• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Royal Canadian Artillery celebrates 50 years of snow punching

gwp

Full Member
Reaction score
2
Points
180
Saturday, Sep 10, 2010

Canada Command honoured the centennial of Parks Canada and the 125th anniversary of Glacier and Yoho National Parks with the presentation of three retired 105 mm Artillery Howitizers at the Rogers Pass Discovery centre at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Revelstoke, B.C.  The guns are on display at the Rogers Pass as monuments and memorials in recognition of a half-century of avalanche control operations to protect the Trans-Canada Highway and the railway through Glacier National Park.

"Canadians can be very proud of the lead role the Canadian Army has taken in providing a safe and effective means to control avalanches in the notoriously unpredictable Rogers Pass region of British Columbia since 1961, " said Lt.-Gen. Walter Semianiw, Commander of Canada Command.  "For 50 years the Royal Canadian Artillery, in support of Parks Canada avalanche forecasters, has kep the 45-km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway and railway route safe by triggering avalanches before they become a threat."

Lt.-Gen Semianew accompanied by retired brigadier general Ernest Beno, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Canadian ARtillery presented the howitzers during a Parks Canada ceremony attended by Kootenay Columbia Member of Parliament, David Wilks, representatives of the First Nations and Parks Canada staff.  The Band of the Royal Canadian Artillery performed during and after the ceremony.  The program included a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with artillery fire. 

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of visitors to B.C's mountain national parks and millions of through traffic vehicles are able to travel the through this avalanche prone region safely thanks to Parks Canada and the Canadian Forces,"said David Wilks Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia.  "For 50 years this team has kept Canadians safe,"said Wilks on behalf of the Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment and minister responsible for Parks Canada. 

"What today is known as Operation Palaci not only saves lives - it contributes to the economic well being of the nation," added Lt.-Gen. Semianiw.  "Without the support of the CF, commercial traffic, vehicles and trains would struggle to get through.  The economic effect of keeping the vital thoroughfare from Vancouver to Calgary open is estimated in billions of dollars.  An extended traffic delay could destabalize the entire region."

Last winter the Royal Canadian Artillery trialed the new C3 105 mm Howitzer, which as has longer range and is more accurate than the older weapon, and calculated new aiming coordinates.  Canada Command is resp;onsible for protecting continental Canada and directs Canadian Forces domestic operations. 

Canada Command News Release. 
 
gwp said:
Last winter the Royal Canadian Artillery trialed the new C3 105 mm Howitzer, which as has longer range and is more accurate than the older weapon, and calculated new aiming coordinates. 
Only at AVCON could the C3 be considered "new"...
 
Canadian Press video story on OP Palaci 50th anniversary

http://www.youtube.com/user/CanadianPressImages#p/a/u/0/kB9lMz-1AXk
 
Back
Top