’m pretty addicted to the training side of things,” explained Bjornson, noting he tries to focus on the process of the training, not the results.
“Results are fun, but they come and go.”
He said he is looking forward to riding through the New Hazelton area at the speed of a cyclist along the Skeena River.
“I think the whole ride experience is going to be amazing.”
The volunteer riders in the 2023 Tour de North will leave from Prince George on Sept. 15 and are scheduled to arrive in Prince Rupert on Sept. 21.
The riders work to raise money towards the Canadian Cancer Society with a goal this year of $200,000. For his part, Bjornson, ran a “bun-draiser” campaign at the detachment to kickstart his fundraising. After growing his hair out long as a competition with some coworkers, he then offered up votes for sale to “keep it” or “cut it” with all proceeds going towards Canadian Cancer Society.
The bun was eventually voted out, and he raised $1,500 for his efforts. His fundraising will continue throughout his training and the ride itself. To donate to Bjornson’s ride and support Cops for Cancer go to: https://shorturl.at/DGILT Cops for Cancer also is hosting a raffle towards the event, with prizes including a Rocky Mountaineer train journey for two and flights for two to anywhere Westjet flies: https://shorturl.at/fjuwN
READ MORE: OUR HOMETOWN: Quintin Duhamel dedicates work, volunteerism to safety
READ MORE: OUR HOMETOWN: Laurie Walters is a community leader who loves Williams Lake
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