NAUJAAT/REPULSE BAY - Cadets in Repulse Bay can officially stand at ease for a while.

The Repulse Bay 3055 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps brought down the curtain on a successful season this past month.

The corps saw its warrant officer, Kenny Sivanertok, pass his National Star Exam, become the first Nunavut cadet to be awarded the Lord Strathcona Medal (the highest award bestowed upon a cadet for performance in physical and military training) and be accepted into a cadet program that will see him visit Australia this summer.

The corps had about 20 full-time cadets in the program this season who showed up on a regular basis.

Tusarvik School principal and longtime cadet leader Leonie Aissaoui said the attendance dropped off towards the end of the season as the weather began to get warmer.

"We were very proud of all our cadets this past year, but we were especially proud of everything Kenny Sivanertok accomplished," said Aissaoui.

"We see a drop in attendance during the last few weeks almost every year, when the weather gets nice and the kids stay out later and get involved in other activities."

Aissaoui said corps commanding officer (CO) Jennifer Perry has been doing a great job the past few years. She said the final parade of the year was well performed, but she would like to see more people attend.

"This is such a positive program for the kids to be involved in, and more people should come out to show their support.

"Not all the parents of the cadets were there and that really disappointed me.

"Every parent of the cadets should make the effort to attend their parades and special events."

Aissaoui is leaving Repulse this year to take on a new challenge in Iqaluit.

She looks back on her years involved with the cadets with great fondness, but heads to Iqaluit knowing the program is left in good hands.

Aissaoui said all of the staff, including Perry and her husband, Jeremy Chippet, will be back next year, so the corps has strong leadership.

She said the cadets celebrated their 10th year as an approved corps this past year, but it ran for about three years before being approved.

"It's come a long, long way since its beginnings, when the little kids were so excited about it being new in the community they would stop and salute me in the school halls and start marching.

"They all couldn't wait to turn 12 years old so they could become cadets.

"I helped start the program and kept it running with no skill as a cadet, but Jennifer has that experience and knowledge and since she became the CO the program just keeps getting better.

"The cadet program kept me in Repulse for many years because I didn't want to leave and let the kids down.

"Now Jennifer's in place and I can leave knowing the program is in the hands of a strong, skilful leader."