Long-time Brant County OPP officer recalls career highlights

A Brant County OPP officer who helped deliver a Christmas wish to a terminally ill child is retiring.

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Const. Ken Johnston is leaving the OPP after the 30 years of getting drunk drivers off the road and being involved in countless criminal investigations.

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“I have a lot of memories but if you’re asking me for one highlight, I’d have to say it was the parade we had in St. George for Evan Leversage,” Johnston, 53, said. “That was really special for a lot of reasons.

“It helped make a dream come true for Evan and it was something that brought the entire community together.”

Johnston said he can’t recall ever seeing such positive energy from so many people all at one time.

Diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer before his second birthday, Evan was a resident of St. George whose wish was to enjoy one last Christmas before he died.

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“I heard about Evan through my wife Penny (Lyons-Johnston), who had heard about him through a women’s social media group in St. George,” Johnston recalled. “I took it to the detachment headquarters and it just kind of grew from there.

“Everybody got involved and we were able to grant Evan’s wish.”

A parade with 25 floats, police and fire vehicles, a pipe band and Clydesdale horses held on Oct. 24, 2015 attracted 7,000 people. Residents pulled out their Christmas decorations early to light up their homes and snow machines were brought in to blanket part of Evan’s street with snow.

Evan got to sit in Santa’s sleigh and ride with him through the streets of St. George. Evan died in early December just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2015.

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“I enjoyed my entire career, the criminal investigations, the time I spent on patrol and the time I was the community service officer working with the media and at Paris district high,” Johnston said. “But the main reason that I went into policing was to be able to make a difference in my community and that event, that moment in time, was a moment where I really felt that I had accomplished what I had set out to do.”

A graduate of Paris District High School, Johnston was involved with numerous criminal investigations. He also served as the detachment’s community services officer which included student engagement at Paris district high, promoting community safety initiatives and dealing with the media.

Johnston said he always wanted to be a police officer.

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But it was Jack Griffin of the Grand River Conservation Authority, where Johnston worked as a young man, who encouraged him to pursue policing. Bill Lyons, his future father-in-law, gave him the push he needed to become a police officer.

Johnston said he’s grateful for the support that Griffin gave him and the inspiration provided by his father-in-law.

“Most of all though, I really want to thank my wife Penny because without her, I never would have been able to have the career that I’ve had,” Johnston said.

Now that his time with the OPP will come to an end on Jan. 12, Johnston is embarking on a new career. He’ll be working at Sheridan College as the training coordinator for the college’s contract security guards.

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