Local cadets train in skills camp in Guelph
Dozens of local cadets are putting their skills to the test in Guelph this week.
The Guelph Cadet Activity Program is preparing the group of young people to spend a few nights out in the wilderness, while teaching them some valuable life lessons.
The 12 and 13-year-old cadets, along with the staff cadets in their upper teens, will take part in an overnight outdoor adventure.
“[It’s] a camp for four days, three overnights and they’ll be experiencing canoeing, swimming, orienteering,” said Capt. Scott Gibbons with the Cadet Activity Program.
From working on their fitness, to team navigation skills through geocaching, all of it will be on display at the Guelph Navy League building as part of a two-week summer training program.
Gibbons said he thinks the biggest takeaway that the cadets get from this program is the relationships established over the years.
While the physical skills are a focal point, the life skills acquired through these programs are a secondary benefit.
“It doesn’t teach you just Canadian Armed Forces skills, it teaches you life skills too,” said Christopher Price, Cadet & Flight Corporal.
For others, it can be a time to grow and discover who they are.
“For me, it built a sense of who I was,” said Halei Tester, a staff cadet. “I really found myself within the cadet program and was able to build from that. I learned skills I probably would’ve never learned. I’m getting opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten. “
The Canadian Armed Forces doesn’t have to be the end goal once the cadets graduate from the program.
“Some of our cadets do go into the Canadian Armed Forces, however other cadets may choose to go to civilian applications and that’s fantastic,” said Capt. Gibbons.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.