Deaths of Canadian Ranger and spouse involved military-issued rifle
Lee-Enfield rifle involved in suspicious deaths of couple found in February
A military-issued rifle was involved in the deaths of a Canadian Ranger and his spouse last February, according to documents obtained by CBC News.
Vanessa and Tobie Marlowe were found dead in their home in Lutsel K'e N.W.T. on Feb. 10, 2015. Police said the deaths were suspicious, but there was no threat to the public. RCMP are investigating and the N.W.T. coroner's office is involved.
- Couple found dead in Lutsel K'e ID'd as Tobie and Vanessa Marlowe
- Canadian Forces ombudsman to review Canadian Rangers program
- 49 Canadian Rangers have died since January 2011
But according to a strategic advisory obtained by CBC News through access to information, the military was aware that a Canadian Forces-issued .303 Lee-Enfield rifle was involved in the fatalities, and that military ammunition was probably used in the incident.
The Lee-Enfield rifle is issued to all Canadian Rangers. Tobie Marlowe was a Ranger with the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and according to the documents the rifle was issued to him.
Marlowe a Ranger for 17 years
In an email response a spokeswoman for the Canadian Army said Marlowe had been a Ranger for 17 years, but because he was not on duty at the time of his death it was not able to release any further details.
According to the military, "in order to provide protection against predators such as polar bears, it is necessary for Canadian Rangers to have access to their issued weapons at all times," Lisa Fiander said.
Rangers are allowed to store their military-issued rifles at their own residence, but they must be stored in accordance with Canadian laws. They are also allowed to store military-issued ammunition in their residence.
All Canadian Rangers, unless disciplinary action has been taken against them, are issued a rifle.
The military would not answer a question regarding whether Marlowe was suffering from any health issues, citing privacy concerns.
Fiander said in a statement that health care including mental health care for Canadian Rangers is covered by the provincial and territorial health-care systems. The military will provide resources for any personnel injured for service-related reasons.
According to court documents, Vanessa and Tobie Marlowe had a history of assault and alcohol-related charges.
'Significant number' of Ranger deaths cause concern
Earlier this year, CBC News reported that 49 Rangers in the Arctic have died since 2011. During the first quarter of 2015, five Rangers died. They were not on duty at the time.
Only one of the 49 deaths since 2011 was service related, with the rest attributed "to health and hazard issues common in the larger population of the communities in which they live — such as accidents like drowning and health-related causes like heart disease and diabetes," the Department of National Defence said in a statement at the time.
The military also noted that, unlike regular Canadian Forces members, Rangers do not have a compulsory retirement age and therefore may be dying of natural causes.
Ombudsman to review Ranger program
On Tuesday, the military ombudsman's office confirmed that it will conduct a full review of the Canadian Rangers program, following stories about deaths of Canadian Rangers.
The military ombudsman is finalizing the scope of the investigation, but it will include health care, fitness and the reporting of injuries. The review is expected to be launched within the next 90 days and will take six to nine months to complete.
James Rogers, who has been a Ranger in Inuvik, N.W.T., since 1989, said one of the things he hopes the ombudsman looks at is how Rangers are paid.
"Sometimes when we do our patrol we have to wait a long time for our pay, and I hope they could speed things up a bit. Sometimes we wait three months to get our pay." he said.
The Rangers are part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve, but are not considered reservists. Generally they are part-time volunteers from the remote communities where they serve.
Often called the "eyes and ears of Canada's North," they are responsible for reporting unusual activities, collecting data to support military operations and conducting surveillance when required.
There are about 5,000 current Rangers. The 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group is the largest Ranger group. It covers Nunavut, Yukon, Northwest Territories and the community of Atlin, B.C., which together accounts for about 40 per cent of Canada's land mass.