CFB Petawawa soldiers train up close and personal in Renfrew County
Soldiers at CFB Petawawa are spending the week at Calabogie Peaks Resort conducting winter training.
Since Monday, 108 members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons have been participating in Exercise Frozen Spartan in Calabogie, Ont., which includes ice reconnaissance, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing.
"Its purpose is to give our soldiers the tools to survive in a cold weather environment," Maj. Marsha Reid says. "But also do a little bit of tactical stuff as well. So they're not only surviving but thriving out in this environment."
While this group of soldiers is not in line for the next deployment to eastern Europe if there is one, they are required to be ready if called upon.
"This gives everyone an opportunity to learn about navigation in an area you're not familiar with, to get out in different types of terrain," Reid says.
The unit also says they get off base as much as they can to perform training exercises, given the confines of CFB Petawawa do not represent all the world has to offer.
"The terrain in Petawawa is quite flat, so we're using the mountains," Reid told CTV News Ottawa, referencing the ski hill. "So we've had our soldiers climb up the mountain after the ski lift closes at night and set up their camps back there. Building ice defences and shelters, and those types of things so that they can survive in any type of environment."
"It is a big training area, but there's only so many things and exercises you can do," Maj. Corporal Robert Kirouac says.
Kirouac was one of 14 members of the Dragoons who took the plunge into Calabogie Lake Thursday afternoon. Through 22-inch ice and into 2 degree water, soldiers were required to compose themselves following cold water immersion before pulling themselves to safety.
"It's immediate cold shock," Kirouac says of the experience. "And then your second reaction is I need to do what I need to do and then get out."
Reid says engaging with the residents of Renfrew County in public spaces is also an important part of the exercise, to show that the military members are just as much a part of the community.
"We've actually had really positive feedback throughout the week," acknowledges Reid. "A lot of people do want to come up to us, chat about what we're doing here, which is important. It's important for us to be transparent in what we do on a daily basis."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.