BARRHEAD-From his teenage years on, Ben Tapp knew he wanted to help people. He also knew that he wanted to be on the front lines.
That is what he said when he dropped by the Barrhead Leader office on July 21. The southeastern Ontario native is one of the Barrhead RCMP Detachment's newest additions joining the community in early November.
"Whether that was as a firefighter, police officer, paramedic, I wanted to be the first one on the scene to help people," Tapp said, adding he was leaning towards the police. "As a teenager, you don't understand what is involved in being a police officer, but you know you get to do a lot of cool things, like drive fast and catch bad guys and that appealed to me."
However, in high school, several of his teachers tried to steer him away from a career in law enforcement, saying he had "too nice of a demeanour" and therefore ill-suited.
As an impressional youth, he took their statements to heart and decided to pursue a career in social work instead, enrolling at the University of Waterloo getting a degree in Social Development Studies.
After graduating, he worked as a social worker for four years in group homes and similar facilities, mostly in the Toronto area. It is about this time that he met his now-wife who is also a social worker who works in Edmonton.
"It wasn't enough for me. I just wasn't feeling passionate enough about my work," Tapp said.
At about the same time, he told his brother-in-law, who is an RCMP member about how he was feeling and he suggested that he reconsider becoming a police officer.
"It is basically social work, but it is more hands-on," Tapp said.
In October 2017, he took the plunge applying to the RCMP and his application was accepted in December 2018.
"It is a long process," he said, noting applications go through an intensive screening process.
As for his initial impressions of Barrhead, he said, he has enjoyed his time in the community, adding in many ways it reminds him of his hometown of Trenton, Ont.
Tapp said although Trenton is considerably larger with a population of about 30,000 it has the same vibe as Barrhead.
"I grew up in a country area. We had [famer's fields] behind us and I was continually seeing tractors and combines," he said. "They are both the same type of community. Laidback farmers, good neighbours. It is almost like the TV show Cheers 'where everyone knows your name.' It has that feeling and is a place where people know their neighbours. There are not a lot of communities like that anymore."
He also noted Trenton, like Barrhead and Neerlandia, has a large Dutch community.
That being said, Tapp noted there are differences between the communities that took a little bit of getting used to, the first being the province's system of Range and Township Roads.
"In Ontario, every road has a name and is paved. Driving on gravel and dirt roads does take some time to get used to. It is like you are driving on black ice all the time," he said.
When Tapp is not on duty, he said he likes to keep it simple, enjoying spending time with his wife (they recently celebrated their fourth anniversary) and playing the guitar, something he has done since he was a youth. He also likes spending time outdoors.
