Fifty years ago, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) hired its first group of female officers.
The women were required to carry purses as gun holsters and wear skirts with high heels for uniforms.
Fast forward to 2024 and things look very different.
While women have been working with the OPP since it was founded in 1909, it was mostly in civilian roles as clerks or receptionists. It was only in the 1970s when society began to accept the idea of recruiting uniformed female police officers.
By June 1974, the first 15 women graduated as provincial constables.
“Women faced varying degrees of challenges as they embarked on their new careers. Some were met at detachments with open minds and a willingness to teach, others with closed doors and the belief that the female physical stature was not suited to the nature of police work,” according to the OPP Museum in Orillia.
Today, women have worked in all nine ranks within the organization — and wear the same uniforms as the men.
To commemorate this half-century milestone, the Friends of the OPP Museum is hosting an event for current and retired members of the OPP and their guests today (Oct. 30) at Liberty North in Barrie — 50 Years of Women in Uniform Evening Dinner and Celebration.
Det. Const. Maureen O'Grady, who's with the Huntsville detachment, said she's excited to attend the gala and reconnect with some comrades.
In 1999, during the beginning of O'Grady's career, the OPP graduating class celebrated a quarter-century of women in uniform, and a group of them were featured in The Review at OPP Magazine.
“When you're a new recruit, you're just so excited —25 years of policing. It was pretty cool,” O’Grady said.
'The whole culture has started to change'
According to the OPP’s 2022 Annual Report, women make up 34.59 per cent of the OPP workforce, with 21.42 per cent uniformed officers. Huntsville OPP detachment commander Staff Sgt. John-Paul Graham said they employ 40 per cent female officers.
“The diversity we have within the Huntsville detachment emulates a family culture. Certainly a sisterhood and brotherhood culture,” Graham said.
“I would say the whole culture has started to change, but there's always room for improvement … It doesn't matter what profession you're in, you have people that are progressive and people that are not so progressive,” O’Grady said.
While on shift, officers are encouraged to attend events around town or simply be out in the community and interact with the public.
During the summer, O’Grady and two other women from Huntsville OPP were geared up and patrolling downtown when someone approached them and asked to take their picture, saying they were “thrilled” to see a group of all-female officers in the community.
“That was huge for me. You want to be that for other women,” O’Grady said.
The detachment had six people working that day — three of them were those women doing foot patrol.
“They were completely engaged in everything that was going on downtown. It was fantastic,” Graham said.
Female mentorship and guidance
About four years ago, a young constable named Brittany Yoisten moved to the Huntsville area to start her career with the OPP. Since then, she has learned from and worked alongside O’Grady.
Their combined advice for women considering a career in the OPP is simply, “go for it.”
The OPP offers learning and mentorship opportunities, such as the cadet program and volunteer auxiliary positions, encouraging community service from a young age into adulthood.
The Huntsville detachment goes beyond this, offering ride-alongs and direct mentorship to youth and teens who show a genuine interest in policing.
“If someone is interested in trying to explore the career path of being a police officer, then we will link them up with the right individual with the right attitude to foster that desire,” Graham said.
To connect with the OPP, visit the website or contact Huntsville OPP’s community safety officer at [email protected].
Megan Hederson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with MuskokaRegion.com. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
