Characters > Fictional
Staff Sergeant Lacelle of the Dominion Police is not fond of typewriters, especially the replacement ribbons and carbon paper that stain his hand black on a daily basis. But it is his main weapon in the fight against German sabotage operations. All Secret Service operations and agent reports go through his hands. It was Lacelle who first read the telegram that reported there was a real German agent in Ottawa.
As Inspector MacNutt’s second in command he is responsible for the smooth running of MacNutt’s office. He also acts as a sounding board for the inspector as they discuss the various investigations and agents they are running and the best course of action they need to take.
Unfortunately, he is somewhat distracted by the Guiges School affair. That is where his three children are being educated. A riot breaks out in front of the school when replacement teachers, mandated by Regulation 17, attempt to enter. Regulation 17 requires that English be taught in French-Ontario schools.
Staff Sergeant Pierre Lacelle was born March 18, 1866 in Hawkesbury, Ontario. He was the middle child of Murages and Hubert Lacelle’s seven children, four boys and three girls. As a boy, to support the family he worked in the Hawkesbury lumber mills, which he hated.
When he learned that the Dominion Police was hiring, he took the train to Ottawa and applied for a job. He figured that it was steady work compared to the boom and bust of the lumber mills. He was hired as a constable and worked the night shift from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. guarding Parliament Hill and other federal government buildings in Ottawa. Lacelle was promoted to corporal in 1899 and became a sergeant in 1901.
He met his wife Marie in 1896 at the Farmer’s Market in the ByWard Market, where he lived and bought his fruits and vegetables. Marie came from the small town of Thurso, Quebec, which is about 40 miles east of Ottawa. Her father ran a small mixed farm and they sold their produce in Ottawa. They were married when he was promoted to corporal.
They have three children. Henri, the oldest at twelve, has Lacelle’s face and large physique. Pierre, age ten, got his features from his mother and has his mother’s fiery temper as well. Lyse, age six, is the apple of his eye. She is a friendly, happy-go-lucky child. Her blonde hair is already showing signs that it will eventually turn brown.