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Canadian Ranger Dorothy Simon Junior Ranger Machaela Larocque of Fort Resolution and 2015 Silver Cross mother Sheila Anderson of Yellowknife tour the House of Commons on Nov. 10. Wednesday November 18 2015 9 NORTHERNERS REMEMBRANCE DAY By DALI CARMICHAEL The eyes of the nation upon her Machaela Larocque tepidly laid a wreath at the National War Memorial at the centre of Confederation Square in Ottawa this Remembrance Day. Of all the thousands of Junior Canadian Rangers JCR spread out across the nations northern frontier the 17 year-old from Fort Resolution was selected to represent her peers in the sacred moment apparently because I am the best of the best of the Junior Rang- ers thats all Ive been told. Larocque has participated in the youth program since the age of 12 completing leadership and on the land training every step of the way. When I was walking around the parade I was just thinking please dont trip things like that nothing else was going through my mind. Just dont mess up the senior JCR said. I felt major pride. I had to carry myself differently while I was there just because I represented so many people and they deserve to be represented well. Those looking on couldnt see the nerves only a stoic teen decked out in the JCRs iconic green hoodie and baseball cap. Its so important because we wouldnt have ourfreedomwithoutthetroopsLarocquesaid of Remembrance Day. Everything about it is important.Somanygoodmenandwomensacri- ficedthemselvessothatwecanhavegoodlives. So many people say that but that is exactly it. Following the ceremonious elements of her excursionLarocqueandherchaperone-fellow Canadian Ranger and Fort Res resident Dol- lie Simon - were given the capital experience. Lookingatthecrowdseeingthevetsitwas so beautiful Simon said. I felt so proud be- causeweweretheonlytwoNorthernersthere. It was overwhelming Larocque said de- scribing her whirlwind trip. From shaking hands with newly minted PrimeMinisterJustinTrudeautodinnerwith the Governor General and tours throughout theParliamentBuildingsandtheNationalWar Museum there was hardly a moment for rest. TheyevengottomeetwithSilverCrossMother Sheila Anderson of Yellowknife the first from the NWT in more than 60 years to take part in the tradition. Once you actually meet them youre like theyreactuallyjustpeopleLaroquesaid.Jus- tin Trudeau was so down to earth it was like Wow.Hesjustlikeanotherhuman.Hedoesnt have any ego. Everyone I met I just realized theyrenotanybetterthananyoneelsetheyre just equal theyre just humans. Larocque said she was absolutely inspired by her overwhelming trip even if it was over relatively quickly. IloveOttawanowandImactuallyplanning on moving and going to university or college thereormaybejoiningthemilitarytobecome a medical officer or something. A brave and human face Andersontoldthe JournalSundaynightthe repeated emotional questions from the media have been more challenging to navigate than the trip to Ottawa which she also described as overwhelming. IfoundthatquitedifficultbutImgladIhad the opportunity she said. I had a wonderful trip.HavinglostafamilymembertowarIthink you need to put a human face on that. Unfor- tunately this year it had to be mine but Cana- dians stand behind us as grieving parents and for the vets as well. Andersons son Corporal Jordan Anderson was killed with five other Canadian soldiers when a roadside bomb exploded southwest of Kandahar City on July 4 2007. TheSilverCrossMothersaidhertakingonthe responsibilityoflayingawreathinOttawawas lessaboutherownsonandmoreaboutthefam- ilies of other soldiers from other conflicts and thosesoldierswhoreturnhomeneedingsupport. Thereweresomanykilledintheworldwars she said. Some parents never had their kids bodies repatriated and to me its more impor- tantlyaboutthatandthepeoplethatcomeback alive and need help. Our previous government has sort made that difficult and I hope the new government will correct all of that. - with files from Craig Gilbert Territories well-represented in Ottawa on Nov. 11 Larocque centre with cadets and members of the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group during a tour of Ottawa on November 9. PhotoscourtesyDorothySimon Larocque meets Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.