OTTAWA — Federal RCMP headquarters in Ottawa says it has formally raised concerns with CBC after learning that a retired member of the RCMP Veterans’ Association (RCMPVA) reported being subjected to a "prank” while participating in a documentary.
Andrew DiRienzo, Team Lead for Media Relations at RCMP National Communications, told SaskToday on May 22, the force “fully supports our veterans and their associations” and has been working with RCMPVA since the incident was brought forward.
“The RCMP was informed of an incident involving an RCMP Veteran’s Association (RCMPVA) member who volunteered for a CBC documentary series about an episode featuring life after retirement from policing,” said DiRienzo. “The veteran has relayed her experience and describes being subjected to a prank during filming in Vancouver in March 2026.”
RCMP headquarters said many RCMP veterans already face high rates of operational stress injuries.
“We have expressed concern for the mental health and well-being of the veterans affected by this experience and will continue working closely with the RCMPVA and its membership to ensure that those impacted have access to appropriate resources," said DiRienzo.
He said the RCMP has communicated its concerns directly to the CBC and understands that production has been put on hold.
“Since that time, the RCMP has been working on behalf of the RCMPVA and has communicated our concerns directly to CBC,” he added. “It is our understanding that the CBC has put production on hold.”
CBC responds
In response, Chuck Thompson, Chief of Staff to the EVP and Head of Public Affairs at CBC, confirmed that the production – titled “Northland Tales” – has been paused, while also defending the show’s creative premise.
“Northland Tales (working title) is an Indigenous-led unscripted, half-hour comedy series in early production for CBC Entertainment and APTN,” said Thompson. “For clarity, CBC News and APTN News have no involvement in this production or prior knowledge of it.”
Thompson said the project was first pitched at the Indigenous Screen Summit, part of the Banff World Media Festival in 2024, with CBC Entertainment joining APTN as a partner shortly afterward. Thompson said that social experiments and satirical prank shows are a long-established television format used internationally, including by public broadcasters.
“In this case, the Indigenous creators are using the format for Northland Tales,” said Thompson. “A form of comedy is being deployed to increase better understanding of historical injustices against Indigenous peoples and support truth and reconciliation in Canada.”
Thompson added that CBC is mindful of how the project intersects with its journalistic reputation.
“It is important for us in the execution that this entertainment series does not negatively impact our news brand. With that context, we are currently pausing on production while we assess the existing footage.”
The production company for CBC Entertainment/APTN listed as responsible for the show is NLT1 Productions Inc., which is based in Saskatchewan.
According to the Indigenous Screen Office’s project listing, Northland Tales is described as a “Saskatchewan-based television documentary series.” The series was created by an “Indigenous activist trio” whose names haven’t been publicly released.
NPF calls for federal action
On May 20, the National Police Federation (NPF), a union that represents 20,000 active RCMP members, said that both active and retired Mounties were “deceived, insulted and publicly shamed” during a CBC Entertainment/APTN production they believed would honour their service.
NPF president Brian Sauve said participants were confronted with staged scenarios, fabricated identities, and a narrative designed to condemn the RCMP, rather than document life after policing.
Sauve called the situation a “profound breach of trust,” saying some members left the experience feeling betrayed and retraumatized.
RCMP veteran’s account of what happened
In addition to the female veteran’s account to Ottawa RCMP, a retired RCMP officer who goes by the online name “Clinton Jaws” has publicly described his own experience during the same CBC/APTN production. He is a YouTube creator with 55,000 subscribers who uses that name as his public persona. He has described himself as an RCMP veteran, and his channel features policing commentary, reaction videos, and discussions about RCMP culture.
He publicly stated on his YouTube that he was one of the RCMP veterans who felt misled during the CBC/APTN production now under scrutiny.
“They messed with minds that you shouldn’t be messing with, that can’t take,” he said in his May 19 video. “They got me, hook, line, and sinker. I'm one of the cops out of six that they pranked. It wasn't even a prank. It was something very odd. And if I felt evil around me when it was happening to me.”
In the video, the retired officer said he began feeling uneasy the moment he and two other former Mounties were escorted through what he described as a confusing maze inside CBC’s Vancouver studios.
“We’re going up and down and around,” he said. “I said to both the cops that were with me, ‘Why do I feel like we’re about to get in trouble?’”
He said the group was surrounded by people dressed in black who he initially mistook for security or even “Secret Service.” When they were finally led into an auditorium, he said he was hit with an overwhelming adrenaline surge.
He described walking onto a brightly lit stage, unable to see the audience clearly, estimating there were “maybe 80 people,” though he acknowledged it could have been far fewer. Public speaking triggers severe anxiety for him, he said, and he normally takes a beta-blocker to manage the physical symptoms.
“I'm sitting there like a wuss trembling,” he said. “It's a cop thing for me. I mean, I just can't take situations like that anymore. It's kind of sad, actually.”
He said he warned producers beforehand not to “thank him for his service” because he didn’t want to be put in a public-facing position. But once on stage, he believed he was on live television, with cameras pointed at him and bright lights making it impossible to see an exit.
He said a large screen to their right started playing what appeared to be a live address from King Charles, criticizing the RCMP over PTSD, residential schools, and systemic failures. Clinton Jaws said he struggled to follow the speech until he heard the line suggesting the RCMP was being dissolved.
He said the audience applauded as an Indigenous speaker on stage delivered a lengthy speech celebrating the supposed dissolution of the RCMP. Clinton Jaws said he felt trapped, unable to leave the stage, and increasingly angry as the speaker directed comments toward the officers.
He recounted feeling judged and insulted, saying he refused to look down or appear ashamed.
“I stared at him… I’m not going to wilt to you,” he said. “Do you know what I’ve done for you for 20 years?”
He went on to describe his policing career, saying he responded to countless calls on reserves, helped people in crisis, and treated Indigenous community members “with respect and integrity every single time.”
The experience at CBC studios, he said, left him feeling humiliated, manipulated, and retraumatized.
“These people wanted me to feel humiliated on stage, which I did,” said Clinton Jaws.
