20 years later, a Squamish RCMP officer's legacy lives on

Twenty years after his death, Const. Wael Toufic Audi is remembered as a dedicated police officer who went above and beyond to make the community a better place.

On March 29, members of the RCMP and Squamish community marked the passing of the officer who died in the line of duty.

The 29-year-old died in 2002 after his vehicle was struck by a bus on Highway 99.

During Tuesday's service at the Squamish detachment, Sea to Sky officer-in-charge Insp. Robert Dykstra said that Audi was in an unmarked patrol car near Brohm Lake at the time. When he saw a traffic infraction, he turned on his emergency lights and made a U-turn to pursue the vehicle.

The car behind Audi stopped, but the bus behind the car veered and collided with the police vehicle, Dysktra said.

The effects of his passing were felt throughout the community and reverberate still today.

Audi was in Squamish for a relatively short time, but he very quickly became a pivotal member of the community.

He and his family were from Lebanon. They moved to Canada amidst the civil war that raged in their homeland from about 1975 to 1990.

While living in Brantford, Ontario, Audi decided that joining the RCMP was his calling, and wound up pursuing his dream despite an initial rejection from the force due to his young age of 21 years.

He persisted and applied again. He became a fully-fledged officer in 1996. He was then given his first posting — in Squamish.

During his time in town, Audi was known for his work with youth, facilitating activities, popular sports events and programs like DARE, which informed people of the consequences of using illicit substances.

At the service, former Squamish mayor Patricia Heintzman recounted how she and Audi made baseball cards of all the constables to humanize them for local youth.

She described him as a person who would always lift people up.

"He always did that extra mile — you knew he was special," said Heintzman. "It wasn't just that he did the DARE program. It was all these other things that he did [that] impacted our community. I would hazard to say probably the most of any RCMP member I've known since I've lived here — almost 30 years."

Others who also spoke at the ceremony had similar kind things to say about the fallen officer.

He was described as the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back, make people feel safe and make them feel welcome among his many friends.

Those present recounted fond memories such as sharing drinks with him, his ability to cook up a storm, and his popularity with local youth.

Officers closed the ceremony by processing in red serge to the sounds of a resonating bagpipe. A wreath of flowers was laid on the marker outside the Squamish RCMP building that bears Audi's name.

The memory of Audi still lives on in several ways.

The Squamish RCMP have dedicated one of their detachment meeting rooms in Audi's name, and a marker outside the building pays tribute to him.

A local scholarship is also in his name. His family established the initiative for students at Howe Sound Secondary School that continues today through the support of present and retired RCMP officers.