A local youth is having a summer full of exhilarating experiences while also learning crucial skills at the Connaught Cadet Training Centre (CTC) in Ottawa.
Cadet Christian Dal Dosso of Georgetown's 676 Lorne Scots Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps is the youngest person taking the Fullbore Phase 1 Marksmanship course at the national training facility and got to fire one of the first shots at a special ceremony last week.
“That was absolutely amazing,” Dal Dosso said of his first shot experience.
Though he has experienced air rifle marksmanship, this was his first firearm use.
“I can’t wait to do it again,” he said. “I love that we get to come here every day for the next month. It is so exciting."
Dal Dosso is hoping to place in the top 30 in the competition that will be held during the last week of the course.
The Fullbore Marksmanship Phase 1 course is an Army Cadet course. Cadets learn the basics of marksmanship, building the specialist skills and knowledge that will allow them to compete in fullbore marksmanship competitions. The second phase of the course prepares them to compete at an international level.
CTC staff and course cadets held a special ceremony to mark the first round downrange fired on July 14, signalling the official opening of the range activities for this year’s course.
The celebration first happened last year to commemorate the re-opening of the ranges after a two-year hiatus of in-person training due to the pandemic.
This year's ceremony included a memorial to Alain Marion of Gatineau, Que., a person with an unprecedented shooting career and one of the greatest supporters of the Army Cadet Marksmanship Program. He was an Order of Canada recipient for his marksmanship accomplishments.
Marion passed away on June 24, 2023. A moment of silence was observed, then a solitary bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” to honour Marion.
“As the coaches mentioned, one of you will win the Alain Marion Memorial Trophy,” Connaught CTC Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Arleen Miller, CD, said to the cadets gathered on the range.
“All of your hard work will come to fruition at the end of the camp when we participate in the National Cadet Fullbore Championship (NCFC),” she said. “Each and every one of you will be competing head-to-head to see who the best is; everyone has just as much of a chance to win.”
Miller is also very supportive of the Cadet Marksmanship Program and expressed her feelings about seeing the cadets on the range.
“I absolutely enjoy seeing all of you cadets back on the range, having taken the Cadet National Rifle Team over (to Bisley) in 2014,” she said. “I am eager to see this grow to where we can compete again.”
The first shot was fired by a relay of four: the CTC Commanding Officer, the CTC Regimental Sergeant Major, the CTC Cadet Regimental Sergeant Major and the youngest cadet on the course, Cadet Dal Dosso.
