When the mountains of snow finally melt away and the buds are in bloom Grant Martin will be found on the links.
On Wednesday, the former Staff Sergeant of the Williams Lake detachment officially called it quits after a 35-year police career that saw him return to the city three different times.
His feelings on the occasion, “sad but happy.”
“I’m pretty happy today but it will sink in,” Martin says. “This has been my whole adult life. I can’t believe it’s gone so fast. I have no regrets.”
Martin joined the federal force in 1975. After the prescribed training at the depot in Regina, Martin was told judging by his size he could expect to be posted to either Williams Lake or Prince George (two cities that were notoriously rough at the time).
Martin was destined for the lakecity. Here, he met his wife and spent two and a half years before being sent to Fort St. John.
After six years he requested a transfer to Parksville.
A promotion to corporal in 1989 led him to a position as detachment commander in Cassiar, B.C. (that mining town was shuttered before he left).
That was a “unique” posting where there were only two officers and the detachment filled such unorthodox duties such as storing animal vaccines and administering driving exams.
Martin jokes by the time he was posted to Oliver in 1992 he had crime to zero.
In 1995 he accepted a position as operations NCO in Williams Lake and stayed until 1999 when he left for a posting in Prince George. He returned in late 2000 as detachment commander and stayed in that position until 2009 — the longest serving commander in community history. His last stop was advisory NCO acting as a regional manager for the Cariboo.
In between he’s worked two Olympics and has been a member of the force’s emergency response team.
Martin’s career longevity has outpaced nearly all of the recruits with whom he trained. With Martin’s retirement there is one left out of the 31 individuals in his class. Amazingly, after three decades on the beat, his enthusiasm for the job hasn’t worn off.
“To me there is no better organization. The men and women, it’s a fantastic group. It’s really like a big family,” he says, adding there are challenges faced by the organization.
Martin acknowledges policing has changed through the years.
“What is required for a conviction has changed so much. I don’t think the public understands that police are just as frustrated,” he says.
Budgets were another issue. Martin says addressing finances with the city was frequently positive.
“My time in Williams Lake, I was always happy with the mayor. We always worked together.”
Williams Lake detachment Staff Sgt. Ken Brissard says Martin’s retirement leaves a void.
Brissard is positively glowing in his reference to Martin and says he chose to come back to Williams Lake because of him.
“I’d follow him into any battle,” Brissard says. “I’ve never had another boss that I’d say that about. This is not just a loss to the community but a loss to the detachment.”