Inside the Canadian militarys training for sub-Arctic warfare [Video]

The crack of gunfire from soldiers positioned on a ridge overlooking the snow-covered sand quarry shatters the cold, signalling the start of the exercise.

With that cue, about 40 troops in white camouflage and snowshoes advance in formation, firing as they move.

At the far end of the quarry, seven soldiers, playing the role of the enemy, return fire.

Objective Gravel is one of several scenarios unfolding this week as approximately 175 members of the Canadian Armed Forces conduct a sub-Arctic training exercise in and around Chisasibi in northern Quebec. The Cree community is about 1,000 km north of Montreal on the eastern side of James Bay.

Over the course of the nine-day winter warfare exercise, temperatures have at times dropped into the -40s C.

“The downtime is when this weather can get dangerous,” says Lt. Patrick Langlois, a reservist with Montreal’s Black Watch regiment. “It’s when we stop — …