The Vancouver-based light infantry unit of the Canadian Army is asking residents to not be alarmed if they hear automatic gunfire this weekend around the site of the former Molson-Coors brewery.
The Seaforth Highlanders regiment says it will be conducting urban operations training on both Saturday and Sunday at the old brewery site and at the unitsa国际传媒檚 nearby armoury.
Maj. Brennan MacLachlan with the Seaforth Highlanders said unit members will not be using live ammunition and will stay almost exclusively inside the brewery and armoury buildings.
He said disturbance to nearby neighbourhoods should be minimal.
sa国际传媒淭he buildings are pretty soundproof and also blank fire isnsa国际传媒檛 as loud as, say, live ammunition,sa国际传媒� MacLachlan said of the reservistsa国际传媒檚 use of C7 assault rifles during the exercise. sa国际传媒淪o, there shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be too much (noise) coming out. But otherwise, you may hear some automatic sa国际传媒� sort of the rat-tat-tat-tat-tat type sounds occasionally.sa国际传媒�
The former brewery is right next to Vancouversa国际传媒檚 Burrard Bridge and along False Creek, where thousand of residents live in condominiums and townhomes.
A statement from Capt. Graeme Kaine with 39 Canadian Brigade Group, which administers reserve forces in British Columbia, said uniformed reservists might be seen carrying small arms weapons for the training.
Kaine said health protection measures will be enforced sa国际传媒渁t all timessa国际传媒� of the exercise, and the training will follow guidelines from federal, provincial and municipal public health agencies.
Kaine also said the exercise will help the reserve unit plan, prepare and execute any future operations in what he describes as sa国际传媒渃omplex urban environments.sa国际传媒�
MacLachlan said developer Concord Pacific, which owns the brewery site, gave the regiment permission to use the building starting last year, and it is planning to maximize use of the building for urban operations.
He said urban training would involve standard, block-shaped buildings, and a sa国际传媒渕assivesa国际传媒� site such as the brewery featuring industrial-type areas, warehousing and office spaces create a more comprehensive training environment.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 an extremely valuable opportunity, particularly as we look at the trend and conflicts of late,sa国际传媒� MacLachlan said.
sa国际传媒淪o, having more exposure to it is critical to prepare our soldiers to work in those places. And unfortunately, urban operation is one of the most sa国际传媒� if not the most sa国际传媒� complex environment to operate in as a soldier.sa国际传媒�
MacLachlan said the unit is expected to have access to the brewery site for about four years.
The Seaforth Highlanders conduct monthly training exercises, and MacLachlan said the unit typically covers urban operations at least once every few years, but the brewerysa国际传媒檚 availability means theysa国际传媒檒l do more such exercises.
sa国际传媒淭he role of the infantry is that we have to be able to operate any time, anywhere basically,sa国际传媒� he said.
sa国际传媒淲henever conflict arises or theresa国际传媒檚 a need for support from the Canadian Armed Forces, we donsa国际传媒檛 get the luxury of picking where and when thatsa国际传媒檚 going to occur. So, urban operation is very relevant, and I think itsa国际传媒檚 safe to say theresa国际传媒檒l always be some flavour of urban operations in any operating environment that wesa国际传媒檙e going to go to.sa国际传媒�
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