Canadian, Polish soldiers turn to northern N.B. for arctic warfare training

Canadian soldiers learning winter survival skills were hit with a snow storm and 75 kilometre per hour winds on their first night sleeping in the woods of northern New Brunswick. 

The unforgiving weather forced them to adapt to arctic conditions as temperatures plummeted and they pitched tents, patrolled on snowmobiles and used stoves for heat. 

The following morning, the troops were back in the woods as part of "Operation Rapid Response", chopping down trees to build primitive survival shelters for their second night in the wilderness near Bathurst, N.B.

The annual exercise is normally held in Labrador,  but this year was organized in the woods of northern New Brunswick and included Polish soldiers who came to train in the snow and cold. 

Lt. Col. Mark Flint, commanding officer of the North Shore New Brunswick Regiment, said the exercise is a chance to practise winter warfare conditions while simulating a civilian assistance operation. It was altered this year to offer a smaller version in New Brunswick and the weather co-operated to provide authentic arctic conditions.

"It was a perfect simulation," Flint said.

The soldiers, primarily reservists, tackled a scenario of a helicopter crash, using snowmobiles to search. 

The Canadian armed forces has trained alongside NATO allies for winter conditions over the past 20 years. There were about a dozen Polish soldiers in the Bathurst area this year to continue the partnership and exchange arctic warfare skills. 

On their first night sleeping in tents in the field, a major snowfall swept through the Chaleur Region bringing high winds.

Troops set up a camp and constructed snow defences and shelters from materials in the forest, chopping down trees and branches with axes and machetes. 

WATCH / Soldiers training for harsh winter conditions near Bathurst

For many of the reservists, it was their first time learning basic survival skills and how to operate in a winter environment.

Flint said the skills learned will be used throughout a career in the army.

"For some of their folks that are new to the army, 16, 17 years of age, this is a real test of their training," he said. "It will help them to become more confident and better soldiers, so just a really good combination of different skills."