Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 01/05) - The Canadian Forces marked the 63rd anniversary of the Canadian Rangers on Friday with lunch, a slide show and a new flag.

Former Canadian Ranger and Anglican bishop John Sperry presented a slide show of 20 years of life on the arctic coast.

Sled dogs were prominently featured. One scene showed a dog covered in snow after falling asleep outdoors.

"They would look like little snow houses, and when you shake the chain they would explode into dogs," Sperry said.

Sperry knows a lot about dogs, travelling with them to 30 parishes a year, 3,000 km across the north from his base in Kugluktuk.

When a picture came up showing dogs saluting every broken chunk of ice, "that's a test for your temper, your language, and your Christian commitment," he joked.

After the presentation came a lunch of burgers and caribous stew and the raising of a new Canadian Rangers flag at the Ceremonial Circle behind Canadian Forces headquarters. The flag replaces one that had become tattered by the wind.

Rangers Joe Lacorne from Fort Providence and Margaret Edjericon from Fort Resolution did the honours.

"It's an exciting moment, raising the flag on behalf of the Rangers in front of the army, visitors and the media," Locorne said.