Presentation by Ambassador Kevin Vickers, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland

Kevin Vickers was appointed as the Ambassador of Canada to Ireland in January 2015. He previously served as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons.

Mr. Vickers was born and raised in Newcastle (now part of the city of Miramichi), New Brunswick. He studied at St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Calgary.

Mr. Vickers had a successful 29-year-long career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), attaining the rank of Chief Superintendent. With the RCMP, Mr. Vickers was called upon to successfully lead a number of high-profile investigations, including homicides, national criminal investigations, international drug importations, and a national investigation into those responsible for the safety of Canada's blood supply. Mr. Vickers also played an important role in defusing the 1999-2000 Burnt Church Native Fishing Crisis, as the RCMP Incident Commander. Mr. Vickers was entrusted with providing security for VIP guests to Canada, such as HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Andrew. He also served as an Aide-de-Camp for the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, and held positions as Director-General for the Aboriginal Police Services Branch and Director-General for the National Contract Policing Branch of the RCMP. In this latter role, in 2005 at the RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa, he led the Canadian police community in developing a National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet. This initiative resulted in $45 million of funding and the creation of a National Centre of Expertise.

Mr. Vickers was appointed Director of Security Operations for the House of Commons in June 2005. He was soon after appointed as Sergeant-at-Arms (August 2006-January 2015). There he was responsible—along with a team of 1,000 employees—for ensuring the security of the Parliamentary Precinct, and for operations that supported the functions of Parliament, including: building management (30 buildings), food services, transportation, printing and mailing services, and for facilitating the requirements of the National Press Gallery. Mr. Vickers was also responsible for the implementation of the Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct Services. He was hailed as a hero by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada’s parliamentarians, and other prominent Canadian and international figures for his actions in stopping the October 2014 attack at the Parliament of Canada.

Mr. Vickers is the recipient of the Queen's Jubilee Medal, the Canada 125 Medal, and the RCMP Long Service Medal. He has also been recognized by the Community of Burnt Church for his outstanding service to their community, and by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency for his “Outstanding Contribution to Drug Enforcement.”