Canadian Rangers tested in search and rescue exercise

Canadian Rangers from across northern Ontario have completed an advanced five-day search and rescue training exercise in the bush north of Thunder Bay. The main part of the exercise was for a “missing” man and his two children.
“It was very realistic,” said Ranger Rita Brisket of Lac Seul. “I feel more confident about being able to respond to a real life emergency in my own community after doing this exercise. As soon as we got off the bus we were put straight into the search. The first day I walked 17 kilometres looking for signs for the missing family.”
Deputy Chief Roland Morrison and Inspector Merle Loon from Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service visited the exercise command, which was run by Canadian Rangers, and were both impressed at the Rangers ability to assist their officers in searches.
The exercise was held at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources fire attack base on Rinker Lake, 100 kilometres north of Thunder Bay
The two oldest Rangers on the exercise, both 57, Maggie Sakanee and Nancy Moonias, both 57, from Neskantaga - did not allow their age to hinder their performance.
“This exercise was a good experience for me because I have never been involved in searching for a family before”, said Sakanee. “Everything was so real that I thought that there was an actual missing family.”
“This is the fifth year that we have conducted a search and rescue exercise”, said Captain Mark Rittwage, officer commanding the Canadian Rangers. “The Rangers did an excellent job which was verified by the positive comments from the Ontario Provincial Police officers who saw the training.
“The first few years we held these exercises the Rangers were nervous about holding a leadership role in the command post. Now the rangers not only take the lead but manage to co-ordinate the whole search.”
Sergeant Jamie Sterling, the OPP’s provincial search and rescue coordinator, was brought in to give the exercise a realistic feeling. The OPP are in nearly every case, the lead agency for search and rescues in most of Ontario.
“The OPP now train our Rangers on search and rescue procedures at the same level their as constables receive and in return the Rangers are able to provide the OPP with a pool of trained expects throughout northern Ontario,” Rittwage said.
More than 100 Rangers and other military personnel formed a giant circle around a sacred fire at sunrise on November 8 to observe Aboriginal Veterans Day.
The exercise involved 69 Rangers from 21 First Nations across northern Ontario and 34 other military personnel across southern Ontario.
There are about 550 Rangers and 700 Junior Rangers located in 23 communities in northern Ontario.