Junior Canadian Rangers aims to keep kids involved with their community

Superior Morning7:40Junior Canadian Rangers

It's a program that gives kids something to do in a community where there are few things for young people to do. Ron Desmoulins discovers the Junior Canadian Rangers in Pickle Lake

Hanging out at the mall would be a foreign concept for most kids growing up in a remote northern Ontario town or First Nation.

The closest comparisonfor teens in Pickle Lake, the most northerly community on a paved highway in Ontario, is the Northern Store.

The lack of organized activities for boys and girls, ages 12 to 18, in towns like Pickle Lake and nearby MishkeegogamangFirst Nation is the reason a program such as the Junior Canadian Rangers is so needed.

BrentLabine, a transplanted teacher from Sault Ste Marie who teaches Grades 6, 7 and 8 atCrolanciaPublic School in Pickle Lake, got involved with the Canadian Rangers about six years ago.

He says you have to have a willingness to try new things when you live in a small remote community.

Pickle Lake, three hours north of theTransCanadaHighway and home to about 400 people, is at the end of highway 599, a lonely two lane stretch of road.

"There isn't a whole lot of things to do, we have no movie theatres, we have no wide range of restaurants, you have to be willing to go with the flow,"Labinesaid.

"If you're an adventurous person who is willing to drop your plans at the drop of a hat there is always something exciting to do here."

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Prior to moving north he would never have considered getting involved in the military, Labinesaid.

"This program is the only youth program offered here in Pickle Lake," he said. "We work on life skills so things like public speaking, learning how to interact with each other to what we call traditional skills so things like trapping, snaring, fishingas well as Ranger's skills which are the military skills which are things like safe weapons handling, arctic survival, winter survival."

On their latest field exercise eight Junior Canadian Rangers from Pickle Lake and Mishkeegogamang practicesafely handling the current rifle of the Canadian Rangers, .303 Lee-Enfields purchased in 1947.

The kids are enthusiastic about the evening's target practice, but they are just as eager to start a fire using only a cotton ball, petroleum jelly, a magnesium flint and a hatchet or knife.

Having been involved with the junior ranger program this last few years Labine said the biggest reward is seeing the changes in the kids who have enrolled in the program.

"To see the change in how they view themselves as well as how they act when they're with us and out in the community it's a complete 180 from the quiet, timid, I don't want to say anything, I don't want to put my hand up, I don't want to talk, to just this outgoing energetic eager person."

And for these kids, Labine said it's about enjoying the whole military experience, right down to sampling the MREs (meals ready to eat).