The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Camping is a popular summer activity among local residents eager to escape their conventional lives and get closer to nature. And for the local army cadets, the pastime is catching on during the wintertime, too. Over the weekend, the 2328 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps held their annual winter exercise in the bush near their Timber Lane headquarters. Throughout the exercise, instructors taught 20 participating cadets outdoor survival skills, including the construction of snow shelters and how to cook and set up tents during winter. "It teaches them not to panic and that they can survive spending a night in the wilderness in the winter," said Commanding Officer Bill McLean. The cadets spent Friday night in thick tents designed for winter temperatures. They brought propane lights for warmth but didn't need them due to the mild temperatures. The youths spent Saturday burrowing into snow banks to create a type of snow shelter known as a "quinzee." They later cleaned up their camp site and headed back to their Timber Lane headquarters, where they spent Saturday night. "The biggest thing that they learned is that it's easier to stay warm than it is to get warm," said McLean. Throughout the exercise, McLean said, an emphasis was placed on leadership skills, particularly with the new cadets. "They all seemed to enjoy it," commented McLean.
