Junior Canadian Rangers aims to keep kids involved with their community
Target practice, starting fires and eating military rations all part of program for kids in northern Ontario
Hanging out at the mall would be a foreign concept for most kids growing up in a remote northern Ontario town or First Nation.
The closest comparison for teens in Pickle Lake, the most northerly community on a paved highway in Ontario, is the Northern Store.
The lack of organized activities for boys and girls, ages 12 to 18, in towns like Pickle Lake and nearby Mishkeegogamang First Nation is the reason a program such as the Junior Canadian Rangers is so needed.
Brent Labine, a transplanted teacher from Sault Ste Marie who teaches Grades 6, 7 and 8 at Crolancia Public School in Pickle Lake, got involved with the Canadian Rangers about six years ago.
He says you have to have a willingness to try new things when you live in a small remote community.
Pickle Lake, three hours north of the TransCanada Highway and home to about 400 people, is at the end of highway 599, a lonely two lane stretch of road.
"There isn't a whole lot of things to do, we have no movie theatres, we have no wide range of restaurants, you have to be willing to go with the flow," Labine said.
"If you're an adventurous person who is willing to drop your plans at the drop of a hat there is always something exciting to do here."
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Prior to moving north he would never have considered getting involved in the military, Labine said.
"This program is the only youth program offered here in Pickle Lake," he said. "We work on life skills so things like public speaking, learning how to interact with each other to what we call traditional skills so things like trapping, snaring, fishing as well as Ranger's skills which are the military skills which are things like safe weapons handling, arctic survival, winter survival."
On their latest field exercise eight Junior Canadian Rangers from Pickle Lake and Mishkeegogamang practice safely handling the current rifle of the Canadian Rangers, .303 Lee-Enfields purchased in 1947.
The kids are enthusiastic about the evening's target practice, but they are just as eager to start a fire using only a cotton ball, petroleum jelly, a magnesium flint and a hatchet or knife.
Having been involved with the junior ranger program this last few years Labine said the biggest reward is seeing the changes in the kids who have enrolled in the program.
"To see the change in how they view themselves as well as how they act when they're with us and out in the community it's a complete 180 from the quiet, timid, I don't want to say anything, I don't want to put my hand up, I don't want to talk, to just this outgoing energetic eager person."
And for these kids, Labine said it's about enjoying the whole military experience, right down to sampling the MREs (meals ready to eat).