There are over 500 Police Retirees and widows named as members of the Hamilton Police Retirees’ Association. Of this group, approximately 50 are highly active with a wide variety of police and community volunteering initiatives.
The year 2006 marked the 25th Anniversary of the Retirees Association. A picnic was held to honour all Retirees to celebrate this significant year.
As well, a core group of Police Retirees staffed the Police Museum at 17 community events. These included Police Week Celebration, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Father’s Day Display, The Police Ball, The Gathering, Dundas Station Police Week Barbecue, Gage Park's 'Its your Festival', The Westdale Village Celebration, The Binbrook Fair and The Ancaster Fair.
The Retirees’ Association also contributed 300 volunteer hours, while assisting at Ronald McDonald House and delivering daffodils for the Canadian Cancer Society, Big Brothers Bowl-a-thon, and the Wayside House Bowl-a-thon.
The Retirees Association hosted their Annual Golf Tournament and a Turkey Roll to raise money for charitable causes. Three thousand dollars was raised from these events to support charitable causes.
The Call Box Police Tuck Shop had a successful year in 2006. Their total sales were over $8,500. From the profits, a $1,000 cheque was donated to the Remembrance Luncheon (surviving spouses), $100.00 in merchandise was donated to the Fire Department Horseshoe Tournament and $1,000.00 cash and $300.00 in merchandise was donated to the Retirees' Picnic, from the profits of the Tuck Shop.
The Retirees have undertaken a nostalgic project by assisting with the restoration of a Studebaker police cruiser. It is anticipated the vehicle will be ready in 2007 and used at community events and parades.
This year the Top Cop Award of the Retirees went to James Galloway for his past service on the Board of Directors, volunteering activities and committee work.
The Hamilton Police Services Board and the Police Service dedicated the gardens, situated under the flags at Central Police Station to Retirees past and present. An ornamental stone, with bronze plaque attached, was added to the garden to signify this memorial.
