Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 01/02) - As far as Johnny Canuck and Uncle Sam were concerned, Mother Nature co-operated.

The mercury in Yellowknife plunged well below -30 C, just in time to greet a contingent of 30 Canadian and American North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) military personnel.

Maj. Chuck Mathe couldn't be happier.

The Canadian soldier, based at NORAD's headquarters in Colorado Springs, organizes the annual tour of Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) for NORAD staff.

Mathe said he "purposely plan(s) trips for February and March," to ensure the visitors appreciate the challenges of operating in a harsh Northern environment.

"If we take them up in June, then they don't get a sense of how difficult it is to work here," said Mathe.

"For the Americans it's often quite an eye-opener," he added.

The officers and enlisted ranks touched down in Yellowknife Tuesday afternoon, and were back in the air Wednesday, en route to FOLs in Whitehorse and Alaska.

Mathe said several of the Americans were hoping to get a good look at Yellowknife's famed aurora borealis, but weather and the lunar calendar played spoilsports.

"I know folks were hoping to see the Northern Lights," said Mathe, "and we were hearing it was overcast, and there was a big sort of collective grump."

However, the skies were clear when they arrived, but the temperature plunged and a bright full moon interfered with darkness.

"Many of our American folks went out and about, but they got a few hundred feet, and went, 'what the heck am I doing,' then got inside," said Mathe.