Mackenzie River patrol recovers stolen boat
Around 50 Rangers take part in Arctic sovereignty exercise
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Monday, July 20, 2015
FORT MCPHERSON/TSIIGEHTCHIC
Betty was found sitting on a sandy bank at Tsiigehtchic on July 14.
Const. Phil Unger stands in front of the Mackenzie, the RCMP's high-powered police boat conducting a patrol of the Mackenzie River from Hay River to Tuktoyaktuk, as it sits at the riverbank in Tsiigehtchic on July 14. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
That is the name of a 14-foot aluminum boat that had been reported stolen from Fort Good Hope two days prior. It was discovered abandoned in the muddy waters at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Arctic Red Rivers during the Beaufort Delta portion of Operation Gateway, the annual multi-departmental Arctic sovereignty exercise.
RCMP Const. Phil Unger said after the craft was found the motor was taken off in order to keep it from being stolen again while the RCMP decided what they should do with it.
"We're talking about getting it back to the owners," Unger said, standing on the bank across the river from Tsiigehtchic, surrounded by other members of the RCMP, including superintendent Ron Smith, agents of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as members of JTFN and 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG), who are conducting their own concurrant Arctic sovereignty exercise, Operation Nunakput.
The problem was that the patrol was moving further up river in the morning and if they towed the recovered boat with them they'd be taking it further away from its owners in Fort Good Hope, said Unger, who has been taking part in the Mackenzie patrols since 2012.
Sergeant Jay Buckner, another member of the Mackenzie's crew, said the recovered craft couldn't be left unattended and couldn't be towed along on the patrol by the police vessel.
On Friday, Const. Elenore Sturko said police were in the process of returning the boat to its owners in Fort Good Hope. Following an investigation, 33-year-old Johnathon Louis Tobac of Fort Good Hope was arrested and charged with two counts of theft under $5,000 and failing to comply with conditions, according to an RCMP news release.
Sturko said the Mackenzie - which packs two 300 horsepower outboard motors - is responsible for patrolling the waters of Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River and the coastal waters of the Beaufort Delta, policing and conducting search and rescue duties.
By the time they'd arrived in Tsiigehtchic the patrol had checked around 20 canoes for alcohol, said Unger.
Increasing awareness of the potential for adventure in the North seems to be bringing more travellers through their jurisdiction, he said, adding he checked passports from Peru, Sweden and even met some police officers from Scotland Yard on the Mackenzie.
Captain Chris Carthew, operations officer for 1 CRPG, said around 50 rangers took part in Operation Nunakput, with about four rangers coming from each of the 11 communities participating. He said rangers don't receive the same military training that regular army members receive, but that they have intimate knowledge about the landscape that makes them an invaluable asset for the Canadian Forces in the North.
Other Canadian Forces elements who take part in the annual sovereignty exercise include 440 "Vampire" transport squadron, flying twin otters out of Yellowknife and 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron from 19 Wing Comox and 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron from 14 Wing Greenwood, who fly the four-engined long range CP-140 Aurora.
Captain Yannick Fergusson, commanding officer for 1 CRPG , said the operation is aimed at giving members experience working on the land and on the water and demonstrating the ability of the Canadian Forces to operate in the far North.
He said he isn't keeping track of reports of Russian military activity in the Arctic. In March, Russia launched a massive Arctic exercise which included 80,000 troops, 220 aircraft, 41 ships and 15 submarines.
Recently Russian Admiral Vladimir Korolyov announced his military would be launching another Arctic exercise this year which will include at least a pair of rifle brigades, which are comprised of around 800 men each. Fergusson said Canadian Forces members on the ground in the North said they don't concern themselves with the activities of our Arctic neighbours.
"That kind of consideration is way over my head," he said.
