With a focus on promoting women and girls in sports and policing, the West Shore RCMP held the annual Mountie Cup, a senior girls basketball tournament at Royal Bay and Belmont Secondary Schools over the weekend of Jan. 31.
The opening ceremonies at both schools included presentations hosted by school liaison officers Cst. Varley and Cst. Webb from the Community and Indigenous Policing Unit, who then handed over the mic to Cpl. Hough who spoke about the RCMP police dog program.
Newly graduated graduated police dog Ryky showed off some of his skills to students, and 11-week old future police dogs Triggs and Taber showed how good they are at tug-of-war.
"This tournament is a great opportunity for us as the RCMP to build even stronger relations with the youth in our communities. It’s also a chance for us to really highlight these incredible female athletes and encourage them to consider a career in policing," said Supt. Todd Preston, officer in charge of West Shore RCMP, in a news release.
On Friday. Jan. 31, RCMP officers set up information booths at each school with games and prizes for students to participate in.
The tournament consisted of 16 teams from across Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, split into tier 1 and tier 2.
"We thank all of the teams for their great sportsmanship and thank School District 62 for providing the venue and many other supports," noted the release. "Many local West Shore businesses stepped up to support the athletes and made this tournament possible. Refreshments, lunch, and tournament fees were all covered by donations - making this tournament accessible for all."
