It’s back-to-school time for some students in Kingston.
Royal Military College welcomed first-year cadets this weekend with plenty of COVID-19 protocols in place. The newcomers filtered in one at a time from all parts of the country. For many, family members were on hand wishing them well as they begin the next chapter in their young lives.
“These are brand new recruits, normally they go to the Canadian Forces leadership and recruit school in St. Jean before arriving,” said Col. Corinna Heilman, RMC’s Director of Cadets.
“But this year they’re coming straight to us from their mom and dad’s home.”
Just over 220 first-years showed up at the military college over a three-day period.
“They don’t have uniforms, they don’t have any equipment, they haven’t been given any military training yet,” Heilman said.
“So once we get them here, we’re putting them into a 14-day period of mandatory self-isolation. And then, once that is complete, we’ll form them into what we’re calling cohorts. Think of them as larger family-sized, family bubbles.”
The Desbois family from Montreal dropped off their son Brieuc. Mother Valerie says she’s happy with the safety protocols in place.
“I think they’ve done the right thing. They have taken the right measures and the quarantine is very good because they want to stress to students to feel safe, the family to feel safe. So yes, I have no concerns about that,” Valerie said.
Some of those protocols included screening for COVID-19 upon arrival as well as individual dorm rooms. Cadets were also given masks and attended safety briefings.