North End kids become Junior Rangers

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This article was published 05/10/2011 (5344 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Department of National Defense chose the North End to launch Canada’s first inner city Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol program.

Nineteen young people have signed up to participate in the new organization, which launched with a ceremony on Sept. 22 at the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre.

St. John’s High School student and program participant Jasmine Boulette, 16, hopes the Junior Ranger program will open future employment doors and help build her leadership qualities.

“I want to be more of a role model and leader to younger ones,” she said.

Officials say Winnipeg was chosen as Canada’s first urban location because of its large population, cultural diversity and proximity to Canada’s northern climates.  The free program is a youth version of the Canadian Ranger Patrol, and has previously only been offered in northern coastal and isolated areas of Canada.

Lt. Col. Tim Byers, commanding Officer of the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, said the urban group will integrate local community interests into programming and courses.

“Depending on who shows up and what kids are involved, we’ll adapt activities so it makes sense to them,” he said.

Byers said JCR activities would still concern Canada’s great outdoors.

“It will still be centered on outdoor activities. We’ll bring them to places like Gillam or Snow Lake for an extended weekend”

The kick-off ceremony was also an occasion for the Junior Rangers to recognize one of their own.  Lynn Lake teen Priscilla Rodgers was recognized for some quick thinking last winter when a bus she was travelling on broke down on Hwy. 39, leaving passengers stranded for 10 hours.

The 17-year-old left the bus, jumped into snow up to her waist, cleared a ditch of snow, grabbed an axe and chopped wood to start a fire.

“It was a pretty natural reaction. It was going to get cold and the only thing you could do out there to keep yourself warm is make a fire,” she said.

Patrols will meet weekly and participate in three supervised field exercises a year. It is expected the Winnipeg patrol will be based out of  the Ndinawa Youth Resource Centre.

For more information on the Junior Canadian Ranger program, call Warrant Officer Jeff Belisle at 1-888-475-6030 or see www.rangers.dnd.ca

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