Just under 30 members of the 2887 Rocky Mountain Rangers Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps celebrated the end of their year on Saturday, June 7.
The 2887's annual Ceremonial Review was held at the Horse Lake Training Centre, where the cadets meet weekly to practice drill and learn military-related skills. Captain Braeden Fournier, the Cadet's commanding officer, said the review is a chance for the cadets to show off what they've learned to their friends and family and be recognized for their achievements.
"The ceremonial review is the cadets' last parade of the year. It's their chance to show their parents all their hard work with their uniforms and their drills. They practice on those skills (throughout the year) and by the end, they all march in unison and everything sounds and looks really good," Fournier said. "The cadets can feel accomplished and proud of all their efforts."
During the review, Fournier said he will also give out medals and awards to cadets who have distinguished themselves in some way. These tend to go to cadets who have been focused during their classes and engage with their fellow cadets.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 260 also presents a medal each year to a cadet who is involved in their community while 2887 itself gives out the Lord Strathcona Medal, which is given to a cadet who excels in all avenues of being a cadet, is in good physical condition, looks after themself and makes sure the needs of the other cadets are met. The Legion Medal was awarded to Master Cpl. Ladd while the Lord Strathcona Medal was given to Master Warrant Officer Gourley.
"We do (promotions) at different times of the year. With cadets running all throughout the year, they meet their minimum requirements at different points in the year," Fournier noted. "We try to have the promotions done ahead of time so we can make sure they have their appropriate ranks and everything like that put on their uniforms (for the annual ceremonial review)."
One of the highlights of the year was an ADA, or an area directed activity, that 18 of the 2887's cadets got to attend in Merritt. Fournier said 10 other units from the region attended with 130 personnel on site for the weekend.
"They got to meet some other cadets around the same age, from other cadet units, and build up some relationships," Fournier remarked. "With them rolling into summer, some of them are going to go to the summer training camps where they will get to continue to grow some of the relationships they started on that weekend."
Fournier said the program ran well this year, despite some limitations imposed by a lack of volunteers and some shuffling of the officers. This marked his first year as commanding officer of the unit, noting he's been involved with it since 2019.
"We were definitely limited in the scope of what we normally do, just because we're short on staffing, but we had definite growth throughout the cadet year. We started the year off with 21, 22 cadets and we finished the year off with 29," Fouurnier said. "Now we're just looking to get some numbers in the staffing side of it to help grow the program."
The Cadets Program is a federal program offered free of charge for youth between the ages of 12 to 18. Fournier said he loves the program, noting it is one of those programs that is "really and truly for everyone."
"Anyone can come in and be a part of it. When I was a cadet, I was always one of those odd ones out, so to speak, so when I went into cadets, I felt part of something and I didn't feel out of place," Fournier said.
Anyone interested in joining cadets, as either a cadet or one of the officers, is invited to attend one of their meetings when cadets resume in September. Fournier noted an officer must be at least 19 years old, a high school graduate, physically fit and be able to pass the Canadian Forces assessment.
"They're all Canadian Forces positions, so you are part of the reserves," Fournier noted. "They do run a full background check. It does take a little bit of time, the process is generally about a year, so I just ask if anyone is interested to come see, talk about it and learn a little about the program before they make that plunge."
The 2887 Rocky Mountain Rangers Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps meets every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Horse Lake Training Centre starting on Thursday, Sept. 4.
