Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I stand to congratulate London Police Chief John Pare on an outstanding career with the London Police Service.
Last month, Chief Pare announced he would be retiring this June after more than 30 years of exemplary service with the force. John joined the London Police Service in 1989 as a cadet and climbed the ranks before being named the city's 19th police chief in May 2015. John has been described as level-headed, approachable, forward thinking, calm, and has had the necessary patience to lead in such a pivotal role.
The London Police Service is made up of approximately 600 officers, 200 civilians and 22 cadets who serve our diverse community. I witnessed first-hand their incredible dedication when I went on a ride-along in late 2017 with Sergeant Sean Travis.
To Chief Pare, the senior executive, all the officers, civilians and cadets within the LPS and all first responders for that matter, I say “thank you” for their selfless service to London and to Canada.