Eight Decades of Excellence: 2276 Army Cadets mark 80th Annual Ceremonial Review
From city councillors to MPs and MLAs, the 2276 Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps has been creating community leaders, armed forces members and empowered youth to devote themselves to public service for eight decades.
The gymnasium at Margaret Ma Murray Community School was filled with cadets past and present, as well as families for the 80th Annual Ceremonial Review on May 30. During the ACR, Commanding Officer Major Dan Davies shared some of the corps’ unique history.
Founded in 1946 as the Canadian Army Service Corps, over the past 80 years, the 2276 RCACC has been affiliated with not only the Rocky Mountain Rangers and now the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry but also has the rare association with an Air Force Unit, the 450 and 447 Helicopter Squadrons.
Rounding out the connection to all branches of the armed forces, this year’s reviewing officer was Captain Robert Watt, Director of Naval Strategy with the Royal Canadian Navy. Captain Watt presented the Top Cadet of the Year and the Lord Strathcona Medal to cadets during the awards ceremony following the review.
After the festivities at MMCS, the corps assembled at the Legion, where cadets exercised their Freedom of the City – bestowed upon the corps in April 2006 on its 60th Anniversary by then-Mayor Jim Eglinski – by marching from the Legion to City Hall, where Major Davies accepted a commemorative declaration from Mayor Lilia Hansen.
Major Davies says he’s proud of the dedication and enthusiasm shown by not only the cadets, but everyone associated with the program. With two new recruits joining the corps recently, the coming year already promises to be an exciting and busy one.