Burnaby RCMP Const. Frank Tarape is a true believer when it comes to the Royal Canadian Air Cadets program.
Raised in Vancouver, the local Mountie was a member of Burnaby-based 637 Arrow Squadron from the time he was 12 until he aged out at 19 in 2005.
Before he left, he was presented with the Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty award.
This month he was back, presenting the same award to another dedicated cadet: Warrant Officer 1st Class Tim Lui.
“It’s such a great thing for Burnaby’s youth,” Tarape said of the program.
Originally established in 1941 to train young men for service during the Second World War, the national program has evolved to focus on citizenship, leadership, physical fitness and general aviation as well as piquing youngsters’ interest in the activities of the Canadian Forces.
Along with the sea and army cadet programs, the air cadets are funded by the Department of National Defence and local fundraising efforts.
“There’s never a financial barrier between kids joining and enjoying and learning from this, and that’s really important,” Tarape said.
The program consists of one night a week of mandatory training (at Nelson Elementary School in South Burnaby for 637 Arrow Squadron) and a slew of other clubs and teams cadets can join.
Some cadets become licensed private pilots before they have a driver’s licence, Tarape said – and they get paid to learn.
“They call it a training bonus, so every cadet that attends any course actually receives about $120 a week,” Tarape said.
One of his passions was first aid, he said, and he considers those skills one of the most valuable things he took away from the program.
Regardless of whether they choose flying or first aid or band, however, all cadets learn how to work as a team and get a chance to form close connections, according to Tarape.
“You make some great friendships,” he said, “because, when you’re really in the shit of it on a bush exercise where some parts of it can be cold and wet and some parts can have a hard task that you’re learning how to do together, you form some great bonds.”
Those who stick with the program for all seven years, like Lui, come out the other end well prepared for just about anything, according to Tarape.
“Those cadets are amazing young professionals,” he said.
Long a seemingly well-kept secret, air cadet squadrons in the Lower Mainland have grown by “leaps and bounds,” according to Tarape.
He said there were about 30 cadets in 637 Arrow Squadron when he was involved.
Now there are 230 and about 400 total in Burnaby – meaning even more opportunities as more clubs and teams are formed.
But even with all the fun and valuable opportunities the program offers, Tarape said there are likely some kids who won’t join just because other teens might think it’s “dorky” – as they did in his day.
Personally, he was too busy to pay those kids any mind.
“I didn’t have time for the haters,” he said.
