NEWS RELEASE
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES
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Approximately 200 soldiers from local Canadian Army Reserve units deployed from CFB Trenton on Aug. 15 to the Canadian Arctic. Troops from multiple communities across southwestern Ontario and led by those from Barrie will form the land component for Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT 22 (Op NA-NK 22), a series of presence and surveillance activities along the Northwest Passage, which will build on existing Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) capacity to operate in the Arctic while fostering greater interoperability with northern partners.
Op NA-NK 22 will take place from Aug. 15 to 29, seeing the deployment of a Joint Task Force led by the Grey and Simcoe Foresters (G&SF) of Barrie and Owen Sound, Ont. Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) members will operate in and around Cambridge Bay, Nvt., and will be supported by Canadian Army Rangers of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1CRPG). The Joint Task Force will be headquartered at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS).
Around 200 personnel arrived on Aug. 15, and about 100 will form a Land Component, made up primarily of Canadian Army Reserve soldiers from 31 Canadian Brigade Group (31 CBG) in southwestern Ontario and supported by 1CRPG. These troops will deploy further to outlying areas via RCAF aircraft, providing the fourth Canadian Division Arctic Response Company Group (ARCG) as the main land force for the operation.
The ARCG is a specialized sub-unit that maintains an ability to command, move, and communicate under harsh weather conditions in remote locations and is the mission task of the G&SF. It is reinforced with soldiers drawn from across 31 CBG, which is headquartered in London, Ont.
Op NA-NK 22 will fulfill several pillars of Canada’s defence policy - strong, secure, and engaged - to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces' presence in the region by demonstrating mobility, reach, and footprint. These capabilities are required to ensure Canadian sovereignty in the region and to better respond to the needs of those residing in Arctic and Northern communities with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief whenever needed.
CAF participants and leaders will also engage local community leaders and citizen groups to enhance emergency preparedness and foster the lines of communication required to respond to crises in isolated communities. Local Northern experts from 1CRPG will also support this effort to reinforce partnerships in the area and help ensure readiness to respond to various contingencies.
Throughout the exercise, soldiers will demonstrate arctic survival skills in a harsh climate, including the maintenance and operation of specialized vehicles and communications gear, operating survival equipment, and conducting patrols in austere environments. They will adhere to local Public Health guidelines while employing strict Force Health Protection Measures.
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