j : NEWS photo Neil Lucente MAJCR VINCE ‘arocque, commanding officer of the 6th Field Squadron, poses in front of the 1t. Fell Armouries in North Van- couser. The Squedron witli be celebrating ite 80th anniversary next Saturday. A SHADE BET " me 4 : \ mi d 4% 5 B pecatzhig in Binds und Diapertes fo: over £ yeas 1877 Marine Dr., N. Var. 984-4464 A #4:38948 Progress Way, Squamish 892-5857 R Whistler oe 932-6647 THIS YEAR marks the 80th year that the North Shore’s military organization has been active. The Six Field Engineer Squadron, a ceserve army unit with over 80 ‘‘citizen soldiers,”’ plus a regular force support staff, has been operating non-stop on the North Shore since 191]. Commanding Officer, Major Vince Larocque, will host day- long festivities on Saturday, Oct. 5, to officially mark the occasion. A military parade, including the band of the New Westminster Regiment, will be held in the * squadron’s armory at | p.m. The building is located at 1513 Forbes Ave., near Mahon Park. The parade, followed by an open house, will be open to the public. Associate Deputy Minister of Defence Mary Collins, accom- panied by other civil and military dignitaries, will inspect the troops and officiate at the raarch past. Those attending are invited to watch training demonstrations and inspect the armory facilities after the parade is over. A buffet dinner/dance is also planned at the armory, starting at 7 p.m. The general public, especially former members of the unit, are invited. Cost is $25 per couple and space is Jimited. For information call 666-4052. The unit was formed in 1911 after two prominent ;esidents of North Vancouver, Alexander Phillips and Donald Cameron, circulated a petition asking Ot- By Capt. Michael L. Wood Contributing Writer tawa officials for permission to form a reserve army unit on the North Shore. Maj. James Pemberton Fell was appointed the first commanding officer in 1911 and 30 North Shore citizens quickly enrolled. Maj. Fell, an ex-British Army of- ficer, was the North Vancouver City Engineer at the time, and several city streets have been named after him. The North Vancouver armory was named after him in 1983; the Lt.-Col. J.P. Fell Armory is now a heritage building. At the outbreak of the First World War, the building became a recruiting and training centre and remained so until the 1918 armi- stice. Most of the 4,176 trained recruits went overseas as Royal Canadian Engineers. In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the squadron mobilized and moved to Nova Scotia. The unit moved to England and took part in the Normandy D-Day landings, with the Third Canadian Infantry Divi- sion, where it suffered heavy ca- sualties. Many D-Day veterans ‘still remain associated with the unit. The role of the military engineers in peacetime is to train Wednesday, October 2, 1991 - North Shore News - 49 for operational tasks in combat and construction engineering in the event of mobilization; or if there should be a major natural disaster, such as an earthquake or- floods. Advancement opportunities for part-time reserve soldiers are many. Promotion is based on the successful completion of courses and individual abilities and expe- riences. Promotions increase pay and technical and leadership respon- sibilities. Skills learned in the Ca- nadian Military Engineers are useful both in a reserve soldier’s civilian occupation and his per- sonal life. The job will appeal to mature males and females. who want to make a contribution to national defence or international peacekeeping with the Canadian Army reserves. Males or females enrolling in the unit must be between 17 and 45 year of age, have good health and be physically fit. They must also be Canadian citizens with Grade !1 or 12 level educations. Those seriously thinking of joining might wish ta view the Oct. 5 parade and open house. The squadron parades each Thursday evening between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., generaliy with one weekend exercise per- month. - Senior members also parade each Tuesday evening for ad- ministrative duties. Our CHEF’S CUT Team invites you to visit the Tanya GOURMET SALADS Special Orders Welcome or phone 9385-3069 Drep py 8:00 AM-10:00 PM & ask for Chef's Cut Chef’s Cut only at 1250 Marine Br. Nerth Van.