Approximately 500 personnel from the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force‎ will participate in Exercise NIHILO SAPPER 2017, a large construction engineering exercise taking place in various locations throughout Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, from November 1 to 20, 2017.

“NIHILO SAPPER 2017 is a complex training opportunity that exercises a vital Canadian Army support element and provides us with an opportunity to work with our neighbours in communities throughout Cape Breton. Our military engineers build the facilities used to initiate and sustain Canadian Armed Forces operations and the training conducted during NIHILO SAPPER 2017 ensures they are ready to deploy to locations in Canada and around the world to support Government of Canada initiatives when required.”

– Brigadier-General Derek Macaulay, Commander, 5^th Canadian Division

“NIHILO SAPPER 2017 is a valuable training initiative that provides military engineers with a unique opportunity to practice the skills required to build facilities used during Canadian Armed Forces operations in a realistic and challenging training environment. We have a team of professional soldiers, sailors, and air force personnel deploying all over Cape Breton and they are determined to complete these challenging projects with the highest standard of craftsmanship so that these communities can benefit from them for years to come.”

– Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Cotton, Commanding Officer, 4 Engineering Support Regiment

• Exercise NIHILO SAPPER is an annual training event led by 4 Engineer Support Regiment based out of 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown that helps military engineers maintain a high-level of readiness for potential requirements to support Government of Canada operations.

• Soldiers will conduct hands-on technical training to maintain the skills necessary to construct and maintain operational bases and facilities used for Canadian Armed Forces deployments in Canada and around the world.

• During the exercise, participants will complete the following projects:

  • Construct a 500-person camp in Sydney’s Open Hearth Park that will serve as the main operating base for the exercise.
  • Remediate the Siege Corridor and build a bridge over Freshwater Brook at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site in collaboration with Parks Canada.
  • Construct a snowmobile trail in Wreck Cove.
  • Repair and restore the St. Alphonse Church in Victoria Mines.
  • Build a bridge on the Warren Lake Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in collaboration with Parks Canada.
  • 4 Engineer Support Regiment’s combat dive team will conduct joint training with the Royal Canadian Navy’s Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Westmount.
  • Counter improvised explosive device and expedited route opening capability training in the Blue Mountain area near Marion Bridge.

Associated Links

• 5th Canadian Division website
• 5th Canadian Division Facebook
• 5th Canadian Division Twitter
• 5th Canadian Division YouTube
• 5th Canadian Division Flickr
• Canadian Army website
• Canadian Army Facebook
• Canadian Army Twitter
• Canadian Army YouTube
• Canadian Army Flickr
• Canadian Army Instagram

Captain Jamie Tobin
Public Affairs Officer, Exercise NIHILO SAPPER 2017
Phone: 902-441-3209
Email: Jamie.Tobin@forces.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca