There hasn't been a better time to join the RCMP, says M Division Const. Calista MacLeod.

She will be leading the information session at Yukon College next week for anyone interested in joining the national police force.

Like many organizations, the RCMP have numerous officers retiring. That and an increased demand for police has seen the police force begin a recruiting drive across the country, which includes the information sessions designed to make the application process smoother for many.

'It's a great time to apply,' MacLeod said, noting that the national training academy in Regina took about 1,000 applicants last year, with an average of 8,000 applying each year.

So the odds for someone getting into the academy these days are much better than when MacLeod first applied and they were taking about 120.

In some regions where there's a larger population, information sessions are being held once every couple of weeks.

In Whitehorse, the sessions have been increased from three times a year to every three months in an effort to recruit more people.

The information sessions also give those who may just be thinking about applying an opportunity to find out exactly what they're getting into.

'Basically, we try to make the application process easy to understand,' said MacLeod.

And though it can take anywhere from a year to 18 months to get through the entire process and into the 24-week training course in Regina, it's basically nine steps from start to finish.

To start, applicants should ensure they meet the requirements of becoming an RCMP officer.

While some of the 10 to 20 people who usually attended the information sessions at Yukon College believe they have to have a degree and be bilingual, MacLeod is quick to point out that candidates don't need either of those qualifications.

Rather they must be a Canadian citizen, be of good character, speak either official language (French or English) proficiently, be a high school graduate or have the equivalent, be 19 years or older at the time of entering the training school, have a valid Canadian driver's licence, be willing to relocate throughout the country and be physically fit. That includes passing vision and hearing tests.

'There's a few basic requirements,' said MacLeod.

Provided an applicant meets all those requirements, they may then move on to write an aptitude test to determine their work suitability.

Provided that they pass that, they will then go on to do a physical ability requirement evaluation which tests the physical skills they will need to become regular members of the RCMP.

Through an obstacle course, skills including walking, pushing, pulling, carrying, lifting, vaulting, jumping, climbing and running are tested.

It's only after that is passed that applicants enter the next step in the process and receive an application package. That includes documents to verify medical information including vision and hearing capabilities, a questionnaire on a person's background including work history and residences.

'We don't expect to find perfect people, but we expect people to be honest,' said MacLeod.

The questions are reviewed later in a polygraph test taken by the applicant if he or she moves on to the detailed interview.

'Your whole application gets looked at,' said MacLeod.

Provided applicants make it through that process, they get a conditional offer to enter the training academy for the close-to-six-month course before (provided they make it through the training) they're assigned to their first posting as an officer.

Room and board are provided at the training academy. A regular member's salary is at $43,428. It increases incrementally to $70,366 within 36 months.

There's also vacation time, a pension plan and other medical/insurance benefits for regular members.

MacLeod noted that as people are applying, they also work at other jobs or go to school because the application process can take up to a year.

'You can apply while doing other things,' she said.

And in some cases if you don't first succeed, the old adage try, try again can be true.

MacLeod's first attempt to join the RCMP was unsuccessful. In high school, she decided she wanted a career that both helped people and allowed her to serve her country.

When she didn't get admitted to the RCMP the first time, she proceeded along other routes she hoped would allow her to eventually become the Mountie she wanted to be.

Taking French immersion in the summer and eventually joining the Navy, it would be three years before she was accepted into the training academy.

'It was my goal,' she said.

And in the 10 years that have passed since then, she's never had a regret about her career path, which has taken the Nova Scotian to Manitoba and then the Yukon in 2004.

While the nine steps in applying may seem daunting to prospective candidates, MacLeod noted much of the work is on the RCMP to go through the applications.

The RCMP's website at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca also has instructions to help applicants along with tips on how to prepare for tests and a workout program so prospective RCMP officers can be in shape for their PARE test.

The next information session in Whitehorse is set for July 19 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in room A2402 at Yukon College.