By Jane Wilson
A 100 Mile House resident spent the last week of January teaching survival skills to members of the Canadian Forces in Haida Gwaii.
“Personally, it was a new area for me; it was great to experience it and to learn some more about the province,” says Tom Nickel, cabinet maker and Patrol Commander for the 100 Mile House Canadian Ranger Patrol.
The Canadian Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Forces reserve, which provides a military presence in northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada and whose members are easily recognized by their red hats and shirts.
Nickel joined Canadian Rangers from across the province to teach fire-starting, traps and snares, shelters and other survival skills to members of 39 Brigade over a three-day period. Then, the soldiers spent three days in survival camps with limited resources, putting those skills to the test.
The Basic Wilderness Survival Training is offered by the Canadian Rangers once a year to other branches of the Canadian Forces, says Captain Steven Parker, commanding officer of BC Company of the Fourth Canadian Rangers Patrol Group. He adds the Canadian Rangers are used to teach the training because of their vast outdoor skills.
Capt. Parker says he chose Haida Gwaii for the training because of the wet coastal conditions.
“I chose it specifically to change the element of risk, to mix it up a bit … the danger of hypothermia is actually greater in a wet and temperate climate than in a cold and dry one.”
Nickel says he was responsible for setting up the full camp, and demonstrating full-survival camps and survival techniques. Nickel adds he has spent 20 years with the Canadian Rangers practising survival skills, as well as doing survival courses with search and rescue.
“It was a bit challenging because of the wet weather. I knew the candidates would have a huge problem, especially with fire, so we concentrated on that, and I think we did a great job.”
Only four of the 22 candidates didn’t last the three days in the wilderness, and all of them managed to have a fire going by the end of the first day, he says, adding it’s not an easy feat given the incredibly wet conditions they faced during the training.
“They all had a fire; some of them just couldn’t keep it going.”
This was Nickel’s second time teaching survival and he says he will definitely do it again, as it is a good experience.
Jane Wilson is the Patrol Commander, Port Clements Canadian Rangers Patrol, and staff reporter for the Haida Gwaii Observer.
