Fort Simpson - For the 50 military personnel and the 10 Canadian Rangers participating in Operation Narwhal at the Fort Simpson airport, the event has become as much a cultural exchange as a military exercise.

Pte. William Hamilton, from St John's, Nfld. stops a truck at the checkpoint at the Fort Simpson airport as part of Operation Narwhal. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Although their primary purpose is to safeguard the troops from predators such as bears, the 10 local Rangers are also sharing information about their culture and life in the North with the soldiers.

The soldiers are interested in learning how people live up here and traditional skills, said Ranger Joe Lacorne, from Fort Providence.

Rangers have shown the soldiers how to make a variety of rabbit snares including jump snares and snares made out of shoelace or string in case they're stranded.

"They were really amazed at how many skills can be learned up here," Lacorne said.

The Rangers also demonstrated how to set up McPherson tents and wood stoves and how to collect dry wood for fires. Ranger Norma Jumbo and Ranger Sgt. Phoebe Punch from Trout Lake made bannock for the troops. The exchange of information has worked both ways.

"They learned off us and we learned off them," said Lacorne.

Other aspects of the North have also amazed the soldiers.

"They just love the Northern lights," said Ranger Ronald Minoza, from Fort Providence.

Being part of the exercise has been a great experience, said Lacorne who's been a Ranger for four years. The soldiers are fun guys, he said.

Some parts of the exercise have also been tough, however, said Lacorne. The nights are cold and being ready for action at any time is tiring, he said.

Part of the exercise

The Rangers are fully integrated into the exercise. The platoon at the airport is divided into three sections and each has three Rangers working with it.

The military personnel are part of the larger Operation Narwhal that started on April 16. The exercise is a Canada Command operation designed to test Joint Task Force North.

Locally, the scenario involves Canadian Forces responding to a request for the RCMP to secure the airports in Norman Wells and Fort Simpson because of a threat to the Enbridge pipeline by terrorists.

Between April 20 and 26 the soldiers and Rangers have been treating the scenario as if it's actually happening.

"This is real, period," said Lieut. Adam Therien, the platoon commander in Fort Simpson.

The scenario runs 24 hours a day with soldiers rotating through three main duties.

At any given time some of the soldiers are manning the two observation posts and doing patrols on quads to protect the perimeter of the airport. Because the soldiers don't have training on quads they are all being driven by Rangers.

A second group of soldiers is part of the quick reaction force that has to be ready to respond within five minutes. The third group is assigned to forced rest, said Therien. In order to keep as much realism as possible, additions to the scenario are added including phone calls from groups like the RCMP, visits by officials and orders through the chain of command.

All of the soldiers at the airport are reservists from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, primarily in their late teens and early twenties.

Weather conditions

Conditions in Fort Simpson haven't always lived up to their expectations of the North.

Cpl. Jimmy Myers, from Glace Bay, N.S., was expecting cold temperatures and lots of snow.

"It's warmer than back home. I wasn't expecting to bring sunscreen," said Myers.

Residents have been extremely nice, he said.

"The hospitality is wicked," said Myers.

Myers said he's "learned tons" from the Rangers including a few words in Slavey, like hello and very good.

To be prepared for the expected conditions, Pte. William Hamilton from St. John's, Nfld. spent five days camping in the snow as part of winter indoctrination training.

He learned how to quickly set up an Arctic tent and a stove and how to treat frostbite and hypothermia.

As part of his kit he brought a parka, Arctic mitts and mukluks for the exercise.

"It's not what I expected at all," said Hamilton of the recently warm weather.

The lack of cold weather hasn't dulled Hamilton's excitement about his first trip to the Northwest Territories.

"I love it here. I'd definitely come back again," he said.