Narrator: These men and women are some of the newest members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as the Mounties ... a Stetson hat, a Sam Browne belt, and a pair of high leather ...

Since its creation in 1873, the RCMP symbolized Canada to the world. For many people, the uniform including its Stetson hat was one tangible symbol of an elusive Canadian identity. Pictured here ...

Baltej fearlessly challenged the limits of Canadian acceptance ... including its flat-brimmed Stetson hat, had been a strong cultural symbol since the inception of RCMP in 1920.