300 Fisher
Box 393 S0K 0M0 Biggar, SK, Canada

With the current impacts that COVID is having on society, particularly with youth, now is more important than ever to be discussing the topics of Mental Health ...and Mental Fitness. This past weekend, 44 senior sea cadets and corps staff around in Alberta had the opportunity to participate in the first annual Dylan Reiter Mental Awareness Conference, participating in Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness course delivered by PSP Edmonton Health Promotion. Dylan Reiter was a sea cadet in Alberta and tragically took his own life in 2016. After his passing there were many discussions about youth mental health and suicide awareness. Many asked themselves Was there something I could have done? How did I not know? He seemed to have everything going for him, why did he do it? Were there signs of concern? There are many stereotypes of Mental Illness - Many don’t ask for help as they may feel scared or ashamed. Many people are unaware of the signs that people with mental illness may portray. People may feel uncomfortable talking with those that may have a mental illness. It was at this time that a few of us started the conversation about developing a yearly conference, aimed at the senior cadets, to discuss topics such as Mental Health, Mental Fitness, Suicide Awareness etc. This idea was presented to the Navy League of Canada Alberta Division where they immediately agreed this was something very important and subsequently approved funding for a yearly in person conference to be named the Dylan Reiter Mental Awareness Conference (DRMAC) said Lt(N) Jason Finkbeiner, Zone Training Officer, about the event. The outcomes of DRMAC are to develop confidence in cadets and staff to be able to discuss mental health, provide an environment for cadets and staff to be able to learn the signs of mental illness and suicide awareness, provide a resource to help cope with and meet the psychological demands of life, and to provide awareness of those around us and how we can assist them with mental illness. Plans were developing to have the initial conference last spring, but unfortunately due to COVID it was postponed, and ultimately delivered virtually.

To be a Cadet, is to become familiar with the Canadian Armed Forces. Cadets are not members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and they are not expected to join... the military. That being said, the Cadet Program is guided by the best of Canadian military values and ethics, including respecting the dignity of all people, serving Canada before self, and obeying and supporting lawful authorities. CAF Familiarization activities are designed to allow Cadets to meet CAF members and learn from them about their training, equipment and capabilities. Have you participated in a CAF Familiarization activity? What was it, and what did you learn during the experience?

It’s been a long, hard, and challenging year for all of us. #300Fisher squadron would like to send you all best wishes. Stay safe this holiday season. #merrychristmas and #happyholidays from us, to you. Captain Dram... Commanding Officer #300Fisher RCACS *Photo from December 2018

Hello Fisher team and friends. A friendly reminder that we are indeed moving forward with training, in a virtual setting. Senior cadets are working on virtual lessons to deliver over zoom meetings. keep an eye on the private group for meeting links and info.... Please be advised that this is regular training and attendance is still mandatory. If you cannot attend, please follow the regular chain of command and report your absence accordingly. If you are not able to log into zoom or attend meetings due to technological issues, call me at the number below to see if we can make arrangements. Cheers! -captain Dram C. 306 380 0209

Your actions today, will determine the quality of our tomorrow. Be #COVIDWise.

Check out these new masks from the Biggar legion! A big thank you to Deanna Stevenot from HR BLOCK Biggar for donating these masks Contact your local legion to get one for yourself.... -Captain Dram

TRAINING IS CANCELLED. Apologies for the late notice, I’ve just received notice that in-person training is cancelled, until further notice. Please help spread the word, I’ll be in the office until approx 6:30.... -Capt Dram

Please ensure cadets are referring to the COVID questionnaire prior to arriving for parade. If you are unable to attend, stay tuned for links to virtual lessons. -Capt Dram