“Ranger Week” in Prince George

There are 128 active Rangers spilt between Kamloops and Prince George, 60 of whom are based out of the former Meadow School, which now serves as the base and armory. But it isn’t their permanent home.

“This B Company was stood up about ten years ago. we’ve not yet received, I guess, a permanent designation. So along with that would be additional funding. At that time, when it is made official and received the permanent designation, they would look for an appropriate location.”

In 2018, the Rangers were granted the title of Freeman of the City and Mayor Lyn Hall says are an important part of the community’s fabric.

“There’s a significance here,” says Mayor Lyn Hall, who read out the official proclamation, making April 1st to 7th “Ranger Week.” “We want to let the community know how important the Rocky Mountain Rangers are to the city. Really beyond the city. The entire region. You heard about all of the work they do around the world but also they’re helping residents with natural disasters like we’ve seen in 2017, 2021, and in between.”

Mayor Hall is referring to members being deployed to help with things like the 2017 and 2018 wildfires as well as the flooding late last year.

COVID has presented a recruitment nightmare for the Rangers, as it has for everyone. But they are always looking to add to their ranks.

“We’re open for recruiting. We would essentially take as many members of the public that are interested and meet our requirements. We have training that’s offered here in Prince George and we offer transportation to Kamloops for the initial training and then across Canada for follow-up training. It’s very flexible employment.”

So after a forty-year hiatus from Prince George, the Rocky Mountain Rangers have returned to the city and are celebrating a milestone. Here’ to hoping that presence continues for another ten years and beyond.

by Cheryl Jahn

“Ranger Week” in Prince George

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