This summer, Evelyne Massie is exploring new challenges at the Blackdown Cadet Training Centre (CTC) at the Canadian Forces Base Borden, near Barrie, Ontario.
She is a cadet with 57 Vankleek Hill Royal Canadian Army Cadets. She is currently taking the Expedition Team Leader Course at the CTC.
“I wanted to do expeditions,” she said.
The course is one of the tougher courses at the CTC. It is broken down into three units, hiking, biking, and canoeing. For mountain biking, they spend three days exploring the biking trails around the base. The hiking portion is done in Massasauga Provincial Park on Georgian Bay. They spend three days hiking a trail, camping out every night. Canoeing is a six-day excursion in Algonquin Provincial Park.
For Massie, she had done hikes before, but not overnight.
“I have never done hiking with a rucksack before,” she said. “It was fun camping overnight on the trail.”
She set the bar high for herself in the biking aspect of the course.
“I wanted to be the only female that did level five in the biking part,” she said.
The levels are achieved after testing and time trials on a course.
She was looking forward to the canoeing aspect and at this time, she is on the water in Algonquin Park.
Massie has been a cadet for three years.
“I really like the program,” she said. “It has helped me to come out of my shell.”
“I used to be very shy and quiet, and now, I have some great friends in my corps, and thanks to courses like this I’ve met some great people from across Canada.”
Summer training provides fun and rewarding experiences for all Cadet participants by offering opportunities to meet new people during safe and challenging activities which encourage personal growth.
