Paré, Emeri

Emeri Paré Sr. was born on April 8th, 1874 in Champlain in upper New York State. He became a Canadian citizen in 1895 while living in Sherbrooke, Québec. Circa 1910, he relocated to the District of Coquitlam with his wife Celina and family of seven children in order to work at the Fraser Mills as a blacksmith. It is known that his eldest son, Emeri Paré Jr. was born to his first wife, Elise Garneau. The mother(s) of his other six children is/are unknown. In January 1913, his wife Celina died and he married Lea Dault in June, 1913. On January 21st, 1911, the first Coquitlam Police Committee was struck in response to a complaint "that tramps and undesirables were being sent from Vancouver and Westminster to Coquitlam." Council moved that a committee be struck to "deal with the police question with power to appoint temporarily one or two men as constables to start their duties at once, and that the vagrants be severely dealt with and all possible means taken to protect citizens." (Council Minutes, January 21st, 1911) On February 11th, 1911, a call for applications for a police constable were sent out, promising a rate of pay of $80 per month. It noted that applicants were to state whether they were married or single. (Council Minutes, February 11th, 1911) There is no mention of a constable being hired folllowing this call, until September, when Council suggested that they "advertise in Columbian and Province for a constable at $75 per month." (Council Minutes, September 9th, 1911) Twenty applications were received and J.R. Edwards was elected at the September 18th meeting. An additional constable, J. (?) Wood was appointed on April 18th, 1912 but he was discharged on May 2nd, with PC Worrall being engaged as a replacement. A request was made on July 11th, 1912 to appoint a third constable, but no action was taken. On October 7th, 1912 Paré and a man by the name of Hunt were taken on retainer as special constables at a pay rate of $10 per month with an additional $.40 per hour when called for duty. In November, 1912 E.A. Round (likely Ernest Albert Round) was appointed as the first Chief Constable at a rate of $100 per month. In March, 1913, Paré was presumably appointed as a full-time constable as the Council Minutes for March 31st indicate his pay rate changed to $75 per month. In July of that same year, R.G. Marshall was appointed special constable at a retaining fee of $10 per month. In January, 1914, Paré was appointed Chief, though he continued to be paid at his same rate of $75 per month. In addition to his police work, Paré was charged with administering the volunteer fire brigade, and maintaining the jail, which was in the back of his house on Brunette St.. In 1927, the municipality contracted its policing services to the British Columbia Provincial Police, though Paré remained on the force until 1928, when he was transferred to the City of Mission detachment. He served in Mission until his retirement in 1933, when he returned to Maillardville and returned to his blacksmith trade. He died on September 3rd, 1952 at the age of 78.