Fort Simpson (Feb 06/04) - When Sgt. Brian Winters first hit the street as a member of the RCMP, bellbottoms were in, Pierre Elliot Trudeau was Prime Minister and the Toronto Maple Leafs were one year removed from a Stanley Cup title.

RCMP Sgt. Brian Winters was recently honoured in Yellowknife for 35 years on the job.

"Lots of things have changed since then, but the job has basically remained the same," said Winters, who heads the RCMP detachment in Fort Simpson.

"It's still about helping people and making sure the community is safe."

Last week in Yellowknife, Winters was honoured by RCMP brass, MLAs and community leaders for his 35 years on the force, a milestone he greeted without much fanfare.

"Nobody else would take me," he joked.

Winters, 54, began his career in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1968. He quickly worked his way up to the RCMP's commercial crime unit in Toronto, where he teamed with current commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli.

"Look at us now. He's commissioner and I'm way up here," joked Winters.

He spent nearly 15 years investigating commercial fraud in Southwestern Ontario before he decided it was time try something else.

"I was looking for a change of pace," said Winters. "I was getting a little bit tired of the job and my surroundings."

So, Winters accepted a posting in Clyde River. He and his wife moved from one of Canada's largest detachments to its smallest.

"At that time, there was only one position in Clyde River, so you were on call 24 hours a day," said Winters. "It was definitely a change."

After completing the one-year posting in Clyde River, Winters embarked on a tour of the North with stops in Yellowknife, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Iqaluit and Tuktoyaktuk before arriving in Fort Simpson last year. He calls the 16 years he has spent in the North the best of his career.

"It's a place where you can make a difference," said Winters. "At the end of most days, you can go home with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that you've helped someone."

More than a decade and a half in the North has taught Winters some lessons about social problems.

"Sometimes, there isn't a lot you can do," said Winters, who estimates that more than 85 per cent of complaints he's seen were alcohol related.

"I've said it before. If it wasn't for liquor, we wouldn't have a job."

While alcohol-related problems have remained a constant, the peripheral aspects of the job -- from new uniforms to the introduction of computers-- have changed dramatically said Winters.

"When I first started all we had on our belt was our weapon and a set of handcuffs. Now, officers have so much stuff on their belts -- everything from pepper spray to walkie-talkies -- they can hardly keep their pants up."