Normally when one RCMP officer leaves the community, there is a bit of a hiatus prior to their replacement taking up residence and duties. Not so in the case of Const. Jason Huddle’s transfer and his replacement Const. Lisa Poff. The Huddles left in September and Poff arrived in October!
Poff arrives in Snow Lake with her partner Jess Adams. The couple has no children, but they do have a couple of pups – Goose and Stormy.
Originally from Southern Ontario, the constable grew up in Oshawa/Port Perry area of the province to our east. She originally attended college taking mental health and addictions counselling, but instead opted for a career in what she really wanted to do … policing. After her graduation from RCMP training, Poff was deployed to Parliament Hill in Ottawa for a two-month posting. Then it was off to Russell, Manitoba for close to two years, before her posting in Snow Lake.
Asked what first attracted her to police work, she said it was simple. “Since I can remember I have always wanted to be a police officer,” Poff explained. “I have never changed my career goals growing up. I believe the reason why I was attracted to policing was the positive experiences I have had with police in my own life. I’ll be completely honest, the RCMP was hiring at the time I was ready to apply, and the Police College in Ontario is very expensive. I knew I was not able to afford it. I also enjoy travelling and seeing different provinces, and with the RCMP, I can have the opportunity to work in different provinces.”
Poff’s initial impression of Snow Lake: “Lots of trees, beautiful, and it felt like home,” she said. “I enjoy nature, the outdoors and it is something I truly missed from Ontario. I researched Snow Lake before asking to come here; this is a community that I was excited about and extremely thankful to be offered. Snow Lake is so far what I expected and I know after years of being here, I’m sure it’ll exceed my initial expectations.”
Although sensing what Snow Lake has to offer, it is hard to leave one community for another. As an RCMP officer, it will undoubtedly happen often and likely won’t get any easier. “I will definitely miss the other RCMP officers in Russell, as it was my first posting and it is where I learned my fundamentals,” Poff noted. “I will also miss the coffee shops, and the late night Tim Hortons runs.” Nevertheless, Poff says that she and Jess look forward to meeting and getting to know people in Snow Lake. “I will most definitely enjoy fishing on the lakes in the surrounding areas,” she added. “I am adventurous; therefore, I look forward to hiking, camping and any other outdoor activities.”
During Poff and her partner’s off time, they of course enjoy fishing, but also hiking and running with their dogs. “Jess loves to play hockey, soccer and is consistently trying to convince me to buy a recreational vehicle,” said the constable. “I enjoy cycling, playing basketball and rugby.” In respect to the rugby, Poff played on Team Ontario’s rugby team and travelled to Newfoundland for Nationals where she was asked to try out for the Canadian Rugby Team.
