Camp Aldershot open house draws huge crowd

People didn’t let the threat of rain keep them away as an estimated 1,000 visitors were on hand at noon Saturday for Camp Aldershot’s annual open house, “A Day in the Life.” The state-of-the-art weapons simulator was a popular attraction. There were countless interactive displays and demonstrations, including those put on by the West Nova Scotia Regiment, the 2444 Army Cadet Corps and the 507 Air Cadets Squadron. There were several displays and demonstrations in the Operational Camp, including military vehicles and a firefighting display, and the Outdoor Urban Operations site, including booby trap and improvised explosives training simulators, and much more. In a message to visitors, Detachment Commander Major Scott Bland said, with the current operations Canada participates in around the world, Camp Aldershot is becoming increasingly important to the army’s ability to produce highly trained soldiers. This has led to an enormous increase in activity at the camp over the past several years and it is expected to increase even more. He said they hope the open house would provide an opportunity to discover and understand what they do and why it’s important. Reporter Kirk Starratt was on hand and files the following video package…