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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Soldiers carry WWI rifles for polar bear protection

By: Murray Brewster

Posted: 08/25/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Soldiers in the Arctic use Lee-Enfield rifles because they don't jam or freeze up. (THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)

OTTAWA -- They went toe-to-toe with the Taliban in the dusty laneways of Kandahar without batting an eye, but it's the mighty polar bear that's giving the Canadian army pause for thought.

The military had been on the lookout for an "anti-predator weapon" with which to equip both Arctic Rangers and regular-force units whenever they operate on their own in the North. In the meantime, it has issued First World War-vintage Lee-Enfield rifles to units based in southern Canada for use whenever those northern-response companies are dispatched to the Arctic.

The issue of "protection from predators (polar bears) was brought forward" at a meeting last year in Resolute, Nunavut, where the military was discussing what kinds of equipment it needs to operate in the remote, unforgiving terrain.

"Army tasks for now include presence (sovereignty), support to the population (disasters, etc.), recovery (MAJAD, downed satellites, SAR assistance, etc.)," said a Sept. 14, 2011 briefing note prepared for the head of the army, Lt.-Gen. Peter Devlin.

"Although the norm is for our personnel to work closely with Rangers, the possibility exists of operating for a brief period without their close support."

The roughly 4,700 Rangers -- sprinkled in 178 communities across the North -- are the backbone of the military's presence in the region. They conduct patrols across the vast tundra and are equipped with Lee-Enfields, bolt-action, magazine-fed rifles that were standard issue during the first half of the 20th century.

The army has been trying to replace them for years because few manufacturers make spare parts for the rifles.

The fact they don't freeze up or jam in the Arctic is part of their charm, so the army made the decision last year to equip regular-force units conducting operations in the North with Lee-Enfields until replacement weapons arrive, possibly next year.

The weapons the Rangers are using were purchased in the 1950s.

Public Works put out a tender for 10,000 replacement rifles, but sources said Friday the program has been held up over concern about who holds the design rights on certain weapons.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 25, 2012 A20

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