JASON SETNYK
From January 30 to February 1, Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry hosted Exercise Trillium Response, a major regional emergency preparedness initiative involving municipal, provincial, and federal partners. The simulation focused on a realistic rail disaster scenario in South Dundas, involving the release of dangerous chemicals during an ice storm, and tested the ability of agencies to respond under pressure.
The scenario forced officials to evacuate residents by snowmobile, address environmental hazards, and manage communication amid blinding snow and road closures. Local Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) coordinated with military units, including over 130 Canadian Army personnel deployed from 33 Canadian Brigade Group. “This exercise showed just how effective our collective response can be when organizations work together with a shared purpose,” said Katherine Beehler, Emergency Management and Training Coordinator for SDG Counties. “Participants demonstrated professionalism, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to collaboration.”
Over 100 soldiers set up a mobile headquarters and heated tents behind the Cornwall Armoury, enduring freezing temperatures to simulate real deployment conditions. “We want to make sure our soldiers are prepared for the types of scenarios they’ll face in the real world,” explained Lt(N) Andrew McLaughlin, Public Affairs Officer for the 33 Canadian Brigade Group. “They slept outside in winter kit, cooked in mobile kitchens, and ran a fully operational command post.” At a media briefing on January 31, municipal and military officials praised the value of practicing together. “It’s amazing how good of a practice this is,” said South Dundas Mayor Jason Broad. “You realize quickly how busy and stretched you are in coordinating everything, even in a mock situation.”
North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald echoed the sentiment: “Even in a mock exercise, the stress is real. The more we do this, the better prepared we’ll be when the real thing happens.” Zachary Fortin, CN’s Dangerous Goods Officer, emphasized the benefit of face-to-face coordination: “I always say I’d rather meet you today in a controlled environment than during a real emergency. Knowing the people you’ll be working with makes a huge difference.”
Key themes addressed in the exercise included evacuation procedures, mutual aid agreements, coordinated communication, and information handovers between EOC shifts. “Emergencies don’t run nine to five,” said Todd Lihou, SDG Counties Communications Coordinator. “That’s why we rotated teams in four-hour increments to mimic real-world continuity challenges.”
The military perspective was equally focused on inter-agency collaboration. “This is about working in support of civic government,” said Col. Finley Mullally, Commander of the 33 Canadian Brigade Group. “We’re used to leading missions overseas, but here we’re training to be helpful-to plug into local responses.”
Cornwall CAO Tim Mills reflected on the region’s strength: “The collaboration in SDG and Cornwall is top notch. What I’ve learned is that when I don’t know something, the most important thing is knowing who to call.” Technical challenges, such as coordinating logistics and refining communication tools like Microsoft Teams, were identified as areas for future improvement. “We didn’t have a clear plan to get bottled water delivered during a two-hour scenario window,” one official admitted. “That’s something we’ll follow up on.”
For local soldier Capt. Cody Van Loon, born in Lancaster and a graduate of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School, the exercise carried personal significance. “Serving the community is why I joined. Whether at home or abroad, we’re always here to support,” he said. Van Loon is scheduled to deploy overseas later this year. The weather was no obstacle for the soldiers stationed outside the Cornwall Armoury during the exercise. As Capt. Van Loon put it, “We’re Canadians, and we train in this. We love working in any kind of weather, and we’re willing to support any time of year.”
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