‘It is urgent’: Alberta military reservists eager to join Canadian Forces in Latvia

SUFFIELD, Alta. — A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada’s largest military bases.

It’s a once-a-month weekend training session at Canadian Forces Base Suffield, 260 kilometres southeast of Calgary, for 158 members of 41 Canadian Brigade Group, composed of Army Reserve units in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

They range in ages and include a high school teacher, the owner of a sewing company, a private investigator and a mountain guide.

Many have hopes of being deployed to the NATO Multinational Battlegroup in Latvia and helping fend off Russian threats.

Col. Chris Hunt, commander of the brigade group, delivers a pep talk to reservists practising with C6 machine-guns.

“For those of you … just coming off your basic infantry course now, we’re going to need to fill two battle groups back-to-back in ’27 and ’28. So get as many qualifications as you can now,” he yells over a howling west wind.

“That’s going to make you competitive for deployment. We’re one bad newscast away from being full-time on active service for all of us.”

CFB Suffield has been the site of military training in the region since 1972 and, at 2,700 square kilometres, is the largest military training area in Canada. There are rolling hills and knee-high native Prairie grasses as far at the eye can see and, for safety reasons, the artillery range sits 20 kilometres from other training areas on the base.

Capt. Peter Rosendal, 55, is being deployed to Latvia and promoted to the rank of major for a six-month tour beginning in December.

“I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s my first deployment.”

Rosendal belongs to Southern Alberta Light Horse, an armoured reconnaissance unit, and was in the reserves from 1986 to 2000. He then worked as a high school teacher in Lethbridge, Alta., for 17 years before rejoining the military.

“I’m actually a strange bear. I had to (do basic training) all over again,” he says.

He says conflict around the world, including Ukraine, makes the training more urgent.

“There’s a direct impact to what you’re doing.”

Maj. Brent Peters joined the Canadian Forces when he was 17. He continues to serve part time with the King’s Own Calgary Regiment and has been deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan.

“The new soldiers are really, really keen to get out and be on the armoured vehicles,” says Peters, who in his civilian life works as a mountain guide.

Pte. Rhys Dunnill Jones, 23, says he comes from a military family and wanted to enhance his mental and physical strength.

He owns a company that sews and designs tactical gear.

“I think it’s awesome to be part of a bigger, cohesive group. You get to play with machine-guns as well,” he says with a laugh.

“I would absolutely love, if given the chance, to deploy.”

At 18, Pte. Zachary Fowler is the baby of the group. Also coming from a military family, he is eager to serve overseas.

“I am trying to get all the steps I can done so I can,” he says.

Bombardier Raymond Chow owns a paintball field in the Edmonton area, works at the airport and is also a process server and private investigator.

Chow, 31, says he joined the reserves after university and would like to deploy one day.

“Now I do it as sort of a side hobby. It’s kind of fun,” he says.

“Definitely at some point in my career, maybe when I’m a little older … maybe in five years.”

Hunt, the brigade group commander, says reserve recruitment has been ramping up to turn out as many part-time professional soldiers as quickly as possible.

“Canada has a long-term commitment to Latvia,” he says.

“The army is going to be in Latvia for the long term. So in order to sustain that commitment, it’s going to take reservists working alongside our regular force colleagues.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2024.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press