Brian Eugene Van Tassel & Rose Marie Van Tassel (nee Comeau)
Brian Eugene Van Tassel is the son of Ronald Eugene & Gwendolyn Shirley Van Tassel. He was born in Digby, N.S. 1947-08-23 and received his education there. He started working at 8 years of age caddying at the Digby Pines Golf Course receiving $1.25 for 18 holes and most of the money went towards the purchase of his school books and clothing. He gradually rose up the ranks to $2.00 a round. He eventually worked in the pro-shop cleaning clubs & shoes and manning the counter. He later worked as caddie-master and was responsible the clubhouse & locker rooms cleanliness as well as the caddies. He met his future wife while lighting the fireplace at the golf club. She worked in the kitchen of the bar. They later started dating (5 years) before being married. Following high school he obtained a job as a clerk at J.Margolian & Co., a clothing store next to the War Memorial in Digby and remained there until the spring when he returned to work at the golf club. In the fall he returned to the clothing store as he had applied for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was waiting for notification. He had to promise his employer that if he didn't get the call he would remain the following summer. (He had never spent a summer working inside) As it turned out his chest was not big enough to pass the medical and thus he remained at the clothing store and lifted weights for a year and then reapplied for the R.C.M.P. and went for six months training in Regina, Saskatchewan as a member of Troop # 26 1968-1969 starting 1969-03-17 until 1969-09-29.
Following training he was posted to A Division, Ottawa, Ontario Protective Sub-division where he spent 7 months at the Governor General’s residence guarding the Governor General , Roland Michener & Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau at their residences. Then a month on Security& Alarms checking government buildings and the Commissionaires ,who were on duty there, & other Federal properties in the Ottawa area. The final 3 months were spent at A Division Desk located at 240 Bank St,.Ottawa, Ontario and then a transfer to Botwood, Newfoundland on 1970-08-17. During this period there was no overtime and a shift started at 9 A.M. if not called out before that. A lunch break was from 12:00 noon to 1:00 P.M. if you could make it and the same went for supper from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.. Some evenings you carried on until 2:00 A.M. or later. There was only 1 day off a week and that generally got taken up by attending court.
He married Rose Marie Comeau (B: 1947-05-04) daughter of Isaie & Eliza (Gaudet) Comeau of Meteghan Station (Bangor), Nova Scotia on 1971-07-17 after courting 5 years. At that time a member had to apply to get married , supply the Force with a list of all the bride’s family to be security checked and have at least $500.00 in assets. They were married in Saulnierville, N.S. and returned to Botwood, Nfld. where Rose soon became employed in Bishop’s Falls with the Power Commission and remained there until they were transferred to Happy Valley- Goose Bay, Labrador on 1973-07-06 to1976-07-06 which was a 24 hour detachment utilizing three 8 hour shifts. During this period their children, Jason Eugene Van Tassel (B: 1973-12-17) & Annette Marie Van Tassel (B:1975-12-05) were born in Happy Valley with the assistance of a midwife and Brian.
As the maximum posting to Goose Bay - Happy Valley was 3 years a transfer to Corner Brook, Nfld. took place 1976-07-06 where they purchased their first home at 39 Philip Drive, Corner Brook and Brian worked at the Corner Brook City Detachment which was another 24 hour detachment and later utilized a 10 hour shift overlapping one shift over another. During the time at this detachment Brian was often the senior shift supervisor and spent time on traffic detail investigating the majority of motor- vehicle accidents and other traffic work. He also spent time working at Mary’s Harbour, Labrador in relief of the member stationed there who had been flown out for 3 weeks vacation. A brief period was also spent at the Telecommunications Section while recovering from a broken ankle. After three years he was transferred to the
Corner Brook Rural Detachment and again spent time at Telecoms, due to breaking the other ankle, and one year acting as Court Prosecutor for the detachment.
On 1984-06-07 after requesting a transfer to Nova Scotia, Brian was transferred to Digby, Nova Scotia with the Town Detachment. This was a challenge, having been brought up in the area and being the 1st Digby boy to return, after joining the R.C.M.P., and work in his home town. He worked out of the same building that he had taken his test for the R.C.M.P. They purchased a 100 year old home in Seabrook on the edge of town and remained there until 1980 when they built what was to be their retirement home on Harris Rd.off the Shore Rd., Digby, N.S. In 1987 a transfer to the Digby Rural Detachment for 4 years and finally to Digby Highway Patrol for the 4 years and being in charge of that unit before being transferred to Windsor, Nova Scotia with the Windsor Highway Patrol 1995-06-01 until 1999-04-10 at which time Brian had completed 30 years service and retired from the Force. He worked for five years as a guard at the Windsor Rural Detachment cells following retirement. At the time of posting I am enjoying retirement and playing lots of golf.
2007-04-07
Brian Eugene Van Tassel is the son of Ronald Eugene & Gwendolyn Shirley Van Tassel. He was born in Digby, N.S. 1947-08-23 and received his education there. He started working at 8 years of age caddying at the Digby Pines Golf Course receiving $1.25 for 18 holes and most of the money went towards the purchase of his school books and clothing. He gradually rose up the ranks to $2.00 a round. He eventually worked in the pro-shop cleaning clubs & shoes and manning the counter. He later worked as caddie-master and was responsible the clubhouse & locker rooms cleanliness as well as the caddies. He met his future wife while lighting the fireplace at the golf club. She worked in the kitchen of the bar. They later started dating (5 years) before being married. Following high school he obtained a job as a clerk at J.Margolian & Co., a clothing store next to the War Memorial in Digby and remained there until the spring when he returned to work at the golf club. In the fall he returned to the clothing store as he had applied for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was waiting for notification. He had to promise his employer that if he didn't get the call he would remain the following summer. (He had never spent a summer working inside) As it turned out his chest was not big enough to pass the medical and thus he remained at the clothing store and lifted weights for a year and then reapplied for the R.C.M.P. and went for six months training in Regina, Saskatchewan as a member of Troop # 26 1968-1969 starting 1969-03-17 until 1969-09-29.
Following training he was posted to A Division, Ottawa, Ontario Protective Sub-division where he spent 7 months at the Governor General’s residence guarding the Governor General , Roland Michener & Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau at their residences. Then a month on Security& Alarms checking government buildings and the Commissionaires ,who were on duty there, & other Federal properties in the Ottawa area. The final 3 months were spent at A Division Desk located at 240 Bank St,.Ottawa, Ontario and then a transfer to Botwood, Newfoundland on 1970-08-17. During this period there was no overtime and a shift started at 9 A.M. if not called out before that. A lunch break was from 12:00 noon to 1:00 P.M. if you could make it and the same went for supper from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.. Some evenings you carried on until 2:00 A.M. or later. There was only 1 day off a week and that generally got taken up by attending court.
He married Rose Marie Comeau (B: 1947-05-04) daughter of Isaie & Eliza (Gaudet) Comeau of Meteghan Station (Bangor), Nova Scotia on 1971-07-17 after courting 5 years. At that time a member had to apply to get married , supply the Force with a list of all the bride’s family to be security checked and have at least $500.00 in assets. They were married in Saulnierville, N.S. and returned to Botwood, Nfld. where Rose soon became employed in Bishop’s Falls with the Power Commission and remained there until they were transferred to Happy Valley- Goose Bay, Labrador on 1973-07-06 to1976-07-06 which was a 24 hour detachment utilizing three 8 hour shifts. During this period their children, Jason Eugene Van Tassel (B: 1973-12-17) & Annette Marie Van Tassel (B:1975-12-05) were born in Happy Valley with the assistance of a midwife and Brian.
As the maximum posting to Goose Bay - Happy Valley was 3 years a transfer to Corner Brook, Nfld. took place 1976-07-06 where they purchased their first home at 39 Philip Drive, Corner Brook and Brian worked at the Corner Brook City Detachment which was another 24 hour detachment and later utilized a 10 hour shift overlapping one shift over another. During the time at this detachment Brian was often the senior shift supervisor and spent time on traffic detail investigating the majority of motor- vehicle accidents and other traffic work. He also spent time working at Mary’s Harbour, Labrador in relief of the member stationed there who had been flown out for 3 weeks vacation. A brief period was also spent at the Telecommunications Section while recovering from a broken ankle. After three years he was transferred to the
Corner Brook Rural Detachment and again spent time at Telecoms, due to breaking the other ankle, and one year acting as Court Prosecutor for the detachment.
On 1984-06-07 after requesting a transfer to Nova Scotia, Brian was transferred to Digby, Nova Scotia with the Town Detachment. This was a challenge, having been brought up in the area and being the 1st Digby boy to return, after joining the R.C.M.P., and work in his home town. He worked out of the same building that he had taken his test for the R.C.M.P. They purchased a 100 year old home in Seabrook on the edge of town and remained there until 1980 when they built what was to be their retirement home on Harris Rd.off the Shore Rd., Digby, N.S. In 1987 a transfer to the Digby Rural Detachment for 4 years and finally to Digby Highway Patrol for the 4 years and being in charge of that unit before being transferred to Windsor, Nova Scotia with the Windsor Highway Patrol 1995-06-01 until 1999-04-10 at which time Brian had completed 30 years service and retired from the Force. He worked for five years as a guard at the Windsor Rural Detachment cells following retirement. At the time of posting I am enjoying retirement and playing lots of golf.
The Brian Eugene Van Tassel Family in the Early Days
1984
2007-04-07
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