2 December, 2021
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) has provided the following update on the regiment's activity in British Columbia.
Over the last two weeks soldiers from your Regiment have continued to support British Columbians on Op LENTUS 21-06 (Op LENTUS is the name given to the Canadian Armed Forces domestic emergency and disaster response contingency plan). Our Regimental team has been augmented by a squadron of Combat Engineers from Canadian Forces Base Edmonton’s 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, a 39 Brigade Army Reserve Domestic Response Company and a Naval Response Company from CFB Esquimalt. These additional soldiers and sailors have enhanced the capabilities of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Immediate Reaction Unit to deliver flood relief to our fellow Canadians.
The Land Task Force (based on the Regiment) has established operations across the lower mainland, into the central interior and on Vancouver Island. Regimental Headquarters, D Squadron and elements of Headquarters Squadron are based out of Canadian Forces Station Aldergrove near Abbotsford. The remainder of Headquarters Squadron augmented by the Engineer Squadron and the Reserve Domestic Response Company (F Company) are staged in Chilliwack. All of these soldiers operate in the Province’s South-Western Regional District.
A Squadron conducts operations out of Vernon Cadet Camp and is supported by elements of Headquarter Squadron; B Squadron delivers assistance from an Armoury in Kamloops. Both A and B Squadrons are operating within the Central Regional District supporting the residents of Princeton and Merritt.
A small team of A Squadron soldiers and sailors from Maritime Forces Pacific are operating independently out of CFB Esquimalt to support the Vancouver Island Coastal region. This team has been instrumental in providing protection from flash floods in the First Nations communities of Halalt, Penelakut, Cowichan and Wsáneć.
The Land Task Force has conducted dozens of tasks to support British Columbians and their local communities. A few highlights include:
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Rapid Damage Assessments of roads and infrastructure to assist civilian agencies with repair and flood mitigation along the Sumas Lake Reclamation Dyke.
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The evacuation of 30,000 live chickens from a Sumas Prairie poultry farm.
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Major sand bagging operations improving Princeton and Merritt dike systems.
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Creating a flood wall in Huntingdon that protected two dozen homes from flood waters when the Nooksack River spilled over its banks.
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Flash flood protection for Nooiatch, Chawathil, Cowichan and Wsáneć First Nations.
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Sandbagging to protect a Chilliwack retirement community.
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Bridge reconnaissance and transportation to assist search and rescue teams to gain access to isolated and flood damaged areas.
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Tiger Dam installation in Abbotsford to prevent flood damage to Highway 1.
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Debris removal, culvert clearances and improving local sandbag stockpiles in communities across the area of operations.
Perseverance
LCol M.J.D. Mallette
Commanding Officer
CWO K.E. King
Regimental Sergeant-Major
