Jack Foster came here to be police chief, but for a time, he was something of a lone ranger.

Belleville resident and retired lawman was at Farmtown Park, the Hastings County Museum of Agricultural Heritage, here Saturday.

He came to record video messages for his former deputy, retired chief Frank Wallwork, who is now in Kingston.

But Foster, 87, was also keen to catch up with some of the people he knew during his time as chief between 1976 and 1986.

“I loved it,” he said, saying Stirling-Rawdon’s “village with the big heart” slogan is accurate. He was wearing the hat from his Stirling days and the uniform of the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers-Canada ministry, complete with medals.

Foster joined what was then the Toronto Police Department at age 16. He said he was able to join because the city, consumed by the Second World War effort, was short of able young men.

But his age came with a few problems.

“You couldn’t carry a firearm till you were 21,” Foster said.

“Sometimes you’d chase somebody.

“I’d tell them, ‘You’re under arrest for break and enter’ or whatever – and they’d laugh at me.

“(They’d say), ‘You’re only a kid, for God’s sake.’”

Foster said he had a quick comeback: “You are officially under arrest … If you don’t come with me, I’m going to call an ambulance.”

“I followed through more than once,” he said.

While on duty at the Canadian National Exhibition he even “arrested” late comedian Bob Hope.

Foster said he’d discovered the comic’s payment for his appearance at the fair, so he handcuffed Hope and informed him he was being charged with “defrauding the general public of $76,000.”

Foster left Toronto as a detective staff sergeant after more than 30 years with that force.

Foster said he’d had his own detective unit at the time, but in Stirling there was no help at all.

“For the first four years I covered this town on my own, 24-7. It’s a challenge.

“I was resented by a certain crew – I’m going to say the drinking crowd.

“My life was in danger more frequently than it was in the City of Toronto by virtue of the fact I was on my own. They tried to take advantage of it, but it didn’t work.

“Two young kids – I won’t mention any names – came after me with a tire iron from behind with the intention to waste me.”

That didn’t work either, he said. And while Foster has countless stories from his more than 42-year policing career, he is careful each time to avoid naming names.

“I’m a great believer that people can change.”

luke.hendry@sunmedia.ca