HAMILTON - Twenty-seven cadets from Fort Simpson can describe what it's like to be 112 storeys in the air with only a glass floor and a lot of space between themselves and the ground.

Fort Simpson cadets Cpl. Kevin Roche, left, Cpl. Reannda Cli and Sgt. Nikita Larter ride a hippo statue while visiting the Toronto Zoo during an intra-provincial cadet exchange. - photo courtesy of Steve Nicoll

Testing their head for heights at the CN Tower was just one of the experiences members of 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp had while on an intra-provincial exchange. Last year a group of Sea Cadets from Ajax, Ont., visited Fort Simpson. In return a group of cadets from the village spent from Feb. 24 to March 1 with a cadet corps in Hamilton.

The purpose of the exchange program is to make cadets aware of the multi-cultural nature of Canada and to help them pursue active living, said Lt. Steve Nicoll, who accompanied the cadets on the trip along with Lt. Diane Porter.

The trip included a five-hour pool session, a trip to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, shopping and a trip to Toronto to visit the CN Tower and the Toronto Zoo.

For Cpl. Michael Gast the haunted house and the house of mirrors were among the highlights of the trip. Lance-Cpl. Ethan Betsaka preferred Niagara Falls. Betsaka said the falls were a lot bigger than he expected.

Cpl. Robert Harold and Cadet Corey Jumbo said the CN Tower and the glass floor on one of its observation levels were the most memorable experiences.

Jumbo, who's afraid of heights, walked onto the floor and then looked down.

"I felt like it was going to break," he said.

Members of the Hamilton corp accompanied the cadets on all of their sightseeing. The cadets bonded well and spent a lot of time talking.

"They were exactly like us," said Harold.

The Fort Simpson cadets were amused to find that among the Hamilton group there were youths that were almost identical in traits and personalities to their friends in the village.

"Although they were different ethnicities they were basically the same," said Nicoll.

The trip gave the cadets a lot of new experiences. For some it was their first trip away from home without their parents and for one it was their first time in a plane, Nicoll said.

As they said goodbye on the last day the cadets exchanged mementos. The Fort Simpson cadets gave away shoulder badges from their corp and NWT pins. In return they got nerf balls and caps from Hamilton's football team the Tiger-Cats.

"It was an awesome trip," said Harold.

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