In the remote communities of Lac Seul First Nation, located in Northern Ontario’s Treaty #3 Territory, the Lac Seul Police Service (LSPS) has long been a vital force in providing safety and support across its vast, challenging landscape. For over 25 years, the service has responded to the unique needs of Frenchman’s Head, Kejick Bay and Whitefish Bay.
Bruno Rossi, who had spent his entire career in Indigenous policing in Manitoba and Alberta, joined LSPS in April 2022. As chief, one of his first tasks was to sit down with the community’s Indigenous Chief and Board Chair to discuss their vision for the community moving forward. A goal was clearly identified, and that was to create a canine unit for LSPS.
“There is a pandemic of illicit drugs across all First Nations communities, and a canine unit is exactly what we needed,” shared Rossi.
Rossi had worked with canine units with Manitoba First Nations Police Service and had connections that allowed him to get the ball rolling for LSPS. He first connected with Jay Palmer, head trainer with Manitoba’s Office of the Fire Commissioner and a former member of Brandon Police Service. Palmer shared the name of a Belgian Malinois breeder in California who carried one of the top five bloodlines of the breed in the world. A six-week-old female puppy was available; LSPS purchased her and had her flown to Minneapolis, where members of the service picked her up. They named her Kona.
Cst. Tyler Gordon, who has been a police officer for over 15 years, was selected as the canine handler for LSPS. “My first thought when this unit became a reality was ‘Saddle up! I’m in.’ This has always been my dream policing role,” he said.
Canine training
After Kona arrived in Canada at eight weeks old, Gordon spent two months with her, providing basic dog training and time to bond. Following this, Kona went to Manitoba to be trained by Palmer, while Gordon attended a use of force course at Ontario’s Police College. After its completion, Gordon joined Palmer and Kona and spent most of the fall season in Manitoba.
The training was unlike anything Gordon had experienced before. It was hands-on, without much bookwork, which he found different from most other police training he’d completed. “This was physical because I was always running with Kona, but also mental because I had to be patient with her. I also needed to keep a positive demeanour because dogs feed off your energy,” he said.
“What Cst. Gordon has done with Kona is nothing short of extraordinary.” – Chief Bruno Rossi
Once Kona was trained fully by Palmer, she and Gordon were required to complete further training and be certified by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) as a police canine. Now that the training has been completed, Kona can assist OPP operations in the province’s north.
“Kona’s claim to fame is that she was fully validated within seven months of birth, which is almost unheard of. Most dogs are a year or two old before they are on duty,” said Gordon. Kona is validated in apprehension, identifying six drugs and tracking levels one, two and three.
It was essential to Rossi and LSPS that Kona be certified to work with the OPP, as the nearest canine unit would be more than a three-hour drive away. “We have a lot of missing people up in the north, and having Kona here supports LSPS operations as well as OPP operations,” stated Rossi.
Trials and triumphs
In the months since being fully certified and becoming an active canine unit, Kona has already been successful in locating several individuals and assisting in drug investigations.
In one instance, Gordon and Kona were asked to work alongside Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) on a drug warrant being served. Within minutes of entering the residence, Kona made her indication. Thinking she might have been confused, Gordon “broke” Kona, led her out of the residence and redeployed her. She repeated her actions in the same spot.
“I remembered what Jay told me: trust your dog. We found a hidden compartment in the boxspring, and she had located a substantial amount of CDSA and cash. I felt like I had just scored the OT winning goal as I walked out of that house with Kona. I hadn’t felt that good about policing in years,” shared Gordon.
The pair have also successfully attended traffic stops and confiscated illegal substances and weapons.
“Kona is a great resource that we can lean on to support our communities and our people,” said Rossi.
But not everything has been simple.
Lac Seul Police Service, like most First Nations police services in Ontario, is not classified as an essential service. The only First Nations police service to have that distinction as of Dec. 2024 is NAPS. As a non-essential service, LSPS is not supposed to have specialty units, like canine or criminal investigation units, so they needed to go outside their typical funding to create the units. Once the canine unit was operational, the federal government inquired about LSPS’s needs and provided a vehicle.
Gordon started proposing the creation of a canine unit nearly 10 years ago and sees the newly formed unit as a step in the right direction. “It’s nice to see that the government is starting to recognize First Nations policing as more of a viable policing option and allowing these specialty services that we’ve been denied for so many years.”
Rossi considered himself and LSPS lucky to have a prior connection with Jay Palmer. This allowed for a highly discounted fee for canine training, whereas most services would typically need to pay upwards of $100,000.
“Jay works for the fire commissioner. They’re not in the business of making money. They’re in the business of helping people and keeping communities safe. That’s what’s most important,” said Rossi.
As a specific challenge for Kona, Gordon shared that a large number of stray dogs are common in First Nations communities. This causes a safety hazard for the pair, especially in the winter when the strays form a pack for survival. “Thankfully, she doesn’t really engage with the other dogs. She wants to do her job,” he shared.
As they receive more calls for service, Gordon expects they’ll become better with more experience. In a tracking incident, Gordon didn’t understand that Kona pausing meant she was gathering the suspect’s “fear scent”. Instead, he urged her onwards, and they missed a shed sitting 30 feet away where the suspect was hiding. “That was definitely a learning moment for me. She was doing what she was trained to do, and because I was impatient, we missed him. But now I know for the next time.”
Future successes for all
As the first Indigenous police service in Ontario to have a canine unit, Rossi feels it’s important to share with fellow chiefs—through the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario (IPCO)—the process LSPS went through and how other services might be able to do something similar.
Since the creation of the LSPS canine unit, UCCM Anishnaabe Police has been able to hire a canine officer and purchase a dog, and Six Nations Police Service has purchased a dog that was trained in the U.S.
“If you can save even one life, it’s well worth the cost.” – Chief Bruno Rossi
“It’s a long road ahead as they start this journey, but they’ll get there. I believe every service should have a canine unit because if you can save even one life, it’s well worth the cost,” said Rossi.
As more First Nations police services create space for canine units within their teams, Gordon’s advice for those considering becoming a handler is to evaluate the commitment and dedication first.
“I always wanted to do this and am so glad I did. But what people need to remember is that the job doesn’t stop when you clock out. The dog may be the property of the police service, but you’re essentially married to it. If you want to go out with friends after the game, you still need to be up by 6 a.m. to take her outside to run, feed her, and maintain her skills with further training,” shared Gordon.
Kona lives with Gordon’s family, including the new son they recently welcomed and their two other dogs—a German Shorthair and an Aussie Doodle. She has her own space and even received a gift for the holidays. When the family goes out of town, a qualified person must watch her, as she can’t be put in a regular kennel.
“Just be aware of what this role entails, and you’ll be set up for success,” Gordon concluded.
