Taking aim and having fun in Quebec

A member of a Junior Canadian Ranger team representing Ontario in a national shooting contest in Quebec City returned home with an award for showing the best competitive but friendly spirit of all the competitors.
“I felt shy at first when I heard my name being called for an award,” said Louis Wesley, 12, of Fort Albany. “I was given the award from someone important who said ‘congratulations’ to me.”
The annual Spirit Award goes to the competitor who is recognized by other competitors as best representing the sporting spirit of the competition.
Nine Junior Rangers from Fort Albany and Lac Seul represented Ontario at the contest, which saw 61 of the top Junior Ranger shooters from across Canada competing for two days. They shot with air rifles at a variety of targets, while standing, kneeling, and lying prone on the ground.
The Junior Rangers from northern Ontario stood out during the competition’s opening ceremony as they paraded in distinctive, blue team jackets provided for them by Wasaya Airways. “They were very proud of winning the right to wear those jackets,” said Captain Robert Munroe, unit information officer for 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. The team, he said, did not win any prizes for their shooting but performed well against the other teams.
The competition was held at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, a half hour drive north of Quebec City.
None of the Junior Rangers had ever traveled to Quebec before and took advantage of opportunities to see many of the historic buildings in the downtown area.
“Quebec City is the farthest east I have ever been and I liked walking through the historic part of the city,” said Wesley. “We also got to go to the Sugar Shack (a restaurant) and eat a lot of maple syrup. They also had a French singer who played during the meal. My team sent me to the stage where I had to play the spoons for him during a song. Being a Junior Canadian Ranger is pretty cool.”
The Junior Rangers found it was fun being in a city in which the major language is French. They visited shopping malls, saw a recreation of a traditional Huron village, and tried a variety of new foods, including a restaurant dinner that featured Quebec pea soup, sausages, tourtiere meat pies, and lots of maple syrup.
“My kids were proud of what they did this week, which impressed me,” said Master Corporal Denise Ningewance, the Ranger who runs the Junior Ranger program at Lac Seul. “The competition was faster than what I was expecting. The Junior Rangers were shaking because they were so nervous trying to get their shots off before the clock beeped. When we first arrived some of Junior Rangers wanted to go home right away but by the end of the week they wanted to stay longer because of the new friends they were making and, of course, the fun places they got to in the evenings.”
Ningewance was honoured at the competition’s opening ceremony when she was presented with a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her dedicated service on behalf of her community’s Junior Ranger program.
The Junior Rangers representing Ontario were Janice Scott, 13, Jade Sutherland, 12, Louis Wesley, 12, and Dristin Wesley, 17, all from Fort Albany; and Cassie Capay, 14, Deshawn Littledeer, 14, Ernistine Tait, 13, Drew Vincent, 13, and Billy Quedent-Ningewance, 13, all from Lac Seul.
For further information please contact Captain Bob Munroe the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group Unit Information Officer at 705-424-1200 extension 7403 or cell 705-795-0365.