Junior rangers take aim at success
Marksmanship competition at Lake Street armoury attracts youths from across the country
Looking on a map, you’d be hardpressed to find anything more northerly in Canada than Sachs Harbour, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories.
Its distance to Niagara is about 4,000 kilometres, and it has a population of about a hundred people.
It’s where 17-year-old Jasmine Keogak comes from.
Keogak was one of about 65 Junior Canadian Rangers from across Canada who were visiting Niagara for a national marksmanship competition held at the Lake Street armoury in St. Catharines this weekend.
“It’s weird, I’m not used to the humid conditions,” said Keogak of visiting Niagara.
She is one of five rangers participating from N.W.T., having beaten out nearly 50 other competitors for her spot.
“We live on the banks of the Arctic Ocean, we could walk from one end of town to the other in five minutes if you’re rushing.”
Commanding Officer John McNeil said the ranger program exists to promote culture.
“Most of these kids live in remote and isolated communities all across the north of Canada, each province, each territory.
“They never get a chance to come to the south because of the extreme cost and this is an opportunity for them to see what the rest of the country has to offer,” McNeil said.
The Junior Canadian Rangers are in every province aside from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. because other programs are there.
Inuit, First Nation, Metis and non-Indigenous youths make up the rangers, with a 50-50 split of boys and girls aged 12 to 18.
“It’s a culturally appropriate program, which began 20 years ago because the Army saw a problem in the communities, there was nothing for the kids to do,” said McNeil.
“If we can keep the kids be engaged then they’re less likely to get into trouble or fall in with the wrong crowds.
“We’ve seen our kids step up and become leaders.
“In the program, the kids come out their shell, and you can see them develop a bit of leadership. Mentorship is something that we strive for.”
McNeil said the Junior Canadian Rangers also encourages marksmanship. He said that while at home the youths fire shotguns and .303 rifles, at the competition they use a Daisy air rifle to hone their skills.
“It’s a little more important for our kids because they live in the north and a lot of the communities rely on hunting, so it’s a skill that has to develop for social, economic reasons.
“And it helps develop the kid’s camaraderie and competition.”
The program rotates every year to a different region in Canada. With this year’s stop in Ontario, before heading west next year.
While the marksmanship competition is a large part of the trip, McNeil said it is also as essential for their development.
“It can be an extreme shock for a lot of these kids because things that we take for granted, like a stop light, they’ve never encountered that. It can be the trip of a lifetime.
“Most people understand that north of Ontario is North Bay, but you’re not even a third of the way up the province.”
Visiting malls, along with trips to the Clifton Hill area of Niagara Falls and Niagara Parks attractions were also part of the rangers’ experience.
“It’s a competition, so we are pretty regimented with our time,” said McNeil.
“However, in the evening and the afternoon, we have the ability for these kids to explore Niagara, they can interact with each other as junior Canadian rangers and interact with the population.
“We see communication amongst the kids improving. They’re not staying in playing video games, they are getting out, being part of nature, getting exercise and just becoming a healthier individual.”