Hay River (Jun 19/06) - It appears Deb Mageean was not busy enough.

Aside from working full-time as constituency assistant for Hay River North MLA Paul Delorey and volunteering as a firefighter and ambulance attendant, Mageean was sworn in June 11 as an auxiliary constable with the RCMP.

In the office of Deb Mageean, the constituency assistant for Hay River North MLA Paul Delorey, a radio is never far away to call her to volunteer duties as a firefighter and ambulance attendant. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

“I wanted to do it for a long time,” she says. “I’ve had an interest in policing since I was a little girl.”

Mageean’s husband, Mike is also an auxiliary constable, firefighter and ambulance attendant, along with being a coroner.

“I draw the line at being a coroner,” she says.

It is extremely rare in Canada for a married couple to serve as auxiliary constables.

“We have very little spare time, but that’s the way we like it,” says Mageean, 44. “The RCMP is very high energy, interesting work. It keeps you going, especially after 2 a.m.”

Mageean says she has no thoughts of becoming a regular member of the RCMP, although she says she is proud to be involved with the Hay River detachment.

“I’m fulfilling my dream, so to speak,” she says.

She has been a firefighter and ambulance attendant for several years.

Mageean has been Delorey’s constituency assistant for over six years. The work involves being a liaison between Delorey and his constituents, attending official events on the MLA’s behalf and meeting special interest groups.

It also means handling a wide variety of concerns when the MLA is not available, she explains. “It could be anything from a health card not being received or a bid from a business that didn’t go well.”

Mageean, who is originally from Scarborough, Ont., has lived in Hay River for over nine years and in the NWT for 23 years. She says being a constituency assistant is a perfect way to help the community and meet people.

One of the keys to doing the job is realizing that, when people seek help, they may be in some of the most difficult situations of their lives, Mageean says.

“I think you need to possess a lot of empathy for people.”