The Longest Sovereignty Patrol
By RSgt Peter Moon
Photos by RSgt Peter Moon
Sovereignty patrol passes a 440 Transport Squadron, Twin Otter on sea
ice after receiving food, fuel and spare parts for their snowmobiles.
Despite bitter cold, injuries and severe damage to their equipment, a
CF team has completed the longest sovereignty patrol in Canadian history.
Five CF soldiers travelled 1 754 kilometres in 13 days by snowmobile from Resolute Bay to CFS Alert, overcoming some of the harshest terrain in the world.
The exhausted soldiers, all marked by frostbite, received cheers and applause from CFS staff on a job well-done. “It was a huge surprise,” said Major Stewart Gibson, commanding officer of 1 Canadian Rangers Patrol Group and team leader.
Maj Stewart Gibson, commanding officer, 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group
and leader of the sovereignty patrol.
The patrol started at Resolute Bay, 600 kilometres north of the Arctic
Circle, with five Regular Force members and 15 Canadian Rangers from the
three northern territories. After reaching the weather station at Eureka
it continued with three Regular Force and four Canadian Rangers.
That number was further reduced when Ranger Corporal Doug Stern of Cambridge Bay injured his back and Master Warrant Officer Gerry Westcott damaged his knee when he was thrown from his snowmobile. Both members were airlifted out by the Twin Otter crew of 440 Transport Squadron, Yellowknife, which provided air support to the patrol.
MWO Gerry Westcott, is helped to a 440 Transport Squadron Twin Otter,
for MEDEVAC, by Maj Stewart Gibson, left, and WO Rick Mackwood, after
being thrown from his snowmobile and injuring his leg.
The team encountered temperatures as low as -40ºC, blizzards, daunting
ice ridges, rocks and boulders in narrow river beds, and unexpectedly
steep inclines on hills that forced them to use two snowmobiles instead
of one to haul their 454 kg of gear to the top.
“The mission I was given, to conduct a sovereignty patrol on behalf of Canada, was achieved,” said Maj Gibson. “We proved that we are Arctic tough and Arctic capable. We flew the Canadian flag and the Canadian Rangers flag from Resolute Bay right up to CFS Alert at the top of Canada.”
RSgt Moon is a PA Ranger with 3 CRPG.
Thieving youths frustrate snowmobile owners
Last updated Feb 21 2006 09:22 AM CST
CBC News
A Yellowknife snowmobile retailer and owner says the justice system is
making it too easy for teenage thieves to go out and steal again.
Doug Witty says it's frustrating to see the same people repeatedly arrested for stealing snowmobiles before they even go to trial. He's has had four snowmobiles stolen in the last three weeks, even though they were locked up and chained.
He's frustrated that the thieves are so bold; even being arrested doesn't stop them.
"They were arrested again this past weekend, as I understand it, and they're continuing to reoffend," he says.
"They clearly have no respect for the community, for private property, for themselves … and are on a downward spiral that's going to take someone with them."
The recent arrests bring the total number of youth charged up to 10. For some of them, it was their second time being arrested and charged in less than two weeks.
Witty says the thieves are causing thousands of dollars in damage while they wait to go to trial.
"There's got to be a better solution than what we have right now, because what we have right now is a group of youth that are actually terrorizing the community, and the justice system is telling us we can't do anything about it," he says.
RCMP Const. Colleen Werrell says there isn't much more the police can do, besides trying to catch the youths and arrest them.
"With youth, it's more difficult to hold them in custody [than] adults," he says. "Especially, even with adults, to hold them in custody, a lot is taken into consideration and ultimately it's up to the judge that we take them before whether they hold them or release them."
Witty says teenagers who repeatedly commit crimes need some time in jail to reflect on their actions.
He says he's also looking into whether the parents of teenage thieves could be held responsible for their children's crimes.
(with notes from Joslyn Oosenbrug)
Doug Witty says it's frustrating to see the same people repeatedly arrested for stealing snowmobiles before they even go to trial. He's has had four snowmobiles stolen in the last three weeks, even though they were locked up and chained.
He's frustrated that the thieves are so bold; even being arrested doesn't stop them.
"They were arrested again this past weekend, as I understand it, and they're continuing to reoffend," he says.
"They clearly have no respect for the community, for private property, for themselves … and are on a downward spiral that's going to take someone with them."
The recent arrests bring the total number of youth charged up to 10. For some of them, it was their second time being arrested and charged in less than two weeks.
Witty says the thieves are causing thousands of dollars in damage while they wait to go to trial.
"There's got to be a better solution than what we have right now, because what we have right now is a group of youth that are actually terrorizing the community, and the justice system is telling us we can't do anything about it," he says.
RCMP Const. Colleen Werrell says there isn't much more the police can do, besides trying to catch the youths and arrest them.
"With youth, it's more difficult to hold them in custody [than] adults," he says. "Especially, even with adults, to hold them in custody, a lot is taken into consideration and ultimately it's up to the judge that we take them before whether they hold them or release them."
Witty says teenagers who repeatedly commit crimes need some time in jail to reflect on their actions.
He says he's also looking into whether the parents of teenage thieves could be held responsible for their children's crimes.
(with notes from Joslyn Oosenbrug)
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