Duheme Raises Rcmp Concerns Cbc Prank Over Northland Tales
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme said rcmp concerns cbc prank were raised directly with CBC after a production targeted RCMP veterans, and he said he was “deeply concerned” about the mental health and well-being of those involved. CBC has paused production of Northland Tales, a prank show being made for CBC Entertainment and APTN.
Duheme And CBC
Duheme said the RCMP was informed that a female member of the RCMP Veterans’ Association volunteered for a CBC documentary about life after policing. He said she later reported being subjected to a prank during filming in Vancouver in March.
He said, “I am deeply concerned for the mental health and well-being of the veterans affected by this experience.” The force said it understood CBC had put production on hold and would keep working with the veterans’ association and its membership so those affected can access appropriate resources.
Northland Tales In Vancouver
The production was filmed in Vancouver and, according to the facts provided, included a fake video of King Charles III announcing the dissolution of the Mounties because of the force’s historical dealings with First Nations. CBC’s head of public affairs, Chuck Thompson, said CBC and APTN news departments had “no involvement in this production or prior knowledge of it.”
Thompson also said CBC was reviewing the footage collected to date and that it was important the entertainment series does not negatively impact the CBC news brand. The pause leaves the broadcaster sorting through material already filmed while the RCMP turns to support for veterans who may have been drawn in under different expectations.
National Police Federation
The National Police Federation, which represents around 20,000 active and retired Mounties, also raised concerns. Its president, Brian Sauve, said many former members deal with psychological-related distress and other injuries from their time with the force, and that seeing former members targeted for a spoof-style TV show risks worsening those conditions.
Sauve said last week that he did not have exact figures for how many former officers may have been contacted or decided to participate. One former RCMP member said in a YouTube video that he was contacted for what he thought was a series about how officers transition to civilian life, then discovered during filming in Vancouver that it had been set up as a prank.
The immediate issue now sits with CBC’s review of the footage and its decision to keep Northland Tales on hold while the RCMP works with the veterans’ association. For the veterans who took part, the practical question is whether the broadcaster’s pause becomes a stop, or whether the material is aired after that review is finished.
