REPULSE BAY - The only head the Repulse Bay cadet corps has ever known stepped down during a special parade and ceremony earlier this month.

Repulse Bay Mayor Johnny Tagornak and new commanding officer Jennifer Perry inspect the cadet corps with cadet warrant officer T.J. Kringayark and Sgt. Jolene Angotingoar. - photo courtesy of Leonie Aissaoui

Leonie Aissaoui turned over cadet command to officer cadet Jennifer Perry during the emotional event.

Perry, 25, is originally from New West Valley, Nfld., and is in her second year teaching at Tusarvik school.

When she decided to get involved with the cadet corps in Repulse, she made the decision to get totally immersed and not just dabble.

"That meant becoming a cadet instructor cadre or CIC officer," says Perry.

"The rules of the cadet program dictate that the highest-ranking officer has to be the corps' commanding officer (CO).

"There's never been an officer in Repulse before, so when I got involved with the CIC I had to become the Repulse CO.

"But Leonie (Aissaoui) had asked me previous to do that because she knew I was interested in advancing the program."

Perry says it's a great opportunity to be given the chance to be the CO of a corps as solid as the one in Repulse.

She spent six years in the Newfoundland cadet program and says while there are some similarities, there are also distinct differences between the two programs.

"The training is quite similar - as are the drill, uniform, lectures and classroom sessions - but done at a slower pace here.

"The big thing I'm impressed with is the amount of travelling our cadets do.

"When I was in cadets, we went to camp in the summer, but, during the school year, you didn't really do much of anything.

"Here they have the regional marksmanship competition, as well as the regional and national biathlon events and training for the National Star Certification exam," she said.

Perry says there was some trepidation involved with stepping into the CO's position, knowing Aissaoui was the only one the Repulse cadets had ever known.

She says Aissaoui is staying on to help with the adjustment and the corps is a big benefit to her.

"It's a lot of hard work and I don't know how Leonie did it for all these years while also being principal of Tusarvik school.

"Hopefully, the reduction in duties will also make life a little easier for her.

"She's staying on as deputy commander, and to be my mentor for the first year."

Perry is officially an officer cadet, which is the first rank in the CIC program.

She will begin her basic officer qualifications on June 1 in St. John's, Nfld., and, once completed, will become a second lieutenant.

Perry says the cadets seem excited about the change, especially after she arrived from Yellowknife with her official uniform this past week.

It was the first time anyone wore an officer's uniform in the Repulse corps.

"They immediately started calling me officer-cadet Perry instead of Jennifer.

"It brings a bit more professionalism to the corps and they seem to like that."

Perry is trying to arrange an exchange program that would see a group of Rankin Inlet cadets come to Repulse for cold-weather training near the end of April.

She also hopes to start next year with a clear plan for the courses to be taught and training to be undertaken.

"Repulse has a strong corps with some of the top cadets in the North.

"We've got two more doing their national Star exam (Jolene Angotingoar and Stanley Kopak) and we have strong, committed leaders such as Leonie and Janey Meredyk, who have been here since the corps started."

"There's a corps in Yellowknife with only about 25 cadets and we have 30, so we have a big corps for a town the size of Repulse."

Perry says if the Repulse corps has one weakness, it's overall training.

She says there are four levels to cadet training and there aren't as many Repulse cadets at the highest level as there should be.

"We're (cadet leaders) all teachers, so we can't spend as much time on the cadet program as we'd like.

"But our cadets have always been strong with their drill and marksmanship - and they've proved themselves to be quite strong at the biathlon since they got involved this past year - so we have a strong foundation from which we can continue to build."