An instrumental figure in the ongoing effort to revive an army reserve in Prince George has passed away.
Rocky Mountain Rangers' commanding officer, Lt. Col. John Feller, died Friday after a lengthy but undisclosed illness. A funeral with full military honours is planned for Sunday in Kamloops where he lived.
Although not yet up and running, efforts to return the Rocky Mountain Rangers to Prince George won't be derailed by Feller's death, said Canadian Armed Forces Captain Chris Poulton.
Poulton said Feller was instrumental in the work to bring the company to Prince George, acting as a liaison between interested people in the city and to headquarters in Vancouver.
"By this time next year, we should have a functioning armoury in Prince George because of all his efforts," Poulton said.
Poulton said the hope is to have of about 40 recruits ready to join what amounts to an army reserve platoon by the time an armoury is completed in Prince George.
Over the following years the aim is to build it up to 120 members who would train part-time to become infantry. Many will attend university or college at the same time.
Feller's passing struck a chord with the College of New Caledonia (CNC).
"Over the past two years, CNC has been connected to Lt. Col. Feller's efforts to establish a Rocky Mountain Rangers reserve unit in Prince George and remains committed to supporting that effort," CNC president John Bowman and board chair Ray Gerow said in a statement. "Seeing the Rocky Mountain Rangers unit established in Prince George would bring significant benefits to the Prince George community and Central Interior region, as well as represent a legacy from Lt. Col. Feller's work on behalf of the Canadian Forces."
The Rocky Mountain Rangers maintained a detachment in Prince George after the Second World War until the late 1960s when that detachment was closed.
