Forty Shilo soldiers deployed in Shamattawa

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This article was published 18/12/2020 (2136 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Military members from CFB Shilo have deployed to First Nations in Manitoba’s north to aid in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

An initial group of approximately 40 military members from the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry have been deployed to Shamattawa First Nation, according to CFB Shilo public information affairs officer Lori Truscott.

A multi-purpose medical assistance team from Edmonton, including nurses and medical technicians, has also been sent to the First Nation, along with the soldiers from Shilo, who are there to establish an “alternative isolation area” in a local school, Truscott said.

On Thursday, the province listed 256 active cases of COVID-19 in the health district Shamattawa First Nation is located in.

“When you have a community that is overcrowded, where there’s a lot of overcrowding in the housing there, it’s really hard to isolate,” said Truscott.

“Our personnel are doing that, plus working with the Rangers in the community to conduct checks on people that were isolating at home — physically couldn’t get out to get their groceries, that kind of thing.”

The deployment to Shamattawa is scheduled to last three weeks, Truscott said, but could come back sooner if the work is completed.

No members had tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, she said. Everyone will be isolating when they return south.

Lt.-Col. Mike Reekie, the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, is also doing reconnaissance in Red Sucker Lake First Nation, but on Thursday no determination had yet been made on what the community needs, Truscott said.

“He initially went up to Shamattawa … to do the assessment to determine what Shamattawa First Nation needed,” said Truscott.

See ‘Toy drive’ — Page A3

On Thursday, a Facebook post from Canadian Armed Forces Operations stated 35 military members were being deployed to the First Nation, including a medical team, support and general duty personnel and leadership.

The battle against COVID-19 isn’t just physical, soldiers at the base are also collecting toys to help brighten the Christmas of children in northern communities.

Master Warrant Officer Clayton Nevell said the idea came from commanding officers who saw a need when they went to visit the north.

Donation bins have been in the CANNEX Mall and Nevell said they are looking for all variety of toys. As a result of COVID-19 protocols, the toys have to be new and unwrapped.

“We’re trying to bring a smile to a child’s face in the holiday season … at the end of the day, we want to support as many northern communities as possible.”

The toys will all be collected on Dec. 19, which Nevell said gives them time to do final sorting before flying the toys north in time for Christmas Day.

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