Police
In Canada, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was founded in 1729, making it the first police force in present-day Canada. It was followed in 1834 by the Toronto Police, and in 1838 by police forces in Montreal and Quebec City. A national force, the Dominion Police, was founded in 1868. Initially the Dominion Police provided security for parliament, but its responsibilities quickly grew. The famous Royal Northwest Mounted Police was founded in 1873.
The merger of these two police forces in 1920 formed the world-famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec
In 1920, the Federal Government authorized the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to establish its first detachment in Quebec, specifically in Montreal. Staffed with ten members, this office with barracks was housed in an old building located at 283 Sherbrooke Street, across from the main entrance of McGill University. The building was demolished in 1940. The officer commanding this detachment was a superintendent named Wilcox, who was known mostly for his work in Western Canada. Later that year the RCMP opened a one-man detachment in Quebec City, thus serving the two largest urban centres in the province. Shortly after, the RCMP provided police presence along the international border to collect customs fees and to secure the border from illegal immigrants.