Certainly. Rangers are a long-established organization. They've been around since 1947. They have worked out a really incredible balance between national security dimensions to their role and also community interests and looking out for their communities.
Certainly their ongoing operations are a challenge, like they are for all other northerners in terms of their activities on the land. There's increased unpredictability, trails.... Seasonal cycles that were well known are now being thrown into question. Certainly they're being called out with increasing frequency for ground search and rescue, where they're playing a supporting role to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. But nevertheless, as the organized group in communities, they're being called out with greater frequency. At the same time, resource development and other things are also giving them opportunities for jobs competing for their time.
In terms of the Rangers, it's making sure that they have the tools, but as well having the support from Ranger instructors, having the support from staff to allow them to do their jobs.
The Rangers are part of the Canadian Armed Forces family, a very essential part of it. Again, we can't assume that just because they've done everything as they've done for decades, that without increased support and without attention they're going to be able to continue to do it in the future. I think they are on the front lines of seeing that a lot of the threats and hazards and challenges associated with the 21st century Arctic are not the need to retool them as primary reservists and to prepare to fight wars; it's to be able to respond appropriately to the challenges they are facing at a grassroots level.