Canadian Rangers from around the South Slave are gathering this week for training at Sandy Lake, which is off Highway 5, about 105 km east of Hay River.
A Feb. 18 news release said members of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group will be training from Feb. 21 to March 4.
"This activity is being conducted as part of the Canadian Ranger Type 3 patrol that will see multiple patrols link up and conduct training," stated the news release. "Canadian Rangers from the Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution patrols will be participating, as well as a headquarters element from Yellowknife."
It is expected that approximately 21 Canadian Rangers will be participating from all three community patrols, said Capt. Christopher Newman, the unit information officer with the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, in comments to The Hub.
"About 10 Rangers will be from the Hay River Patrol that includes members from the K'atlodeeche First Nation," said Newman.
The training will take place on the east end of Sandy Lake, and residents of the area can expect to see increased Canadian Ranger activity.
"The purpose of this particular patrol is to conduct and validate basic Ranger skills that include, but are not limited to, establishing camps, and temporarily marking areas that could function as austere airstrips and helicopter landing zones. As well, wilderness skills will also be practiced," said Newman. "These fundamentals are cornerstones towards building the patrols to become more self-sufficient."
No training activities will occur within Wood Buffalo National Park.
Participating Canadian Rangers will be armed with their issued C-19 rifles for predator control, but no live-fire ranges will be conducted.
Their camping area will be remediated prior to departure at the conclusion of the training.
Patrol members will remain in their community bubbles as a Covid-19 precaution and standard public health measures will be followed.
