Junior Rangers the volunteer backbone in Sanikiluaq
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Sanikiluaq (Apr 02/01) - When the town's power plant burned down last year, Sanikiluaq's Junior Rangers came to the rescue.
Not only did the 56-member brigade help relocate residents at risk, the teens cleaned, prepared meals and made Charlie Novalinga smile.
"I'm very proud of their work," said the Junior Ranger leader. "Helping people is part of our culture. Being a Junior Ranger teaches leadership and responsibility."
The Sanikiluaq program is the largest in the region. Members range from 12-18 years old. It's not uncommon for the group to have a waiting list of youth wanting join.
"I really like shooting the rifles," said J.W. Kavik, when asked about the thrills of being a Ranger.
Junior Rangers are taught military drills, first aid, and knot tying at their meetings. The youth are always on call, which has earned them the reputation of being the volunteer backbones and role models of their community of 720 people.
"When a community member passes away, you can count on the Junior Rangers to fund raise to get family members to town for the funeral," said teacher Jenny Soehner.
Novalinga is one of five Canadian Rangers in Sanikiluaq (the adult version of Junior Rangers) working with the younger counterparts.
He said the community benefits from the Rangers program because youth are kept busy at the same time they develop self confidence.
Junior Rangers demonstrating exceptional leadership are often invited to become Canadian Rangers once they turn 19 years old.
