The first wave of cadets from across Western Canada won’t arrive until July 9, but staff at the Vernon Cadet Training Centre are busy preparing for the 68th summer of training in leadership, citizenship and physical fitness.
And, there will be more cadets at VCTC this summer than there have been for many years. With the closing of the air cadet training centre at Penhold, Alta., 292 air cadets will find a home in Vernon.
At any one time, almost 1,000 cadets will be on the ground, with the total for the summer nearing 1,770.
“This is a 20 to 25 per cent increase in the numbers from previous years,” said Lt.-Col. Judy Peter.
“VCTC “will provide cadets with a fun, dynamic training experience that is conducted in a safe manner which fully meets the expectations of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence, cadets, parents, the applicable league and the adult staff.”
There are 197 adult staff, including cadet instructor cadre officers and instructors, regular and reserve non-commissioned members and 50 civilians who fill positions as firefighters, office staff, gardeners, cleaners, laundry staff, warehouse staff and transport drivers.
The adult staff will be joined by 200 staff cadets, senior cadets who will take responsibility for most of the instruction during the summer.
More than 70 cooks, food preparation workers, drivers, servers and pot scrubbers, many of them local students, will feed all the cadets and staff three thousand meals a day for the next seven weeks.
The final parade and sunset ceremony will take place Aug. 18.