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ARVIAT
More than 100 young males and females officially became Junior Rangers in Arviat this past week.

Junior Canadian Ranger Louis Arviyut stands at ease during a ceremony to launch the new program in Arviat this past week. - photo courtesy of Romeo Okatsiak

The community is also trying to revive its cadet program for local youth.

Mayor Bob Leonard took part in the Junior Rangers ceremony and said the pride was evident throughout the community hall in both the youths and their family members.

Leonard said more than 120 youths have enlisted as Junior Rangers.

He said the response to the program has been simply incredible.

"This was their first public parade, and they also received the last of their uniforms during the ceremony," said Leonard.

"Our only worry with the initial success is that there's such a huge group of them, we don't really have a facility large enough in town to host them."

Leonard said the Rangers are highly respected in Arviat.

He said that respect, coupled with the land aspects of the program, bodes well for the future of the Junior Rangers.

"This program is kind of unique in that it's jointly hosted between hamlet council and the Rangers.

"It has a good chance of success because the Rangers, as a group or society, are going to go on forever, so you're not relying on one or two volunteers to keep it running.

"It's a program the kids can relate to because they know their dad, uncle or grandfather is a Ranger."

Leonard said he subscribes to the belief there's no really bad kids, just kids with too much idle time.

He said youth have to be kept busy and the Junior Rangers is another option for providing them with a positive activity to fill their time.

"It's things they're going to be doing with people they can relate to, and there's also the strong attraction of how much the Rangers do on the land.

"It's important for the hamlet to have a presence and show it supports the program, as well as the effort to rejuvenate the cadets.

"There's people working really hard to make the cadet program work and that's important to our community too.

"Hopefully, both new programs will thrive in Arviat for a very long time."

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