Remembering an RCMP officer, who was purged from the force in 1964 for being gay

It’s a very popular thing these days to dig into your family history and learn more about those stories. Sometimes when you do that, you find that a family member was tied into history in ways you never realized.

That’s what happened to Elenor Sturko. She is a corporal with the Surrey RCMP and is often the public face of the detachment. She loves policing, and it turns out, so did her great uncle - a former RCMP member.

But here is where her family history becomes part of Canadian history: he was purged from the RCMP in 1964. Why? Because he was gay. 

Elenor sturko wants people to remember this remarkable man for who he actually was. She joined us to talk about that legacy.

Guest: Cpl Elenor Sturko

Surrey RCMP

It’s a very popular thing these days to dig into your family history and learn more about those stories. Sometimes when you do that, you find that a family member was tied into history in ways you never realized.

That’s what happened to Elenor Sturko. She is a corporal with the Surrey RCMP and is often the public face of the detachment. She loves policing, and it turns out, so did her great uncle - a former RCMP member.

But here is where her family history becomes part of Canadian history: he was purged from the RCMP in 1964. Why? Because he was gay. 

Elenor sturko wants people to remember this remarkable man for who he actually was. She joined us to talk about that legacy.

Guest: Cpl Elenor Sturko

Surrey RCMP