Retired Sergeant Lonsdale (Lonny) Blackett — the first Black officer ever hired by Peel Regional Police, the service that patrols Mississauga and Brampton — has been honoured with a street renaming in Brampton.
The City of Brampton recently renamed a street at Mississauga Road, just south of Bovaird Drive West, as Lonsdale Blackett Way. The dedication comes on the heels of Emancipation Month, which is marked in Ontario each August.
According to Peel Regional Police, Blackett had wanted to be a police officer since he was young, describing himself as a people person who wanted to serve his community. That ambition was realized in 1974, when five police services amalgamated to form what is now Peel Regional Police. Blackett was hired as a constable and became the service's first Black officer.
A career that opened doors
Blackett was assigned to 21 Division in the Township of Chinguacousy, which is today the City of Brampton.
"When I started policing, there was 64,000 people in the area. It was a different world, and policing was different in general," Blackett told Peel Regional Police. Quotes in the service's article are credited to Blueline Magazine and a 2024 podcast interview with Blackett.
At a time when diversity in Canadian policing was limited, Blackett said being the first was never about making history — it was about showing that professionalism, integrity and dedication transcend race.
"There was quite a lull in minorities coming on for many years. Those of who were visible, we didn't go anywhere until administrations changed and the community started speaking out," he said.
Twelve years into his service, Blackett was promoted to sergeant. Over a 33-year career, he built a reputation grounded in service, leadership and mentorship, and helped open doors for future generations of Black officers and other minorities, Peel Regional Police said.
"The department started looking at it seriously and started promoting people based on merit and not based on the colour of skin. This is where we're at now. I don't believe we're going to go back. Part of my career was as a recruiter... I believe things are moving into the right direction," Blackett said.
'A permanent reminder'
Peel Regional Police describes its strength today as its diversity — a reflection, the service says, of progress achieved by leaders like Blackett.
"Chief Duraippah has brought this organization up, I've served under five administrations, and he's a leader. This administration is leading the way," Blackett said.
Now long retired, Blackett's contributions continue to be recognized across the region. Peel Regional Police framed the new street name as a permanent reminder that meaningful progress is built by people willing to lead with courage when few have gone before them.
The service said the dedication reflects more than a personal achievement — it recognizes the broader impact Blackett's service had on communities across Brampton, and the standard of professionalism and public service he helped advance in the decades since he first put on the uniform.
