Second annual jamboree remembers slain RCMP officer in Maple Ridge, B.C.

Family and the forces came together for the second Rick O'Brien Joint Forces Jamboree in Maple Ridge on Saturday.

Police officers and local kids took to the hockey field to commemorate RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien Saturday, at an event in Maple Ridge, B.C., that celebrated all the things the late officer loved most.

The second annual Rick O’Brien Joint Forces Jamboree kicked off at the Planet Ice and the Albion Fairgrounds at 9:30 a.m. and saw crowds linger long into the afternoon to pay their respects to their lost neighbour and friend.

“Rick was just the most amazing guy,” said Nicole Longacre-O’Brien, who initiated the annual event last year to honour her late husband.

“He was a great officer, and the community lost a really big person that really wanted to make a difference in this world. So this is for him. This is for everybody to know him and for everybody to remember him.”

The 51-year-old Maple Ridge RCMP officer was fatally shot Sept. 22, 2023, while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam.

Throughout his service he was known for his efforts protecting and supporting the local youth, a service Longacre-O’Brien said she hopes to continue in his name via the jamboree.

New events were brought in for the second iteration of the event, including a sporting competition with Special Olympics B.C. and a ‘mindful moment’ event regarding mental health care.

Alongside the annual hockey tournament, which saw 20 teams take part, the event hosted a ‘Guns N’ Hoses’ face-off game between police officers and firefighters, an ice-skating zone, bouncy castles, face painting and food trucks.

Creating an event that would break down barriers and foster relationships between law enforcement and youth had always been O’Brien’s vision, said Longacre-O’Brien.

“He was definitely one of those officers that loved – and took the time to deal directly with – the kids. He just had something special. He was approachable.”

Longacre-O’Brien, describing her late husband as “really, just a big kid himself,” said the jamboree was in place to remember him while still spreading “love and positivity.”

“It’s all about loving each other, coming together. We see people behind the uniforms, and the kids just get to just be kids,” she said.

“There’s no division between anybody. It’s just about allowing everybody to be themselves and to enjoy time together and have fun.”