Submitted by: Guy Mandevlle, CD, MNO Veterans’ Council Chair; With files from: Ross Lees, Contact Trenton
MNO Veterans’ Council Chair Guy Mandeville, CD (third
from left) presents Sergeant Euper (fourth from right)
from 81 Construction Engineer Flight with a brass plaque
commemorating the completion of the Caribou Lodge.
(Picture by Corporal Audrey Solomon, 8 Wing Trenton
Imaging). Click here to view a larger version of the picture.
On October 18, 2016, Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Veterans’ Council Chair Guy Mandeville, CD, was proud to attend the opening ceremony of Caribou Lodge at the Three Sisters Aboriginal Garden in Trenton.
The Lodge is a simulated longhouse structure that will provide a place for Indigenous personnel to conduct ceremonies and interact with their cultures. It is located in the Three Sisters Garden behind the Officers’ Mess at the 8 Wing Canadian Forces Base.
At the ceremony, Mandeville gave a speech of appreciation for the outstanding work of Sergeant Euper and the entire 81 Construction Engineer Flight (81 CEF) staff. He also presented Sergeant Euper with a commemorative brass plaque to hand at the Lodge.
Groundwork on the project began in December 2015 with the laying of a concrete foundation. The Lodge was completed less than a year later on September 8, 2016. Sergeant Euper and the 81 CEF members dedicated many hours of extensive research to understand the significance of a traditional longhouse, and while it wasn’t possible to construct one on the CFB Trenton site, the Caribou Lodge effectively represents many traditional features.
The thought and care put into the project is obvious, from the ranch board exterior siding used to make it look rustic to the skylights that were used to simulate the holes that allowed the fire pit smoke to escape. Near the end of the project, the 81 CEF personnel worked many long hours to reach its completion. This included starting their shifts earlier than normal in order to lay the shingles during the cooler hours of the day.
Published on: November 25, 2016