Former RCMP chief Bob Couture is looking forward to his new role with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, after spending the last four decades in a uniform and enforcing the law. Couture recently retired from the position of Wood Buffalo RCMP officer in charge, and he will be the new executive director of community and protective services. This department is in charge of bylaw services, rural and aboriginal relations, the RCMP contract, and emergency services. Couture explained “It’s been a tremendous experience, working in various different roles and various different functions. It’s been an exciting career, and I take all those skills and experience and bring them to the new challenges I have in the RMWB.” Dale Bendfeld will also play a role in Bylaw Services and RCMP Support, stating that in his previous position “I took on that role to fill that gap as a temporary measure.”

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will benefit from the addition of both RCMP retirees, Bob Couture and Dale Bendfeld. According to Couture “Senior management looked at, well, you should probably separate that role again and have a municipal employee take on that function. Now that role has again changed, and we now have a director that has taken on that role.” Bendfeld was recommended for the current position by Couture, who praised Bendfeld by saying “(He has) a tremendous amount of experience of close to 27 years in policing and the military, he was involved in activities all over the world.”