A rchive Date
[ 23-02-2005 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[Cooling their heels
No emergency, so troops bowl and nap
By TOM GODFREY -- Toronto Sun
January 16, 1999
Members of one of Canada's top army emergency response units spent their second day in snow-bound Toronto bowling and riding snowmobiles as the rest of the city dug out.
The 412 men and eight women of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based at Camp Petawawa, arrived here on Thursday to help in case of storm emergencies.
About 75 soldiers spent the day circling a Downsview Air Force Base field in snowmobiles as part of a training exercise in the Arctic next month.
Others were trying on snowshoes while getting ready for whatever white stuff Mother Nature had to offer.
The most popular spot on the base though was a bowling alley, where dozens of troops gathered for a game or to shoot the breeze.
Despite the lack of work for the soldiers, Mayor Mel Lastman says he did the right thing in bringing them in.
NO EMERGENCY
The troops can't be used under provincial emergency legislation until the mayor declares a state of emergency. And Lastman can't declare a state of emergency until the city is virtually shut down and people are in danger of dying.
At the very least, the city has been able to use the eight-wheel-drive Bisons the army brought with them for emergency rescues.
"Those Bisons alone helped 18 people today," the mayor noted.
Lastman said provincial emergency legislation should be made more flexible in the use of troops.
"It's a crazy law," the mayor said. "Why wait until people die."
Capt. Sheldon Barker said the situation in Toronto wasn't as bad as soldiers had imagined.
"We thought we were coming into a serious storm," Barker said. "We are ready and just waiting for tasks."
TAKING NAPS
Many of his colleagues spent their down time napping in cots in a large conference room turned into sleeping quarters.
Master Cpl. Dave Redmond, who was one of hundreds of troops helping out in last year's ice storm in Eastern Canada, said the situation in Toronto isn't the same.
"You can hardly compare the situation here," Redmond said. "People there were in need of our help."
Capt. Vic Goldman, of the 32nd Canadian Brigade Group, said the soldiers won't be cleaning city sidewalks.
"The military doesn't clean peoples' sidewalks," he said. "We will if it's a life-threatening emergency situation."
Lt.-Col. Peter Atkinson said his regiment brought 100 army vehicles and four Bisons to help.
Lieut. Marc Rancourt, who arrived late yesterday with a convoy of military snow-cleaning equipment, said his 26 men are ready "for anything that Mother Nature throws at them."
But, as of late yesterday, the regiment was still at the base waiting for the call.
-- With files by Brad Honywill
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