Military live-fire exercise outside Yellowknife this month

Yellowknifers may notice more military vehicles and armed personnel around the city later in October as the Canadian Armed Forces carries out live-fire training in the region.

In a news release on Thursday, the Department of National Defence said the Loyal Edmonton Regiment – a reserve unit with a company based in Yellowknife – will carry out rifle, pistol, and shotgun marksmanship training between October 24 and 28.

Training will take place in a gravel pit owned by the territory’s infrastructure department, 55 kilometres west of Yellowknife.

According to the news release, firing will be toward the west, “which is a lightly travelled, unpopulated area.” The military is not expecting the activity to “impede civilian traffic or activities in the area” in any significant way.

Sentries will be posted at the gravel pit entrance to prevent access for safety reasons and will be available to answer any questions community members may have.

The news release continued: “The Loyal Edmonton Regiment follows the principles of good environmental stewardship and operates so that there is a minimal impact to the environment.”