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Troops help flood victims in Alberta Twelve reservists from Yellowknife fly to Calgary
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 26, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Twelve reservists from the Yellowknife Company of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment boarded a plane on Saturday after being asked to provide aid to flood-stricken Alberta.
The troops were the first group of Northern reservists to be deployed south since the Army Reserves opened the Yellowknife Company in 2008, said reservist Second Lt. Robin LeVesconte.
"They really want to get there and start helping," commented Second Lt. Robin LeVesconte, who brought the troops to the airport.
Cpl. Chris Whitecross said it was an amazing opportunity to be a part of.
"When we first heard the call to go I was happy they didn't forget about us," said Whitecross. "It shows we can do the work just as well as they can in the south."
"It's a step forward for us," agreed Pte. Iain Brooks.
Seven of the reservists checked into the airport Saturday afternoon to follow the five that left earlier that morning. They fidgeted as they checked their bags, and in the gate while waiting to board, looking anxiously at the airport's television screens which depicted scenes of the disaster they were headed towards.
At the time of their departure, Whitecross said they didn't really know what to expect when they arrived in Calgary. They could be asked to do anything from search and rescue missions, helping with medical evacuations, or putting up sandbags, he said.
LeVesconte confirmed in an e-mail that the troops were to be stationed in Calgary and help with securing infrastructure, providing transportation support, manning emergency services bases in the city and keeping Calgary residents informed of what is going on.
She said they were expecting to return to Yellowknife yesterday.
Reservist and RCMP Const. Tyler Dunphy, who was co-ordinating the volunteers, said it was inspiring to see how quickly the troops volunteered to go.
"Within six hours we had more people wanting to go than we could send," said Dunphy. "It just shows how dedicated they are, that they can all put their personal lives aside, drop it and go."
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is a subdivision of the 41 Canadian Brigade Group, which is the primary Army reserve group stationed in Alberta.
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