Cadets learn water safety at Expedition camp

The responsibility of cadets are numerous, and often provide a service to the community.

Now in order to meet the moment when it comes, regular training is, of course required to make sure all cadets are up to par to meet the standards of the industry.

“(We) try to communicate with the team that’s upside down,” said army cadet, Charles-Henri Cote at the Port Severn camp on Monday.

“Try to put their canoe onto your canoe by flipping it over – I think that’s the most challenging part,” he said.

Cadets from Blackdown were at Six Mile Lake today learning how to handle canoes in all conditions.

It’s part of a five-day expedition that includes hiking and mountain biking.

“We’ve had cadets from the entire country come here to have these experiences,” said army spokesperson Capt. Natalie Hull

The exercise on the water is just about as much as intangibles as it is physical skills.

“It’s just leadership and personal opportunity for the cadets. When you start out not being able to paddle a canoe, and then you finish your day able to rescue someone else in a canoe, the sense of accomplishment is fantastic,” Hull said.

“This is really trying to focus on trying to build a team, so trying to focus on each member, trying to do their own part,” said Cote.

“They also get to learn all the soft skills around communication, reflection, the experiential learning cycle and how to get along as a member of a team,” Hull said.

For people like Charles-Henri Cote, who wants a career in the military, the cadet program – which is free and open to anyone aged 12 to 18 with no experience required – is a perfect way to spend the summer.

“We have access to all of this, and the equipment is issued to us. I think it’s a great opportunity for people who don’t have the option to do that themselves. You can just join the cadets, and you will get a chance to do it with your corps during summer training,” said Cote.

The expedition team member course wraps up Friday with a graduation ceremony before cadets take their newfound skills back to their home corps, where they typically meet one night a week.