The Estevan Cadet groups held a parade last night which was attended by a special guest who changed up the night.
Lt. Col. Kevin Diduck, the commanding officer of the regional Cadet Support Unit Northwest was in attendance, who is the superior officer for Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the territories.
He says that he attended what was mostly a regular parade night with an extra event.
"Last night was their regular parade night. So, there are two squadrons here in Estevan, so you have an Air Cadet squadron and an Army Cadet core. We haven't had anyone from the headquarters out for quite some time, so we went out to see both of them because they both parade on the same night."
"It's a little bit different when I show up because we have a little bit of question-answer with the cadets, we get a chance to interact with them. But it was really good to see them in action, that's for sure."
Diduck says that the work the Estevan Cadets put in helps them grow as people.
"What I see from the cadets is kind of what I see from all cadets. I think the program really is that opportunity for cadets to kind of grow and have these unique opportunities. We really focus on leadership accountability, really helping development to really good Canadian citizens, future Canadian leaders."
The cadets focus on programs like drills, marksmanship, and biathlons to help shape those cadets.
Diduk says that the program also helps to sharpen mental skills, which were on display during the Q&A session.
"Last night at the Air Cadets squadron, there was this one young cadet who asked some of the most intelligent questions I've ever had, ever, in my time. So I was really impressed to see that they're thinking at that level and she must have been no more than 14-15, asking questions that most adults wouldn't even come up with."
Diduk says he hopes to see all the Estevan Cadets continue to work hard. With 216 cores and squadrons under his purview and an end of his term in the summer, Diduck says he probably won't be able to make it back to another parade.
He thanked the Estevan community for all the work they put in to make sure the cadets were successful.
"The program really relies on support from the community and when I see the town, the way they support the Air Cadet squadron in their building, the Legion supporting the Army Cadets, I think that's why Estevan is so successful. So we have small towns around this population elsewhere in the region that aren't as successful as Estevan."
"They have extreme community support, so a big thank you to the town of Estevan and everyone in Estevan and all the businesses and local organizations that support the program. It's their program as well, right? It really is a community-based program and the more support the better program they get. You get more youth into the program. They are doing all the right things you want to do and you develop a better cadet out of that. Really just a big thank you to Estevan for all the hard work they do to keep this program what it is."