Rangers parading class of graduating soldiers

This parade is 47 years in the making.

On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 30 members of the Rocky Mountain Rangers will mark their graduation from basic military training with a parade at CN Centre. That will lead to a reception at the Rangers' headquarters at Meadows Armouries, the former Meadow elementary school, at 686 Dornbierer Cres.

The soldiers have busy training on weekends and weeknights while working at civilian jobs or attending schoo, having returned to Prince George last year after a 47-year absence.

Brigadier-General Paul Wynnyk, the leader of all Canadian Army troops in Western Canada, will review the troops Sunday. Colonel B.H. (Bryan) Gagn,commander of the 39th Canadian Brigade Group, B.C's army reserve, is also expected.

Invited guests also include Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris, Prince George-Peace River MP Bob Zimmer, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, Mayor Shari Green and Prince George fire chief John Lane.

The Rangers will host their inaugural regimental dinner Saturday night at Coast Inn of the North ballroom, starting at 6 p.m. The 15th Field Artillery band will provide entertainment.

All proceeds from the dinner will be used to fund the College of New Caledonia's Soldier's Scholarship for students of the regimental family who attend CNC.

The original Rocky Mountain Rangers civilian militia, made up of ranchers and cowboys from B.C. and Alberta, was formed to defend the western frontier against incursions during the 1885 Northwest Rebellion.

The Rangers are part of the Canadian military's army reserve. Their mandate is primarily to defend the country and to respond to national emergencies. As volunteers, Rangers can also serve in overseas operations. Eligible recruits must be between the ages of 17 and 55.

The Rangers reserve unit has supplied soldiers for overseas campaigns dating back to the Boer War. The Rangers A Company Army Cadet Corps maintained a presence in Prince George from 1957-1970 at an armory on First Avenue. At that time, the Rangers had companies stationed in Prince George, Kamloops, Armstrong, and Nelson.

In more recent years, working out of a Kamloops base, the Rangers have served Canada's war effort in Afghanistan, fought the Okanagan Mountain Park forest fires in Kelowna in 2003, and contributed to security at the 2010 Winter Olympics.