Canadian Ranger Patrol Opens in North Caribou Lake

A graduation parade in North Caribou Lake on Jan. 26, marking the completion of basic training and the opening of northern Ontario’s newest Canadian Ranger patrol, was a first for the Far North.
Ten of the initial 17 new Canadian Rangers were female, making it the first time there have been more women than men in a Ranger patrol in the province.
“I think it’s excellent,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Morley Armstrong, commanding officer of 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, which now commands 550 Rangers in 20 patrols in northern Ontario. “I can’t say I’m surprised because in northern Ontario we have probably just under 50 per cent of our Rangers who are female. So the fact they outnumbered the men at today’s graduation parade is not a huge surprise.
“It’s great to see the female gender so well represented within the Canadian Rangers,” Armstrong added. “They have played leading roles in many emergencies where Rangers have been involved and I am sure these new Rangers will do the same.”
The parade, held in a school gym decorated with student-drawn posters with the Rangers names on them, was watched by a large number of spectators from the community. Grand Chief Stan Beardy of Nishnawbe Aski Nation and band councillor Swanson Kenequanash joined Armstrong when he inspected the parade and congratulated the new Rangers.
“This patrol will be very beneficial to our community, big time,” said Kenequanash. “Looking at these graduates I think they will definitely be role models for our people. I felt very proud seeing them today. We have a real need for help with search and rescue. I think the Rangers are going to be a great help.”
Kenequanash said the Rangers’ military training will help to bring back and retain many of the community’s traditional on-the-land skills.
“I can’t wait for the Junior Canadian Ranger program coming to our community as well,” he said. “I am looking forward to that.”
“I am proud to be a Canadian Ranger,” said newly promoted Master Corporal Jason Roundhead, a bookkeeper with the band, who became the new patrol’s temporary leader. “The training was terrific. I thought the first aid was the most interesting. I see it being very useful and I’m glad I took it.”
(Sergeant Peter Moon is the public affairs ranger for 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group at Canadian Forces Base Borden.)