A team of Canadian Rangers is currently completing a 60-day snowmobile journey across the Arctic, with an expected arrival in Churchill, Manitoba, in mid-April 2026. The 4,500-kilometre patrol led by Sergeant Jim Welsh traveled from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to the western shore of Hudson Bay to support northern security operations.
The patrol is a major part of a military exercise called Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT 2026. This event is the largest of its kind since the series began in 2007, involving about 1,300 members of the Canadian Armed Forces along with military personnel from allied countries including the United States, Belgium, France, and Denmark.
According to the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, the team followed the southern shore of the Northwest Passage. They have stopped in several remote communities such as Tuktoyaktuk, Cambridge Bay, and Rankin Inlet while navigating the trek toward the finish line in Churchill.
The team faced difficult winter conditions including heavy blizzards and extreme cold, once getting stuck at Shingle Point in the Yukon for three days because of high winds. To handle the weather, the Rangers used specialized Skookum parkas and Yukon Expedition Sleds designed for rugged terrain.
The patrol leader, Sergeant Jim Welsh, comes from a family dedicated to the service; his partner is a Canadian Ranger and his children are active in the Junior Rangers. Churchill has hosted its own local patrol through the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group since March 1971, providing a military presence and supporting local youth programs in the community.
