By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — When Jacob Heinrich joined 553 Sherlock Squadron last fall, he had one goal in mind: getting his pilot’s license.
The 14-year-old Davidson resident said he knew learning to fly was part of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets program, but he soon learned there was lots more to it than that.
On Friday, he and his fellow Cadets headed down to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park for a three-day weekend, setting up camp and learning basic survival skills.
Other activities this year have included trips to the Moose Jaw airbase and museums, along with gliding lessons. Heinrich also learned he’s been accepted to attend a three-week camp this summer at Cold Lake.
“We’ve done quite a lot of stuff that I didn’t know we would do,” said Heinrich. “It’s all been really fun.”
Jacob enjoyed it so much that his brother Reggie, who turns 12 this month, is joining the Cadet program as soon as he becomes eligible.
“I’ve been persuasive,” said Jacob with a laugh.
Unfortunately for the Heinrichs and other cadets, the Davidson squadron will soon be moving out of town, following a sustained decline in its numbers.
Capt. Krystal Klenk-Potts, the squadron’s commanding officer, said the new location hasn’t been determined yet, but it will be closer to Saskatoon.
“Ultimately, it no longer will be in Davidson,” she said, adding that it will retain its number and name. “It’s easier to move a squadron then to start a brand new one.”
For the past several years, the organization had told the Davidson squadron that it needed to improve its numbers or risk being reorganized.
This year, they set a firm target, telling Klenk-Potts that she needed to have 25 cadets registered by the end of February.
“I wasn’t too happy with that number,” she recalled adding that while enrolment has increased since last year, it never approached the required figure. “Even with this jump, we were on the cusp of being shut down or put on hold.”
Sherlock Squadron currently has seven cadets enrolled, coming from Davidson, Bladworth, Craik and Stalwart.
For the full story, please see the May 16 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.