Beverley Ann Busson ( MacDonald; born August 23, 1951) is a

Canadian Senator The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the Bri ...

and former police officer who served as the 21st

commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police () is the professional head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The commissioner exercises control and management of the RCMP under the direction of the minister of public safety. The ...

(RCMP) from December 2006 to June 2007. She was the first woman to hold this position and was appointed on an interim basis in the wake of

Giuliano Zaccardelli Giuliano Zaccardelli (born ) is an Italian-born Canadian retired police officer who served as the 20th commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) from 2000 to 2006. His departure from the RCMP was linked to the force's involvemen ...

's resignation amid controversy. Busson's subsequent appointment as a member of the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

representing

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

was announced on September 24, 2018.

Early life and police career

Busson was born as Beverley Ann MacDonald on August 23, 1951, in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. She joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 after graduating with an education degree. She would later earn a law degree from the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

. Rising up the ranks, Busson has worked for the RCMP in

Salmon Arm Salmon Arm is a city in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District of the Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia that has a population of 17,706 (2016). Salmon Arm was incorporated as a municipal district on May 15, 1905. The ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

and

North Battleford, Saskatchewan North Battleford is a city in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the seventh largest city in the province and is directly across the North Saskatchewan River from the Town of Battleford. Together, the two communities are known as "The Batt ...

(Assistant Commissioner and Commanding Officer in Saskatchewan). Prior to her appointment she was Deputy Commissioner for the Pacific Region (2000–2006) and took a leave from the force to head British Columbia's Organized Crime Agency (1999–2000).

Senate of Canada

During debate on use of the ''Emergencies Act'', in relation to the

Freedom Convoy A series of protests and blockades in Canada against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions, called the Freedom Convoy (french: Convoi de la liberté, links=no) by organizers, began in early 2022. The initial convoy movement was created t ...

protests in Ottawa, Busson stated in Senate that Ottawa had become an "amusement park for anarchists." She urged the Act be kept in place, noting encampments near Ottawa, "so these people do not again overwhelm the people who are trying to protect us;" Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

stopped use of the ''Act'' later that day.

Awards

In 2004, she was made a Commander of the

Order of Merit of the Police Forces The Order of Merit of the Police Forces (french: Ordre du mérite des corps policiers) is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved for only members of Canada's various police forces. Cr ...

. In 2006, she was made a Member of the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier B ...

. On June 17, 2010, she was awarded the

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

honorary degree by

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

References

External links

RCMP biography

Order of British Columbia citation

Busson named interim RCMP commissioner
1951 births Living people Members of the Order of British Columbia Members of the Order of Canada People from Halifax, Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioners Peter A. Allard School of Law alumni Canadian women police officers Canadian senators from British Columbia Independent Canadian senators Women members of the Senate of Canada {{law-enforcement-bio-stub