There are big changes afoot at the Winkler Police Service as Deputy Chief Chris Kalansky prepares to work his final shift.
Kalansky, who became deputy chief in 2018, is retiring this week after nearly 24 years with the department.
“You hit a certain age and you realize that you’ve done your time and you want to leave on a good note, and leave when you’re ready to do so,” Kalansky says. “I think it’s time.”
Kalansky moved to Winkler from Winnipeg in 1996. His full-time job at the time was at a local bank, though he also kept busy volunteering with the Winkler Fire Department (a role he continues with today) and the ambulance service.
“I really got to like emergency services, and so in around 2001, 2002, I was looking at a career change,” Kalansky recalls. “I’d gotten to know some of the police officers. The department was going through a transition phase at the time as well, so an opportunity came up. I figured I like serving the community, and policing really interested me, so let’s go for it.”
His career with WPS saw Kalansky start out as a patrol constable before taking on specialized roles in criminal intelligence and financial crimes.
Getting the chance to tackle new challenges made for a deeply fulfilling career, Kalansky says, but the opportunity to serve the community stands out as a real highlight.
“The community we live in is a great place to live, and I wanted to keep it safe,” he said. “I like serving people, I like interacting with people.”
Kalansky is leaving behind a department that has grown in leaps and bounds since he started, and he feels the time is right for someone new to step into leadership alongside Chief Ryan Hunt.
“We’re in a really good position in that we have a lot of experienced officers,” Kalansky says. “We have some in the middle [of their careers] and we have a number of newer officers too, so it’s a good blend. So it’s time for me to go to another opportunity and turn over the reins.”
Picking up those reins is fellow Winkler Police veteran Jason Penner, who steps into the deputy chief job May 1. He brings experience in major case investigations, crisis negotiation, and multi-agency operations, including serving as unit coordinator of the Regional Crisis Negotiation Unit.
Penner, who joined the department in 2005, is eager to take this next step in his career.
“I’m very excited. But it is big shoes to fill,” he says. “There is an adjustment from patrol to police administration … I was working my last set of night shifts and it was bittersweet. I’ve done that for 20 years … out at 2 o’clock down a quiet street … knowing that you’re part of the team that’s protecting the community.”
But he comes to his new role well prepared, including through his time as patrol sergeant.
“The service has provided me with education and training throughout my career that has led me down this path, so it was a natural progression for me,” he says.
Penner notes that Chief Hunt and Kalansky have built a solid foundation for the department.
“So I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There will be things that I make my own, but very much so the foundation that Ryan and Chris have built here, we’re going to build on that,” he says. “My job is to look at ways for us to get better and be more efficient, and if I can do that during the time I’m doing this, then that’s a win.”
It’s always hard to lose an officer of Kalansky’s experience, notes Chief Hunt.
“Bittersweet’s a good way to put it,” he says. “I’ve worked with Chris a lot of years, especially the last eight years working very closely together in our roles here. You get to know each other pretty well. He was always great to work with. We’re going to miss having him around.”
He has full confidence, though, that Penner is more than up to the challenge.
“He brings a lot of good qualities to the table, leadership qualities,” Hunt says, noting Penner had demonstrated a keen ability to build up other officers, strengthening the department as a whole. “I think it’s going to be a really good thing having him in this role.”
The department recently welcomed one experienced officer coming over from the Morden police service to the team, and have two more constables going through training in Winnipeg. That will bring the roster up to 24 officers in total.
