RCMP officer is having 'a ball' and raising spirits

Local cop makes partner out of volleyball Because of the pandemic, a local RCMP officer has had to get creative when it comes to his partner. Darcy Seaton explains.

EDMONTON — A Strathcona RCMP officer decided to get someone to carpool with after watching the movie “Castaway.”

“He's a great passenger. He doesn't complain, doesn't do anything so it's been good having him here.”

Constable Cory Kornicki made his own version of the Wilson volleyball to bring into work.

“I've had if for a long time and it's been sitting in the basement, I figured you know time to pull it out and the kids got excited about it,” said Constable Cory Kornicki.

“I was going to put it on my desk at work and I came to work and had to go straight out and it ended up on my seat.”

He made Wilson in early April and since then the ball has spiked in popularity.

“Pulling up at intersections and seeing the smiles it brings and the waves and a couple of have rolled down their windows and yelled Wilson! So it’s been very positive.”

The response online has been equally encouraging after a recent tweet by RCMP Alberta featured the duo.

“Sometimes just something as silly as this can bring a smile and it's a feel-good thing,” said Kornicki.

With Wilson’s ability to bring even a small amount of joy to passersby, it might be some time before Kornicki is alone in his cruiser again.

“I love when people smile and give me a nice wave. That's important to me as a police officer and it's helping out.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Darcy Seaton