New RCMP Sgt. getting comfortable in new surroundings

The Estevan detachment of the RCMP has a new leader with the arrival of Sgt. Cate Rigaux who assumed the duties in early December.

Her 16-year career in the RCMP has taken her through B.C. and Alberta and now into Saskatchewan.

Prior to her arrival in Estevan, Rigaux carried the rank of Cpl. in charge of a small Oyen, Alberta detachment.

Following her basic training at Regina Depot, Rigaux accepted her first posting in Fruitvale, B.C. and then moved on to Kamloops where she worked general duties and later in the serious crimes sector. Her next stop was in Surrey, B.C., working on national security issues before moving on to Whiterock in the lower mainland where she was a watch commander and was then assigned to the plain clothes division as commander on the operations side.

The next transfer took Rigaux and her husband, who is a banker, to Oyen for 18 months and then to the Energy City.

Born in the United Kingdom, Rigaux said she was raised in Sundrie, Alta., and later gained a degree in psychology at the University of Calgary, and she is currently working on a master's degree in public administration from the University of Victoria.

"Prior to joining the RCMP, I was an officer in the navy, but that didn't work out so well," she said with a chuckle. Her first deployment on a military ship left her with a definite case of sea sickness that she couldn't overcome, so she halted that career, but it did have some benefits because that is where she met her husband-to-be. The couple have an 18-year-old son, currently enrolled at the University of Lethbridge.

Rigaux, who arrived in Estevan in late November, said they have been able to settle in quickly, and she has been kept very busy handling a variety of files.

"It's a very active detachment here, a wide variety of Criminal Code cases along with provincial offences. There are a few calls to the border, and this detachment seems to have a good working relationship with other agencies like CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) and EPS (Estevan Police Service) and municipal agencies. That's always a good sign."

Rigaux, who enjoys running as a major deviation from her office and policing routines, has competed in a number of half-marathons, and expects to resume some of that once she gets better organized on the work site.

"We're looking forward to settling into the community. I'm just getting through the bulk of the paperwork now. I'd like to get back to running soon. I notice the running track at the arena (Affinity Place) is pretty nice," she said.

Rigaux is taking over from Sgt. Darryl Milo who transferred to the serious crimes division in Regina this past summer.

The Estevan detachment consists of seven uniformed officers and one administrative support person. There is also a three-officer highway division that works from a central office in Estevan.