Joint Task Force (Central) Emergency Response Exercise, Ex TRILLIUM VENTURE

May 31, 2024 – Defense News

The author, unit: Lieutenant Kyle Donnelly, Public Affairs Officer (PAO)

A contingent of approximately 1,500 members of Joint Task Force Central (JTF) participated in Exercise TRILLIUM VENTURE across Ontario from May 3 to 5, 2024. Exercise TRILLIUM VENTURE was intended to prepare JTF to conduct a unified and rapid response with local, regional and other community partners in the event of a Request for Federal Assistance (DAF). The exercise took place in preparation for Operation LENTUS, a Canadian Armed Forces contingency operation, which provides emergency support to local and provincial government DAFs. This year, the 31^e32^e and 33^e Territorial Battalion Groups (TBGs), composed of members of the Canadian Army Reserve, the Naval Reserve (NAVRES) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under the command of the JTF, trained in a wide range of environments, from small town communities to the banks of major rivers and dense forests.

The northeast portion of the exercise began on Friday at Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, then traveled to Mattawa for the weekend. Members of 33 GBT, supported by a Hercules aircraft from 436 Squadron RCAF, delivered essential supplies such as a field kitchen and fresh water during the simulated flood scenario, while a CH147 helicopter 450 Chinook^e Squadron ensured rapid supply of larger equipment. The 33 GBT worked with the local NAVRES unit to simulate search and rescue operations along the Mattawa River waterways.

Legend

Members of 32 GBT rehearse a wildfire management scenario with local civilian government agencies in a forested area of ​​varied terrain behind the old Wasaga Beach Arena, an ideal place to learn the complexities of wildfire management .

Author: Cpl Jessie-Jordan Clemente, 32 Public Affairs^eCanadian Brigade Group

The members of the 31 GBT were distributed across two regions. The first contingent of 400 military personnel conducted wellness checks in southwestern Ontario as part of a response to a 13-day simulated heat wave that caused power outages, damage to infrastructure and homes, as well as water shortages in some communities. This area of ​​responsibility was bordered by the towns of Goderich, Wingham and Hensall. The remaining 400 troops were spread north to Lion’s Head in Bruce County to simulate an extreme heat emergency. Members of 31 GBT who were at Lion’s Head practiced their skills in coordination with NAVRES units. They used rigid hull inflatable boats to carry out reconnaissance missions of coastal launch and recovery sites, reviews of search and rescue patterns as well as the establishment of operations centers mobile. 32 GBT, headquartered in Borden, Ontario, sent 200 of its soldiers to Wasaga Beach for a simulated wildfire exercise in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police, the Wasaga Beach Fire Department and Simcoe County Paramedics.

Responses in the areas of casualty care, search and rescue and emergency evacuation provided great opportunities for collaboration between organizations. “We need to make sure we train our staff well; it must be able to work with and communicate with civilian governments, but also serve as reinforcements for them,” said Lt. Col. Jason Morische, commander of B Company of the 48^th Highlanders of Canada.

The annual TRILLIUM series of exercises marks the end of the JTF training cycle. This series of exercises aims to equip JTF members with the local knowledge needed to respond effectively and efficiently to future national crises and emergencies. JTFC’s readiness has been validated in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season.