As early as Grade 1, Taylor Peltier had an inkling of what her career direction would be. Her mom has some of her artwork from that period to prove it. When asked at the age of six to draw a picture of what she wanted to be when she grew up, she sketched a policer officer.
Taylor’s happy childhood growing up in Wikwemikong revolved around family, sports and school. It was the latter locale that provided the inspiration and motivation to pursue policing as a young adult. Regular visits to her school by Jamie Peltier and Jeff Pitawanakwat, officers with Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service (WTPS), left a lasting impression. “We had very positive interactions with officers coming into our classes. They were really community-service oriented, and I had them as role models,” she explains.
The other great passion that consumed Taylor’s attention and energy throughout childhood and her teen years was sports. “I loved almost all sports and especially basketball and hockey, which was a key part of my reason for attending Manitoulin Secondary School after elementary school. While I loved going to classes here in the community, I knew there would be greater opportunities in sports going to a bigger school.” Those interests continue to this day, both personally and in her volunteer work with youth in the community.
“By high school knew I had a real drive to become a police officer,” she says, which prompted her to pursue postsecondary education in North Bay. There Taylor did a bridge program that merged studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice at Nipissing University with a diploma in Police Foundations at Canadore College. She graduated in 2019 after completing the four-year program.
With the benefit of summer jobs as an auxiliary officer shadowing WTPS police officers while still a student, Taylor was hired almost immediately by the Tribal force following graduation. She began in the early days of COVID as a constable with general duties, such as responding to calls for service, general investigations and interacting with community members by attending local events. “I enjoyed working on the road and being the first to arrive at a scene, whether determining the details of an incident or comforting a victim.”
When asked if there were challenges being accepted as an authority figure among friends and family members in her hometown, where many had watched her grow up and some may have still considered her just a kid, Taylor is quick to clarify that her experience has been just the opposite.
“I’ve never had issues with people accepting me in this role. In fact, I have found it to be very positive. I think people are receptive because they already knew me, so I was able to gain rapport right off the bat. That has helped with relations in the community.”
Taylor’s strengths as an officer led to her promotion to Detective Constable in 2024, a rewarding role in different ways from her previous work as a constable since she spends more time in the office and less in the community. “I didn’t have unrealistic CSI expectations and knew what to expect. Although it’s not exactly the way I thought it might be, as it’s a continual learning curve, I really enjoy having the ability to slow down and dive deep into investigations as opposed to split- second responses necessary in crisis situations. It is great to have more time to do follow-up on bigger cases.”
Taylor says the past year has been one of big and constructive changes. “With new leadership and a lot of new WTPS members, combined with a lot of encouraging community response to our police work, it has been very positive. The best thing is my co-workers. You lean on them, they lean on you, and we’re all here for each other. The workplace is like a family without being a family. I’m lucky to have such a great job.”
Although she misses her former involvement in the community in her new position, especially working in the schools, Taylor makes up for it by devoting her after business hours’ time to local youth programming. “My sister, cousin and I have a team, the Wolverines, and lots of WTPS members come out to help with programming for kids. We play hockey in the winter and do dryland activities during the rest of the year including sprinting, agility work and strength training, which we generally do at the ballpark. We aim to create a positive and uplifting space for youth in the community to promote physical health as an important piece of the puzzle for overall health and well-being. Thanks to funding provided through Indigenous Youth Roots – a national Indigenous youth-led organization that focuses on empowering First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth across Canada – we received a grant that covers the cost of ice time, food and snacks for these activities.”
Exciting things continue to happen in Taylor’s life, including her recent marriage to fellow Haweater, Chris Beaudry, in late June. Taylor didn’t need to leave her community or Manitoulin Island to find the love of her life and the job of her dreams – make that lifelong plans – to become a police officer.
by Heather Marshall
