Top North Okanagan cop receives second award recognizing leadership on opioid crisis

VERNON – North Okanagan RCMP detachment commander Supt. Shawna Baher was made a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces at a ceremony in Ottawa this week.

Baher told iNFOnews.ca she was "honoured" to have received the award.

"It was a very big honour to be with all the other nominees," she said. "I feel honoured to have met the Governor General and the (RCMP) Commissioner."

Baher said she was "very surprised" and "shocked" when she originally received the news about the award.

She received it for exceptional service within the B.C. RCMP and the work she did surrounding the opioid crisis at her previous posting in Surrey, one of the many communities in B.C. hit hard.

In November, Baher received the provincial award for meritorious service at a ceremony at Government House in Victoria also in recognition for her leadership on the fentanyl crisis.

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