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Highway 17 through North Bay will be busier than normal over the next couple of days.
The Canadian Armed Forces, the United States Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve are moving more than 70 military vehicles and training equipment approximately 4,000 km from Valcartier, Quebec to Wainwright, Alberta during Exercise "MAPLE CARAVAN", beginning today.
Exercise MAPLE CARAVAN provides an opportunity to reinforce the Canadian Army’s mission readiness through a joint logistical operation with our American ally," says a news release from Canadian Forces.
It is also a cost-effective way to manage an important equipment movement in support of Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE.
Soldiers will hone their skills in transporting large quantities of vehicles by road over a great distance. This skill set is necessary to ensure that modern day militaries are able to adapt to transportation challenges they may encounter in missions at home and abroad.
This exercise will include approximately 325 personnel from the Canadian Army, the U.S. Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.
It will begin today and finish April 18. The return trip is planned to commence in June.
The vehicles being transported will be used at Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE.
Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE is a high-readiness exercise that will be conducted from April 20 to May 23, at the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta. The exercise will involve close to 4,500 military personnel from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
“It is important for the Canadian Army to be challenged with the most realistic and dynamic experiences possible in regard to operational situations such as cross-border logistics, driving in inclement weather, navigating unfamiliar roads, and training with our US partners, all to achieve excellence in operations and seamless coordination with our allies,” says Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, Commander Canadian Army.
