By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
A keen desire to honour armed forces personnel and first responders with a special day has morphed into a grander vision for Tammy Herman who is now aiming for the earth and the sky in the form of the RCMP Musical Ride and the Snowbirds aerial acrobatic team.
With long lead times to secure the much sought after emblematic Canadian icons, Herman – the Chairperson of the Hearts for Heroes committee – is aiming for August 2026.
“We thought if we had a special day where they could come out, be appreciated, spend the time with their families, and we promote Osoyoos, because we’re going to host it here, up at the Desert Park hopefully,” the 30 year RCMP veteran explained during a presentation to Town Council on Tuesday, Apr. 22.
“There’s a number of things that are going on that we hope to be able to perform,” this includes, among other things, having a canine officers display.
She and her committee team have already been busy contacting the RCMP and the Snowbirds, both of which require long lead times of nearly 18 months, she says. She’s optimistic of getting the Snowbirds here as she’s timed her requested date just prior to their scheduled attendance at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in Vancouver which runs from mid-August to Sept. 1 each year.
Herman also commented that getting the RCMP Musical Ride may also be dependent on which party wins the election as the special unit’s funding could be in jeopardy, she suggested, without sharing her source or which party she was referring to.
“They are struggling and they are fighting with politics to try and keep the ride in order,” she said. She asked council for their support and added that their aim is not to make it a “political day . . . we want it to be for the officers”.
If they do manage to secure the Musical Ride she says there will be an officer from each agency in full uniform to take the salute from the horses. “We thought that was rather nice,” she said, adding that the event will go ahead even if they are unable to get the Ride.
Herman said the reason for appearing before council was to keep them in the loop of what they are interested in doing, and noted that the committee has been working directly with Gerald Davis, Director of Community Services for the town along with Sarah Keller from the department. She added that, “it’s been kind of nice to be able to throw things back and forth.”
She notes that there is an officer from each individual agency – first responders and armed forces – that on the board.
Money is a key concern she says, highlighting it would cost around $45,000 to put on and they’re already fund raising.
The group’s ninth annual community garage sale is scheduled for May 17-18 in Osoyoos, the proceeds of which go towards Honour House, a “home away from home” for the families of members of the armed forces and first responders undergoing medical care in the metro-Vancouver area.
Thanking Herman for her presentation, Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff said “we love your enthusiasm,” before describing it as a “wonderful opportunity.” McKortoff added “I’m sure that the town would certainly support all your efforts to do this.”
She also suggested that Herman’s committee apply for the town grants that open again for applications this fall. These include both the Community Service Grants and the Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) grants, both of which the event would likely qualify for.
Councillor Jim King also highlighted that the Rotary Club of Osoyoos is also actively working to bring the Musical Ride to Osoyoos next year.
