Rangers a hit at Winterlude

Five Canadian Rangers from Ontario’s North were a great success with visitors to a Canadian Forces exhibit during the annual Winterlude celebration in Ottawa.
“Their tipi and their equipment is a big attraction for visitors to our site,” said Captain Leonardo Finelli, the army officer running the military exhibit. “A lot of people don’t know who the Canadian Rangers are and that they are part of the Canadian Forces. This gives them a chance to meet Rangers and find out what they do. The Rangers make people understand what a big country Canada is and how valuable they are in the North.”
The Ranger exhibit featured a tipi, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, freighter canoe, and other equipment and was a major attraction in Jacques Cartier Park, located in Gatineau, Que., across the Ottawa River from the Parliament buildings in Ottawa.
Ranger Denise Patrick of Peawanuck said the first thing people did when they walked into the tipi was look up in awe at its height. “And then they’d ask how come there’s a hole at the top and I’d explain that it’s to let the smoke from a fire get out. Lots of them think we live in igloos or tipis and I’d explain to them that in northern Ontario we live in houses with running water and that we have electricity and televisions. People don’t know much about how we live up North.”
The Rangers’ snowmobile, ATV and freighter canoe were hugely popular with young visitors to the site. A large chain saw used to cut through lake and river ice prompted a lot of questions from people who thought trees in northern Ontario must be extra large to need such a long cutting edge. They were surprised when they found out how thick ice can be in the North.
“Lots of people thought we’re park rangers and lots have never heard about the Canadian Rangers,” said Master Corporal Kim Cheena of Moose Factory. “We explain that we are members of the Canadian Forces, that we’re from way up North, and that we do search and rescue and evacuations. Many of them are French speaking and I’d talk a little big of Cree to them. That really surprised them.”
It is the seventh year Canadian Rangers from northern Ontario have been a major part of the Canadian Forces display at Winterlude.
Other rangers at the exhibit were Sergeant Richard Wesley of Kashechewan and Master Corporals Jacob Anderson of Kasabonika Lake and Paul Sagutch of Eabametoong. A sixth, Ranger Leeanne Capay of Lac Seul, was only able to stay for part of the festival.
(Sergeant Peter Moon is the public affairs ranger for the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group at Canadian Forces Base Borden.)