Junior Canadian Rangers youth program coming to Fort Nelson

FORT NELSON, B.C. — A youth program offered as an extension of part of the Canadian Army Reserve is coming to Fort Nelson.

At the October 27th Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) council meeting, Lieutenant Commander Victor Pullen — the commanding officer for the Junior Canadian Rangers program — gave a presentation about the initiative.

The program is an extension of the Canadian Rangers, a group of Canadian Army Reserve members living in remote and isolated regions of the country. 

Kids ages 12 to 18 can take part in the Junior Canadian Rangers program, which teaches technical, outdoor and life skills similar to the cadets program found in many Canadian communities.

“The goal of it, it’s very broad, is to help youth transition successfully to adulthood,” Pullen said during the presentation. 

“What that means can be different for every youth. We just want to help them be the best person they can be, and give them all the tools that we can to make it there.”

The program typically sees participants meet for weekly or bi-weekly meetings organized by local Canadian Rangers members. Participants are provided with the necessary equipment funded by the program itself.

Twice a year, Pullen said, Junior Rangers go “out on the land” for two to three days, for activities like hiking, canoeing or snowmobiling. There’s also an annual retreat which he said normally takes place in the summer.

“We usually bring them out to Vancouver Island and go sea kayaking and canoeing and hiking up in Strathcona Park near Campbell River,” he said. 

According to Pullen, the program is mostly “self-sufficient” without any required funding from the municipality. Instructors are all Canadian Rangers members who are paid by the program itself, while a “training space” for regular meetings is typically provided by the local school board.

“We can’t pay for a training space, we expect the community to be able to provide that, and [School District 81] has already said that they will.”

Pullen requested a letter of support from NRRM council to show that there’s an interest in bringing the Junior Canadian Rangers program to Fort Nelson.

Multiple members of council expressed excitement at the opportunity to bring the program to the Northern Rockies, including Mayor Rob Fraser, who called it a “wonderful idea.”

Council ultimately voted unanimously in favour of drafting the letter of support.