A long-time Regina resident who has been an active voice on the issue of interpersonal violence has been appointed as an Officer to the Order of Canada.

Rod McKendrick, an interpersonal violence specialist with the Ministry of Justice and the vice-chair of the PraireAction Foundation, was appointed due to his steadfast commitment to ending interpersonal violence at the provincial, national and international levels.

“I was excited but also very humbled to have been nominated and appointed to that position as a member of the Order of Canada.”

McKendrick, originally from Great Britain, came to Canada in 1979, where he would work as a police officer with the Regina Police Service (RPS) for the next 26 years. The Provincial Government would then hire him to work on civil legislation for the victims of the interpersonal violence act, as well as programs related to violence and abuse.

He said he made the jump from the RPS to the Government as he felt he could better assist victims of interpersonal violence.

“I think it really came to seeing individuals go through this, and in reality, why did they need to go through it,” he said. “It’s not about helping people; for me, it’s about assisting people. People know what they want to do; they may just not know how to do it. For me, this goes back to having been a police officer. I think it’s wanting to help on a day-to-day basis with people who are in crisis and giving them the tools and the ideas for them to make the decision.”

McKendrick’s appointment will serve as a retirement present as he is set to set away from his role, though he says he will still be continuing his work.

“I will continue work in this field, both with the foundation and other not-for-profits associated with this field, to help and provide assistance in development tools and new ways of addressing it.”

McKendrick is one of five Saskatchewan residents receiving an appointment to the Order of Canada.