Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, March 30, 2007

FORT SIMPSON - For two weeks in April the normally quiet Fort Simpson airport will be getting a security upgrade.

As part of Operation Narwhal, from April 16-27, 40 military personnel will be stationed at the airport to secure the area from a mock terrorist threat. The scenario is part of a sovereignty operation for the Canadian Forces, said Cpt. James L'Heureux, an operations officer for Joint Task Force North.

The exercise is based on two scenarios. The first scenario involves the Canadian Forces supporting the RCMP to counter a terrorist threat to the Enbridge pipeline.

For added difficulty a second scenario involving a major airliner crashing near Inuvik and Aklavik, that the Canadian Forces have to respond to with search and rescue technicians, will happen simultaneously.

The emphasis of the exercise is on the planning and staff abilities at the Joint Task Force North headquarters in Yellowknife.

The exercise will assess how well we can respond to two major disasters at once, said L'Heureux. The exercise will also be a chance to get soldiers on the ground, he said.

The operation will be taking place at the same time in both Fort Simpson and Norman Wells. In Norman Wells there will be 240 personnel working in and around the airport.

Fort Simpson and Norman Wells were chosen as the sites for the exercise because of their strategic locations on the pipeline, said L'Heureux. Looking at the pipeline from the enemy's perspective, planners decided the structure was of strategic importance.

"If the enemy were to get a hold of it, it would be imperative that we had re-secured the locations as soon as possible," he said.

During the exercise military personnel will be practicing guarding the airports from the terrorist threat, said L'Heureux. Personnel will also be patrolling the area.

The exercise is expected to have little impact on the village. The personnel will be living at the airport and might be seen at the recreation centre for showers. Airplane traffic at the airport won't be disrupted, said L'Heureux.

"Our whole exercise has been planned around ensuring we are not disrupting any of the services to either of the communities," he said.

Residents of both communities will get a chance to interact with the military on April 26. Community days will be held at the airports and people will have a chance to see some of the aircraft, said L'Heureux.

Aircraft that will be used during the exercise include six Griffin helicopters, two Twin Otters and possibly an Aurora aircraft.

"We're encouraging everyone to come out and see it," he said.

Local Rangers will get a closer view because they've been given orders to assist with the exercise.

The Rangers will assist with providing security for the personnel from wildlife threats and teaching the soldiers skills for surviving in the North.

"We know that is prime bear season and we have to ensure the safety and security of our soldiers," said L'Heureux.

Most of the army soldiers in the exercise are from Ontario and have little experience with the North.

"They get a little nervous when they hear about bears," he said.

Cpl. Lynn Wharton, with the Fort Simpson Rangers, said the group has received few details about their duties, but are excited about the exercise.

"We're looking forward to it," said Wharton.

This exercise is the third and final phase of a bigger operation that has been years in the planning, said L'Heureux.

Operation Narwhal began with a tabletop exercise in Yellowknife in September 2005. Major planners developed scenarios for the operation that including working with other partners in the North such as the RCMP.

In June 2006, during a command post exercise in Yellowknife, officials ran through the scenarios and worked out the planning at the headquarters level.

Conducting the scenarios in April will be the final phase.

"Everyone here is looking forward to getting out, to working with our Northern partners and the communities to assist us in developing our ability to maintain sovereignty in the North," said L'Heureux.