FORMER RCMP Baltej Dhillon has been appointed to the Senate as an independent senator for British Columbia by Governor General Mary Simon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement on Friday.
Also appointed as senators were Martine Hébert for Quebec and Todd Lewis for Saskatchewan.
Trudeau said: “Congratulations to Mr. Dhillon, Ms. Hébert, and Mr. Lewis on their appointment as Parliament’s newest independent senators. Their broad range of experience will be a great benefit to the Senate, and I am confident they will continue to be strong voices for their communities.”
Dhillon ran unsuccessfully in B.C.’s provincial election last year as a BC NDP candidate from Surrey-Serpentine River, losing to B.C. Conservative candidate Linda Hepner, a former Surrey mayor.
According to his bio, “Baltej Dhillon is a retired career police officer, a community leader, and a lifelong advocate for diversity and inclusion.
“Emigrating from Malaysia in 1983, Mr. Dhillon made history in 1991 as the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer to wear a turban, advocating for the right to practise his faith while serving Canada. Mr. Dhillon went on to have a successful 30‑year career with the RCMP as an accomplished major crime investigator, police interrogator, polygraph examiner, intelligence officer, and emergency planner. He played a key role in several high-profile investigations, including the Air India Flight 182 tragedy and the Robert Pickton case. Mr. Dhillon also held various leadership roles, including overseeing the British Columbia RCMP Divisional Emergency Operations Centre and the federal Serious and Organized Crime’s Intelligence section, also in British Columbia, as well as establishing and managing intelligence operations at the Provincial Intelligence Centre of British Columbia (now the Real-Time Operations Centre of British Columbia), the first of its kind in Canada.
“In 2013, Mr. Dhillon led the Sikh Leadership and Police Committee on Gang Violence to support youth prevention strategies within the Sikh Community. Since retiring from the RCMP in 2019, he has worked as Program Manager for the Crime Guns Intelligence and Investigations Group with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, the province’s anti-gang agency.
“Mr. Dhillon is also deeply involved in community service. He serves on various committees and has led youth camps. He has received numerous distinctions and awards.”
