St. Thomas residents are being told not to be alarmed if they see soldiers marching on roadsides Thursday.
Canadian Army Reserve soldiers from the 31 Canadian Brigade Group's 31 Combat Engineer Regiment, the Elgins, are set to conduct training near the St Thomas armoury throughout the day. The exercises will see reservists marching in full uniform with unloaded weapons. As many as 10 soldiers at a time will march along the road in various formations.
"These formations of soldiers will have high visibility marker vests and a safety vehicle with its four way signals flashing, at the rear. We ask that members of the public slow down when passing these marching soldiers," the Canadian Army Reserve said in a statement.
The training is meant to prepare reservists for upcoming international deployments, to operate in various weather conditions, and maintain fitness and stamina while carrying their equipment.
Steps are being taken to ensure the training causes minimum inconvenience to those in the area.
The 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, has more than 2,500 members across Southwestern Ontario. Many of them are being prepared to deploy overseas for international stability operations with Canadian partners and allies in various regions, the Canadian Army Reserve said.