Okanagan trip a delight to Fort Garry cadets

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/04/2003 (8438 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MEMBERS of the 1226 Fort Garry Horse Cadet Corps found a great way to escape our Winnipeg winter last month. They left the province.

The 33 officers and cadets from this north Winnipeg army cadet corps were chosen by the federal government to participate in an Inter-Provincial Cadet Exchange with an air cadets corps from Pentiction, B.C. from March 20 to 24.

“The purpose of this exchange was to expose the cadets to the multi-cultural composition of Canada,” says Captain Walter Statz, commanding officer of the cadet corps. “Also, we want to encourage the attributes of active living.”

Master warrant officer Krystal Gutknecht says the highlight of the trip for her was not only going up in a big Cessna aircraft over the Okanagan Valley, but being allowed to pilot it as well.

“At first it was nerve-wracking and I was scared to death, but then I relaxed and it was great,” says the 15-year-old Tec Voc High School student, who hopes to become a psychiatrist in the military.

Gutknecht says that she was particularly surprised that one of the air cadets didn’t know where Manitoba was.

“She had heard of it, obviously, but she had forgotten exactly where we were located geographically.”

Warrant officer Michael Champagne, 15, says he will always remember snowboarding at the Apex Mountain Ski Resort.

“It was my very first time snowboarding, and I fell so many times I lost count,” says the St. John’s High School student.

Captain Statz will also treasure his day of skiing at Apex.

“I don’t think I can ever go back to Springhill. The bunny hill at Apex was bigger than our biggest mountain,” says Statz. “When we left here it was about -12 C, but it was just at the tail end of that extremely cold spell we’d had where it was about -20 C every day.

“And when we got into Penticton it was around plus 12 C, so the first thing we all did was to rip off our jackets.”

Captain Statz says his crew owes a debt of gratitude to the Pentiction Air Cadet Corps and their captain, David Kerr.

“Captain Kerr put this whole thing together and provided us with memories that we will treasure forever,” says Statz.

The 1226 Fort Garry Horse Cadet Corps have served the youth of Winnipeg since 1925. They parade every Monday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at McGregor Armories, located at 551 Machray Ave.

If you are between the ages of 12 and 19 and wish more information about the cadet corps, call Captain Statz at 589-0500.