KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE - Const. Matthew Hamilton, 21, has worked in Kugluktuk for about four and a half months - the same length of time he's been a Mountie.

RCMP Const. Matthew Hamilton has spent the first four months of his police career in Kugluktuk. - Jennifer Geens/NNSL photo

Like many other rookie RCMP officers over the years, he said he chose the North for the experience.

"Just the challenge of it. You're isolated. You're in the middle of nowhere. You get to see all the cool stuff," he said with a laugh.

"It's been great. I love it. I'm glad I made the decision to come up."

He grew up in Fort Erie, Ont., about as far south as you can get while still being in Canada, and though his dad came up to visit him in November, his mother wasn't too keen on his choice of posting.

"My mom was pretty upset. She wanted me to go somewhere warm so she could visit me."

When he first arrived in the fall, officers at the detachment were working 9-5 and 5-1 shifts. But by late September and October, their sergeant was out with a broken foot and Hamilton, who had not yet finished his field training, could not go out on calls by himself, meaning there were just two full-fledged officers staffing the detachment. The officers moved to a Monday to Friday 9-5 schedule, and were on-call the rest of the time.

"I know it's been tough for them because the two officers have been going Monday to Friday and getting called out a lot so I know they're getting really tired," he said at the time. "But after next week rolls around I'll be able to help out more."

Hamilton is aware of the case of Const. Douglas Scott, 20, who was shot and killed in Kimmirut in 2007 after responding to call about a drunk driver, a month after 30-year-old Const. Christopher Worden was shot and killed in Hay River. Both had responded to calls at night alone, causing RCMP to review its policy on backup in remote detachments.

"You just have to open up your eyes a little more and be aware that stuff can happen," he said. "It didn't discourage me at all to come up here but I'm still really aware of what happened. I think that's why everybody's keen on the backup - and have no problem getting called out. Even if it sounds like a simple call, we'll call somebody else out just in case, just to be safe. They'll all go. It's not like you're being a big inconvenience to anybody if you call them out."

Things have improved staffing-wise since October. The detachment's sergeant has recovered and returned to work, another officer returned from leave and a new officer arrived. But with scheduled leave, the detachment was to be down to four officers Dec. 19.

A typical day at the Kugluktuk detachment isn't exactly Hollywood-style glamourous.

"It's a bit more paperwork," he said. "You have a bit more administrative stuff to do. People come to the door, ask questions, whether they need to fill out their liquor permits or just finish up a file from the night before or something. That's normally what the day's like."

The officers also help out in the community when their work schedule allows. Hamilton has joined the wellness committee, and the detachment is working on starting a movie night in the high school gym once film licensing arrangements are taken care of.

In November, Hamilton began a workout program for kids at Kugluktuk High School. He picks six students up at the school first thing in the morning, takes them to the gym for weight training and/or some running on the treadmill, and then drops them off back at school.

The strategy behind holding the sessions first thing in the morning was to improve attendance.

"We've had three sessions so far, and one more tomorrow," he said on Dec. 9. The program will continue until February to amass the 25 hours necessary to grant the students a school credit.

The school secretary has told him the students are so eager to go, they're there waiting in the school's foyer by five to nine, "wondering where I am," he said.

He said he passes on training tips he learned at depot, such as varying the muscle groups worked on, healthy food choices and proper stretching techniques.

"It also gives me an excuse to work out myself," he said with a laugh.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.