Three local cadet groups gathered at the Cornwall Armoury on Fourth Street West to train for the Zone 20 Marksmanship Competition. Members of the 325 Cornwall Kiwanis Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, 110 Stormont Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, and 2403 Royal Canadian Army Cadets practised air rifle shooting under the guidance of experienced coaches, with members of the SDG Highlanders in attendance.
All three groups were practising for their annual zone marksmanship competition, which was held March 2 in Ottawa.
Among those training was Warrant Officer First Class Zoe Noort-Sigurdson, a senior air cadet who has been involved in marksmanship since joining the program in 2018. “I took a real interest in marksmanship as soon as I joined,” she said. “I attended the Air Rifle Marksmanship Instructor Course in 2022 and have spent the past two summers staffing marksmanship courses. My favorite part of being on the team is helping newer cadets develop their skills.”
For cadets like El Mallah, a Grade 12 student at École L’Héritage, this was their first competition. “I have a big passion for aviation, and I thought air cadets would be a great way to get involved,” Mallah said. “The best advice I’ve received is to ‘fake it till you make it’ — confidence is key.”
Captain Bradford Noort-Sigurdson, coach for the open team, emphasized the importance of discipline and consistency in marksmanship. “Cadets as young as 12 are learning to control themselves, remain steady, and execute the same actions consistently. Shooting is all about self-discipline,” he said. “We consistently produce a high number of strong competitors.”
In addition to marksmanship training, the Sea Cadets hosted a Seamanship Weekend at the Armoury from February 21 to 23. The event brought together around 150 cadets from across the region, where they participated in training exercises focused on knot tying, block and tackle techniques, flag training, and team-building activities.
