Canadian Rangers from across 4 CRPG quick to answer the call to help communities combat COVID-19

These partnerships are key, and many of them have been built over a long period, according to Master Warrant Officer Jim Vogl, 4 CRPG's Alberta/Saskatchewan Company Sergeant Major.

“Being a community-based organization or unit within CAF, much of the relationships that are needed to furnish success on operations were already there, with Canadian Rangers living there and knowing the people,” he said.

MWO Vogl says there are many reasons the Canadian Rangers are a valuable partner in domestic operations like Op LASER.

“With Canadian Rangers coming from all different walks of life, they bring a vast variety of skillsets to the table,” he said.

“We’ve got very skilled hunters, very experienced search and rescue people. They bring a bit of fluidity to operations in the north because of the relationships and skillsets they have.” 

MWO Vogl says the Canadian Rangers are also an asset because they know a lot about their local areas of operation and can quickly provide information such as which bridges are impassable and which roads are closed.

“The big one is the professionalism they bring to the table and the dedication to assist and aid their communities when they need them,” he added.

In Lac La Ronge, Sask., eight members of the Lac La Ronge CRP worked with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band Emergency Co-ordinator and delivered COVID-19 information; transported and delivered personal protective equipment (PPE) to the six Lac La Ronge Indian Band reserve communities; delivered Red Cross isolation kits to communities; supported vulnerable families by shopping for grocery supplies and delivering them; sorted and prepared 14-day isolation hampers that are meant for homes where a family member develops COVID-19; and collected, hung and dried traditional medicine for elders, including Chaga, ratroot and water lily.

The Lac La Ronge Rangers collaborated with many partners, including the Red Cross, the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Jeannie Bird Health Clinic and Lac La Ronge Indian Health Services, and the Rangers worked with emergency workers and band security in each community.

“They had checkpoints in each of the communities, so we would have to give a warning when we were going to be coming into the communities and sign in and follow all precautions using PPE and distancing, so everything we did was following all the guidelines for safety measures,” said Canadian Ranger Sergeant Jim Searson, the Lac La Ronge Patrol Commander.

“We had a lot of communications in setting up times and working with the other organizations to get equipment and PPE into the community, and then working with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band Emergency Co-ordinator to get into the outlying communities to get the equipment in.”

In other parts of northern Saskatchewan, 12 members of the Wollaston Lake CRP worked with Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation officials to deliver firewood and food to community members in self-isolation, assisted with COVID-19 communication and prepared and staffed the community response centre.

Eight members of the Fond-du-Lac CRP worked with Fond-du-Lac Dene Nation officials and the Fond-du-Lac Health Centre to assist with the transportation and distribution of supplies, helped set up and staff the community's emergency response centre, delivered food and firewood to elders in isolation and assisted with the community COVID-19 awareness campaign.

Thirteen members of the Île-à-la-Crosse CRP worked with community officials to collect and distribute firewood, fish and deliver food to residents, staff the community response centre and assist with COVID-19 communication.

Canadian Rangers from 4 CRPG's British Columbia Company have been tasked as LRFs as well and have supported their communities' response to COVID-19 in many ways.

On northern Vancouver Island, members of the Port Hardy and Port McNeill Canadian Ranger Patrols worked with the Regional District of Mount Waddington to deliver hand sanitizer, gloves and masks and set up COVID-19 information signage in mid-May.

Canadian Rangers travelled by boat and ATV to Old Quatsino to bring supplies and signage, by truck to Winter Harbour and by boat to Gilford Island.

“On the Old Quatsino tasking, we had one Canadian Ranger from Port McNeill come as a support boat so we had two vessels on the water, just as a security network,” said Canadian Ranger Sergeant Tom Cook, the Port Hardy Patrol Commander.

“Port McNeill was also instrumental, they were the ones who did the shuttling down to Shelter Point Distillery, which is where the hand sanitizer was being produced, so they were involved at that end of it. The emergency operations centre is in Port McNeill, so they weren't just bringing hand sanitizer up for us; they were bringing it for other agencies on the North Island for distribution as well. It was good to work with Port McNeill.”

In northern British Columbia, four members of the Dease Lake CRP worked with community officials to set up and distribute food hampers May 11-14, 2020. The Rangers also cleaned and prepared the vacant building where the hampers were assembled.

“Our help was very needed, and they couldn't thank us enough,” said Canadian Ranger Sergeant Edith Carrier, Patrol Commander of the Dease Lake CRP.

“We're happy to do that, to be able to help the community.”