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Publications Mail Agreement No. 391275
50th Year No. 37
September 9, 2015 2015 Mount Waddington Regional
NORTH ISLAND
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FALL FAIR
13 September 12Port McNeill :
Chilton Regional Arena Saturday 10 am - 6 pm Sunday 10 am - 4 pm
• FALL FAIR...
The Fall Fair is coming. Check out our special section. Page B1-B4
• WHALES...
Researchers are using Hexacopters to get remarkable images. Page 8
Kathy O’Reilly-Taylor Photo Members of the Canadian Rangers were in Port Alice last week as part of Exercise Western Spirit. From left to right, Rgr. Irti Gehlen, from Powell River; Rgr. Peter Galitzine, from Port McNeill; Rgr. Paddy Hinton from Port McNeill; and Rgr. Clifford Roper, from Port Hardy outside their command tent which was set up behind the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #180 in Port Alice.
Rangers show their Western Spirit
• FITNESS...
Family fitness focus of new class being offered. Page 17 OPINION Page 4 LETTERS Page 5 SPORTS Page 15-17 CLASSIFIEDS Page 18-19
By Hannah Griffin Reporter The Canadian Rangers had their camp set up in Port Alice last week. Warrant Officer Brad Williamson from Victoria explained that the Rangers are participating in Exercise Western Spirit. The exercise sees a baton with GPS beacons being transported by the Rangers all over the North Island. The baton arrived in the North Island after spending time in Haida Gwaii on a sailboat.
“The purpose of the exercise is just to move that thing around and so the head honchos can watch it moving on the computer screen and see what we are doing.” The baton will be travelling in an orange hard and waterproof case around the area in different phases, including through the Quatsino Narrows and to Port Alice by kayak, on foot on the North Coast Trail and by mountain bike on logging roads. “It’s kind of a trains, plans and automobiles sort of thing,” Williamson continues. “We can demonstrate our capability to
move through these difficult bits of terrain.” Port Alice was chosen for the Ranger base camp as it is centrally located in relation to where they will be operating different phases of the exercise. The Canadian Rangers are part of Canada’s reserve army forces, and they provide a military presence in Canada’s more remote and sparsely-settled northern and coastal areas. About 50 individuals from the North Island will be involved in the exercise at some point.
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