Joint Task Force North holds 11th annual Prospector Challenge

Lee Morrissey and Major Alexandre Munoz of Joint Task Force say the annual Prospector Challenge is an ultimate “cohesion challenge,” an opportunity for military members and partner organizations to take on a personal and team test.

Morrissey explained that participating members of the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard take on a variety of fitness challenges around Frame Lake Trail, Niven Subdivision, Yellowknife Ski Club, and Old Town, carrying about 25 pounds of gear on their back and portaging over canoe over about a 23 km distance 

This year, the event saw 30 competitors in teams of two.

Joanne Lyster, Head of military Police, completed the mult-legged race last year at the event’s 10-year anniversary with her partner. 

“It’s a challenge. Last year was the 10-year anniversary, So they did a long version which was 25 km,” recalled Lyster.

On the dock near Old Town where teams are launching canoes out onto the Great Slave, competitors dressed in camouflage race towards the shore, a Yellowknife bush plane flies overhead and swoops past as a helicopter moves in and hovers over the lake. The competitors are keenly aware of their surroundings, making their way in and out of each leg of the excercise, staying focused..

“The whole purpose of the Prospector is more like a physical fitness team, cohesion, sort of thing because we invite, not only the headquarters, but the reserve, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, the Air Force and the CRPG,” said Morrissey.

Morrissey emphasized that the exercise is is physically demanding and covers a large area.

“A race challenge for parts of it. So they would have started by going around Frame Lake approximately 5 K down to here and then they’ll do maybe like a kilometre of a canoe over to the ski club, approximately 4 K of running in the ski club without their pack,” explained Morrissey.

Each year, the race changes its route and takes on different directions and forms.

“We changed the route around, reversed it, modified it, and made it different. So each year, it gets a little tweaked somewhere here and there.

The race continues with different types of physical and mental trials, where the teams have to think collaboratively.

“It’s like an orienteering so they got to find someone in there and collect pieces from them. Now another kilometre, then they pick the canoe up, portage it over to Frame Lake, do around Frame Lake in the canoe and then they’ll run around Frame Lake again. And then throughout the entire thing, they’re looking for where essentially have a Lego set that it when in the end it’ll look like two people in a canoe with paddles and life jackets, and they have to collect all them and then put it together at the end and other details,” said Morrissey.

“And then there were other different challenges inside of it. Last year and in previous years, we’ve done a question and answer. And that was basically questions on the history of Yellowknife,” added Morrissey.

“It’s designed to be like a marching sort of teams can run if they want. It’s by design a marching competition and that helps to keep people from getting injured,” added Morrissey. 

All the competitors are from the Yellowknife area this year, from the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard. 

The winner receives a unique award and bragging rights, explained Morrissey.

“We have a trophy, it’s the boot, it’s literally an old-style army boot, that the winner gets, they get that trophy. Nothing to take home, unfortunately, but their name goes on that. It stays at the Evans building forever and ever,” said Morrissey.

Major Muñoz told True North FM that the winners of “the Boot” this year were Major Craig Fettes of Joint Task Force North, Canadian Armed Forces, and Brendan Hancock of the Canadian Coast Guard.

As NWT RCMP said on social media,”Some participate to beat their own record. Others want to be the first to cross the finish line.” 

“Through sweat and hard work, all fifteen teams successfully crossed the finish line. Congratulations to Cst. Long and James Wood, who won the race in the “Old and Bold” category,” said NWT RCMP

This year the Prospector Challenge was brought together by 57 support staff that helped participants along the way.