Boots were shined to a mirror finish and uniforms were pinned with freshly earned patches as 52 members of the 186 Royal Canadian Air Cadets took to the floor at E.S. Laird Middle School for their Annual Ceremonial Review (ACR).
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The May 26 event capped off a year of steady growth and milestone achievements for the local squadron, while paying homage to an 83-year-old legacy deeply rooted in the community.
Parading at E.S. Laird Middle School holds a profound historical significance for the unit. The school’s namesake, E.S. Laird himself, was the very first commanding officer of the squadron over eight decades ago.
“He actually put it within the charter of the school to say that cadets will always have a parade night, free of charge for them, as long as the school is standing,” said Capt. Jaime Petty, the unit’s commanding officer.
While the squadron owns a separate, smaller cadet hall, Petty noted their roster has outgrown the space.
“We definitely could not parade with the numbers that we’ve been able to grow here,” Petty said, adding that keeping numbers steady across the entire training year has been a major success. “It’s an amazing legacy to have to carry on.”
For Robert Belanger, the evening marked a series of firsts and lasts. It was his first time serving as the Reviewing Officer, an honour that allowed him to inspect the parade and evaluate the youth.
Belanger originally joined the squadron’s civilian Squadron Sponsoring Committee (SSC) during the COVID-19 pandemic when his son entered the program. He eventually stepped up as chairperson, helping manage the unit’s finances, fundraising and logistics behind the scenes.
“Everybody looked really good. It was a lot of nicely shined up boots and uniforms,” Belanger said. “It means everything … it instills confidence and pride. It’s a proud moment to see them dress the way they are.”
The inspection was particularly special for Belanger as a father. His son, Warrant Officer Second Class Elijah Belanger, is aging out of the program at 18 to attend university.
“He’s basically gone from this shy little kid .. his confidence is through the roof with everything,” the senior Belanger said.
The parade proceedings were led by Warrant Officer First Class Leopold Ross, who joined the program in 2019 at age 12. As the Chief Warrant Officer for the evening, leading the final parade of his cadet career was an unforgettable milestone.
“It was amazing,” Ross said. “This past training year, we’ve had so many accomplishments and pushed past our comfort zones. Celebrating at the ACR was a great way to end the year.”
The sentiment of growth was echoed across the ranks. For the younger Belanger, the years spent in uniform taught him lessons that extend far beyond military drill.
“My biggest lesson since starting cadets was, it’s all about leadership, friendship and camaraderie, the whole way,” said Elijah Belanger. “You meet a lot of good people, you learn a lot, especially how to lead, and follow.”
While drill remains a favourite for many — including Flight Sgt. Daniel Fernandez, who noted the excitement of the synchronized movements — the squadron also celebrated major competitive success this year.
Band Major Flight Sgt. Bryson Jewitt and Sgt. Wyatt Moffat both highlighted the unit’s competitive marksmanship team. In his very first year on the team, Jewitt travelled with the squadron to the provincial championships in Saskatoon, where they secured a second-place finish.
Moffat credited the marksmanship program with instilling strong disciplinary habits alongside lifelong friendships.
Whether the youth are building confidence, competing at the provincial level, or learning the nuances of leadership, Capt. Petty says the transformation of the cadets is undeniable.
“The level of development that ends up happening with the youth is amazing from when they first start off at the age of 12, till when they age out,” Petty said. “It’s night and day.”
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