RHLI Support Canadian Cycling Championships

photos by Capt Tim Fletcher, RHLI and Sgt Pat McCarthy, 23 Service Battalion

If it was a new military vehicle, it might be called a "Light Over-Road Personnel Carrier", or "LORP-C". However, despite the presence of dozens of soldiers from the Hamilton Garrison, including eight members of The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, it was not a CF test of a new vehicle. The event was the Canadian National Cycling Championships and the Rileys formed a major part of the CF support on Friday the 27th and 29th of June.

Planning for the CF commitment began some months ago through the ASH of C when race organizers recognized some of the unique strengths of the Canadian military, specifically the local Reserve units. The police and city asked the CF for a military presence to provide a recognizable uniform but also specific skill sets. Hamilton Police Superintendent Glyn Wide, in charge of police operations for the race, affirmed, "All military personnel provided a prominent presence and professional conduct. This presence represented authority while at the same time supporting community spirit."

Units providing troops included The RHLI, 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion, the Argylls as lead agency, and 705 Communication Squadron from the Communication Reserve. The unarmed troops provided security and direction along race and travel routes, as well as supervision and organization to the volunteers based on "section captains" and "team leaders".

Luc Bujold, the sports coordinator for the Hamilton 2003 Committee, was pleased with the military commitment. "It was really reassuring for us to have the military participating. It would have been almost impossible to rely just on the volunteers; we needed the military's organizational skills."