Alert (Apr 19/04) - The Canadian Forces has completed its sovereignty patrol from Resolute Bay to Canadian Forces Station Alert, but not without some difficulty.

During the 14-day patrol, the Rangers and their regular forces counterparts travelled over some of the roughest terrain in the North.

Just five of seven members of a group that completed the 1,300 km patrol arrived in Alert shortly after 10 a.m. April 14. Twenty Rangers and soldiers began the patrol in Resolute Bay on April 1. After arriving in Eureka, April 5, all but four Canadian Rangers from Nunavut and three regular officers from Yellowknife were airlifted south. The seven were to complete the journey to Alert.

The patrol was the longest one-way sovereignty patrol the Canadian Forces has ever completed. "It was unfortunate that two of the members were injured along the way," said Major Stewart Gibson, who led the patrol.

Ranger Doug Stern, from Cambridge Bay, was hurt when his snowmobile hit a rock. Master Warrant Officer Gerry Westcott twisted his knee when his snowmobile tipped over during a blizzard.

Both were airlifted to safety.