A Petrolia army cadet is getting province-wide recognition for his hard work and commitment to the corps.
16-year-old Sgt. Bryce Blancher has been awarded the top gold star (fourth year) cadet in Ontario for 2019.
The award is based on his high number of National Star Certification Points for competing in marksman competitions, leadership training, and other activities.
He said it's a huge honour to be recognized.
"It means so much," said Blancher. "My mom was a cadet back in the day and she kind of made me join at the start. I was super scared the first night but I loved it after that first night. Ever since then, I've been trying to be the best that I can be. It just means so much that it's kind of paying off now."
"Almost every time that I'm out doing a cadet function, I'm put in a leadership role and every single time I get better and better," he said. "Of course, that helps later in life with jobs and that kind of thing. The leadership side of it is probably my favourite part. There are a whole bunch of lessons like camaraderie, and challenging yourself. It's really an amazing program if you want to try and make yourself better."
Blancher said the army cadet corps provides valuable life experiences like flying in a Chinook helicopter, bushcraft, dogsledding, white water rafting, abseiling, and mountain climbing.
He said sometimes you can even get paid to go overseas to pay respects at war memorials in France, England and Scotland.
Blancher received the award during a ceremony at the corps' recent weekly meeting.
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Blancher receives honour from Town of Petrolia - December 10, 2019.
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