Sudbury’s reserve unit hopes recruits will help it return to pre-pandemic numbers
The Canadian Army Reserves has been holding job fairs across the country for the past month.
On Tuesday, it was the job fair and open house for the reserve unit in Sudbury, the 2nd Battalion Irish Regiment of Canada.
Civilians stopping at the Sudbury Armories had a chance to attempt the Force Test to measure their fitness capabilities.
It was one of the interactive displays set up during the open house and job fair.
“It’s a lot of hard workers here in Sudbury. We want the best that we can get,” said recruiter Master Corp. Sebastian Moellenkamp-Plouffe
“We’re always looking to recruit, which means that here in Sudbury, we do want to open it up to the public as much as we can, remind people that we’re looking for people.”
Reservists in the Canadian Armed Forces work part-time and are often deployed to help with domestic operations, such as after a flood or other natural disaster. They can also sign up for overseas missions.
Sgt. Scott Barbe said it’s the camaraderie that appeals most to him.
“We’re always together, sleeping together, and getting through the hardships and there’s no other job out there that forms that,” Barbe said.
“It’s just something that gets me going every day. Just that nice camaraderie, that sense of family and duty that we have here.”
There are about 70 members of the Irish Regiment in Sudbury. Recruiters want to build those numbers back to where they were before the pandemic.
Reservists conduct military training once a week, as well as some weekends and for a block of time in the summer.
For Moellenkamp-Plouffe, it’s the stressful training that he appreciates most of all.
“If you get past being in the rain and cold and it’s been a week that you’re out in the bush training – if you get past that, you tend to reflect a little bit on why you’re doing it, who you’re doing it with, and at the end of it what comes out of it,” he said.
“You’re in a high-stress environment so you come out of that setting into a low-stress environment, everything becomes a little bit easier now.”
Reservists in Sudbury train every Thursday evening at the Sudbury Armories.
They’ll be at in the Mattawa and North Bay area this weekend for emergency response training. No weapons or ammunition will be present during the exercise.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.