Junior Canadian Rangers (JCR) from Snow Lake and Gillam were among five JCRs – the other three from B.C. – who received the Lord Strathcona Medal July 25 during the Canada 150 Basic Enhanced Training Session in Comox, B.C.
Christian Fisher of the Snow Lake Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol and Shaygne Oliver of the Gillam Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol received the medal – the highest honour that a JCR or a cadet can achieve in recognition of exemplary performance – along with Elizabeth Moi of the Tahsis Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol, James Pohl of the Port Hardy Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol and Max Kim of the Valemount Junior Canadian Ranger Patrol.
All five medal recipients were employed as JCR mentors during the week-long summer training event for JCRs to learn basic wilderness, life and cultural skills, which included 112 participants and 24 JCR mentors who assisted with the training. They are the first JCRs from the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group to receive the Lord Strathcona Medal.
"These Junior Canadian Ranger mentors, as with all Junior Canadian Rangers, are truly the future leaders and role models in their communities," said Lt.-Col. Russ Meade, 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group commanding officer, who presented the medals, in a press release. "We are very fortunate to have such high quality young people dedicated to serving others and helping train their JCR friends. I am pleased to see the example that they have set for future JCRs to emulate.”
“I am tremendously proud of their leadership and the role model examples each of these mentors are to other Junior Canadian Rangers," said Captain Scott Macdonald, who commands the Junior Canadian Ranger Company of the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. "The Lord Strathcona Medal will be their reminder of their JCR time and their outstanding contribution to youth in their communities.”
The 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group has 30 JCR patrols in coastal and remote communities across Western Canada, which are sponsored by an adult committee and local Canadian Rangers. Membership if the Junior Canadian Rangers is open to youth aged 12 to 18.
