Flight Sergeant John Selander has been a cadet for the past five years. The 16 year old says he has experienced a lot of personal growth since joining cadets.
"I've gained a great deal of confidence," said Selander. "When I started cadets I wasn't very social. I have since joined many teams. I have been training with the biathlon team, I joined the drill team, I made the band, and I made the flag party. I really enjoy cadets."
Cadet Travon Carpenter is just finishing his first year with the squadron. He signed up looking for something a little out of the ordinary.
"Cadets definitely got me that new experience. I like the teamwork and the stuff we do together, trustworthiness, friendship, teamwork. It's given me more confidence, I have more pride in myself. I started out being kind of shy, and afraid to try things. Cadets got me out of that," said the 14 year old.
On Saturday, Selander and Carpenter joined their fellow cadets for the 547 Canuck Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, 65th Annual Ceremonial Review at the Canadore Aviation Campus.
Lieutenant David Badgley said it's been a big year for the cadets.
"They've been to Vimy Ridge in France, and we just came back from a field training exercise at CFB Borden. They got to play in army trucks, police simulators, and they went in an aircraft simulator," said Badgley. "The band also just finished the Northern Ontario Area Band Competition, where they placed third out of 97 bands in Ontario."
To help celebrate the Squadrons 65th anniversary, some former Commanding Officers watched as the 39 cadets marched in their final parade of the season, showcasing what they have learned since September.
"Some will move on to summer camps, some are moving on to higher ranks and some are coming back next year in different positions", said Badgley.
The Squadron is reaching out to the community, hoping to get new recruits between the ages of 12 and 18 enrolled for September.
Badgley explained what's in store for the coming year.
"This year the cadets will do more of the North American trips, visiting battlefields in Ontario and Quebec and we're also going to the Smithsonian Institute to see all the Canadian aircraft".
Following the parade, awards were presented recognizing individual achievements.
