Warrant Officer Keith Shannon from Gibsons is feeling a bit prouder of Canada and the Sunshine Coast these days.
On a tour with the Canadian military stationed in Kandahar at Camp Nathan Smith, Shannon recently requested a flag from his home town of Gibsons, but as the Town did not have a flag to send him, Gibsons Legion Branch 109 was called upon for assistance. The result of the collaborative efforts was a flag bearing the Royal Canadian Legion crest, the Legion's "Support Our Troops" ribbon logo and the Town of Gibsons logo.
Shannon was requesting the Town's participation in the flag project that was started during previous tours of Afghanistan, an opportunity for Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT) members to have their city or town flag flying at the entrance of the camp during their tour of duty.
The KPRT is composed of more than 500 Canadians and combines the expertise of diplomats, corrections specialists, development specialists, Canadian police including the RCMP and the military. The KPRT supports key initiatives in the province and carries out a broad range of mentorship roles such as training police officers and strengthening local governance capacity, in line with Canada's priorities in Afghanistan.
Other projects the KPRT is involved with include providing solar powered lighting in areas without electricity, solar powered wells to provide drinking water in areas that have limited access to clean water, working with the municipal authorities on road rehabilitation and sanitation issues as well as repairing and rebuilding hospitals and schools.
- Submitted
