Like a Mountie’s sharp-angled salute, the dramatically tilted roofline of the new Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre in Regina, SK commands attention. Designed by renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, the $40-million, 6,050 sq m stone-and-glass museum opened its doors in May 2007. The centre expects to welcome more than 100,000 visitors from around the world in its first year alone.

Famous for its scarlet-clad officers and historic feats of derring-do, Canada’s national police force has trained its new recruits at the RCMP Academy on Regina’s western perimeter for more than 120 years. Now, in addition to viewing the weekday Sergeant Major’s parade drills and the summertime Sunset Retreat ceremonies on the tranquil 12-acre academy grounds, visitors can learn more about the men and women behind the myth through year-round interactive exhibits in the adjacent Heritage Centre.

The centre’s first phase includes a temporary gallery for visiting exhibits and five permanent exhibits that track the history of the force—from the early days when its members maintained order in the frozen north with the help of dog teams to modern times, when they crack cases with the help of sophisticated technology. There’s also a food concession, gift shop and huge patio from where folks can watch recent recruits doing training manoeuvres. And to make it all come alive, veteran RCMP members will serve as docents, sharing their first-hand knowledge and experience of policing in Canada.

www.rcmpheritagecentre.com