Hobbema Police Cadets strut their stuff in High Prairie

These youth of the Hobbema Community Cadet Corps demonstrated their drilling and marching at the Elks hall Feb. 25. Sgt. Mark A. Linnell, far left, yelled drilling and marching orders.

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

High Prairie organizers of the Police Cadets program hope a visit and demonstration from the Hobbema Community Cadet Corps Feb. 25 will increase interest. The High Prairie Native Friendship Society, which invited the Hobbema cadets, has a similar program for local youth. Executive director Sally Hamelin hopes more youth will join after seeing the demonstration. Sgt. Mark A. Linnell and Const. Richard Huculiak run the Hobbema corps, which has 992 youth and is open to youth aged 7-18. Hobbema has 17,000 residents including 52.8 per cent under 18 years of age. “That’s where the gangs get their recruits from,” says Linnell. “In 2005, we decided to start this cadet corps to give them something better to do. “They’ve got to be dedicated to it. Otherwise, it won’t work.” Linnell showed several videos of the Hobbema corps during their drills. They have been to Vancouver, Toronto and other communities. They may also go to Australia later this year. Huculiak says it’s up to each community to establish their own program and policies. “The program works no matter where we take it, because the kids run their own programming,” says Huculiak. “We don’t have a book. There’s no policy. There’s no procedure. Each reserve or community will take the problems or concerns they have, work with the kids and let (them) make most of the decisions. If you involve the youth, it works. If you exclude the youth, and dictate and tell them what to do, the program doesn’t work.” One of the rules for those joining Hobbema is they must stay in school. Shylo Roasting, 15, has been in the program for two years. He is a warrant officer and expects to be promoted to second lieutenant. His grandmother got him into program. He says he wouldn’t be where he is in life without it. “(Being in) cadets has helped me to stay in school. I’ve got the highest marks in my class right now,” says Roasting, adding that his motto is, “Be cool and stay in school.” He has had a traumatic family life, which included preventing several of his relatives from committing suicide. In addition, one of his relatives is in a gang where they were stabbed and received three stitches. South Peace News will have an article about the local police cadet program in its March 12 edition.

Copyright © 1999-2005 South Peace News. All Rights Reserved.
No part may be reproduced without written permission.

View our Privacy Statement.
Send website suggestions to the Webmaster