It started in Yellowknife and ended in Cambridge Bay and only lasted about two days total. But even with such a short frame, this year's Operation Nanook-Nunakput was anything but small.
SA国际影视传媒 was invited to join members from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in Resolute and Cambridge Bay from Sept. 2 to 4. Operation Nanook-Nunakput is a chance to showcase Canada's defence exercises in its more Northern regions, according to the Department of National Defence (DND).
Operation Nanook-Nunakput is one of several under the Operation Nanook name. This one focuses on increasing the country's presence and surveillance along the Northwest Passage. Some of what went on included an exercise in ground search-and-rescue in conjunction with 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1CRPG) and visiting with a patrol in Resolute.
There was also the chance to visit one of the outposts that are part of the operation in Cambridge Bay with a look at setting up tents, dining facilities and how communications are handled. And in one instance, there was a report of suspicious activity in the area.
Lieut. Nathan Charbonneau, public affairs officer with JTFN, said it ended up being tourists visiting a deactivated Northern Warning System in the Joint Task Force Area of Responsibility.
One of the briefs presented in Cambridge Bay highlighted reporting one hazardous object to other government departments and agencies as one of the effects in the joint operations area that JTFN operates in.
Brigadier-General Dan Rivi猫re, commander of JTFN, said that for this year, the makeup of the force was what separated 2024's operation from others the most.
"Typically, you would see an actual army unit providing the bulk of the land task force. This year, they had to pick from 20 different units," he said.
He said he received his first brief on Nanook-Nunakput last fall.
The reason why the makeup has changed is because of Canada's commitments outside of the country, like its brigade in Latvia which is part of Operation Reassurance, currently the CAF's largest overseas mission happening in central and eastern Europe, he added.
That makes it CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 largest current international military operation, said DND.
Another difference, Rivi猫re said, was the actual planning of this operation.
"We were way more in advance to previous years," he said.
An international partnership
The Canadian contingent ended up having some company with them as the Royal Danish Navy took part along with members from the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard.
Commander Ben Christie of the Australian Air Force was part of the operation as well. Christie, who's been posted in Canada for the last six months, explained he's in a new position with the Canadian Joint Operations Command.
Christie described himself as a liaison officer between Canadian and Australian joint operations command.
He added that coming up for Operation Nanook-Nunakput was a chance for him to see how Canada addresses its defence approach in the North.
"Australia has some similarities in our north as well," said Christie. "It's a large nation, it has extreme environments and so there are some similarities there that I'm interested to explore."
What stuck out to him during his trip, said Christie, were the Canadian Rangers.
The Rangers are part of the Canadian Army Reserve, working in remote and Northern parts of the country.
Christie said he liked the community outreach they do for Indigenous communities and how that cuts across various government agencies to make it a nationwide and nation-building effort.
"I see some similarities with how we do it in Australia," he said. "We have a force in Australia called Norforce. So, I think there's a great opportunity for Norforce or for similar parties to come together and learn how to operate in this extreme environment and, likewise, for some of the Canadian units to maybe go down to Australia."
Ranger shortage
Travis Haynes, a commanding officer for the Canadian Rangers, said that for the future of the Rangers, he'd love to see more Junior Rangers within the ranks. Whether that comes to fruition remains uncertain, as it can be a challenge to incentivize people, not just youth, to join up.
"The military in general is not growing at the pace it wants," said Haynes. "Do Canadians feel that sense of joy in the military? Cadets or Rangers?" he asked rhetorically.
When asked how he would drum up incentive, Haynes said he'd like to speak with other Rangers who are closer to their designated community and hear about their needs.
"What I don't want to be is one of those guys who already has preconceived notions going in," he said.
Corp. Jorgan Aitok has been a Ranger in Cambridge Bay for more than 20 years, he said, adding that he's also found it hard to recruit people into the Rangers program, specifically for his community.
"For me, I'm thinking it's more personal between work life and Ranger life," said Aitok, who also mentioned that a Junior Rangers program could be one way to help draw people in and boost the number of Canadian Rangers in the long-term.
"Today's generation is a lot more different that when I grew up," he added, noting that he finds most of the younger generations don't have natural skills with being on the land.
The budget for all Operation Nanook-Nunakput is $5,088,850, according to Charbonneau.
