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Edmonton Police Service Recruiting > Why EPS > Community Involvement & Recreation

Community Involvement & Recreation

Being seen as a part of the community OUTSIDE your role as a police officer is an important part of keeping your work|life balance. By binding with teammates outside of your duties and letting the public see your personal side, you help forge a positive image for the EPS. All while keeping fit and having fun!

Street Legal Team

Racing in Canada's urban centre streets is a serious problem and one that can claim innocent lives. The Edmonton Police Service is concerned about this growing trend in our community and has consequently formed the Street Legal Team.  In this program, EPS members go out and talk to the racing community using police race-cars.

The Street Legal Team is managed by the Blue Line Racing Association, which is a non-profit organisation run by a volunteer group of EPS members and funded solely by community partners.

Cops For Cancer

In June 1994, Sergeant Gary Goulet of the Edmonton Police Service met Lyle Jorgenson, a five-year-old boy who had cancer. Goulet requested the meeting after learning that Lyle was being teased at school because of his hair loss from chemotherapy. Goulet was moved by Lyle’s story and he wanted to do something to help. That was the beginning of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Cops for Cancer campaign.

Since his head was already shaved, Goulet gathered a group of EPS officers who were willing to shave their own heads and joined Lyle at school to show kids that being bald was cool. Goulet's activities received plenty of media coverage, along with calls and letters from citizens touched by the officer's campaign.

One letter, however, moved Goulet to do more. It came from a woman whose daughter had lost her hair during cancer treatment. She urged Goulet to continue his campaign by challenging other police departments to get involved.

Goulet contacted the Canadian Cancer Society and the head-shaving event caught on. Since that time, the campaign has grown to include a number of fundraising events including coin collections, golf tournaments, road races and head-shaving events. Police services across the country are now on board and joining this fight against cancer.  

Recreation and Sports

Part of joining a team atmosphere means the ability to participate in team sports. Members of the Edmonton Police Service have the opportunity to participate in a number of sports teams at many levels of competition including:

  • Hockey
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Football
  • Rowing
  • Badminton
  • Triathlons

If you are up for the challenge, there is always a team needing an extra member for our men’s, women’s and co-ed teams!

There are also several drop-in classes offered for members at Headquarters. Classes include martial arts, yoga and pilates, to name a few.

Every year, the EPS enters a team into the Edmonton & Area Corporate Challenge.

Pipes and Drums

The Edmonton Police Service Pipes and Drums currently has 30 members made up of EPS, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Armed Forces members. Only active and retired police officers are afforded the privilege to be a member of this band. The majority of members have learned their musical skills within the ranks of the Edmonton Police Service.

Blue Meadows

Members of the Edmonton Police Service enjoy access to a private campground within minutes of the city. It’s a great place to hold gatherings, family functions, or just get away from the city life for a weekend.

Hockey Teams

The EPS in conjunction with the Edmonton Police Association support a variety of hockey teams within the police service for all levels of competitiveness. The EPS Blues play in the Capital City Elite Men’s Hockey League. Many players from the league have played junior, minor pro, and there is even the odd NHL’er. The Blues also take part in the Western Police Hockey Tournament on a yearly basis, which changes venue each year with a different city hosting the event. The Fades Blues participate yearly in the Old-Timers Challenge. So if you like to play hockey, there is definitely a team here for you at EPS.

Soccer Teams

The EPS in conjunction with the Edmonton Police Association support a men’s team in both outdoor and indoor soccer that participate in the Edmonton District Soccer Association (EDSA).

Running/Marathon/Triathlon

Ironcops for Cancer started in 1999 when a group of nine EPS members and one civilian teamed up to complete the Ironman Canada Triathlon (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run) to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Since that time the team has raced every second year balancing out their commitment to the sport and community by volunteering at the race when not in a racing year. The team has grown to 125 members nationwide, both sworn police officers and civilians, 95 of which competed in the 2008 running of Ironman Canada on August 24th, 2008 in Penticton, British Columbia. The campaign total for 2008 was a $1.1 million dollar contribution to the Canadian Cancer Society bringing the 10 year total for Ironcops for Cancer to $3.6 million. The team trains and fundraises throughout the year and is open to anyone committed to making a difference whether they have an interest in racing Ironman or not.