Canadian Forces gather at Sault Armoury

The Mac's store at Wellington and Pine Streets is doing a brisk business tonight, after 60 Canadian Forces vehicles and 140 soldiers pulled into the nearby Sault Ste. Marie Armoury.

The Mac's store at Wellington and Pine Streets is doing a brisk business tonight, after 60 Canadian Forces vehicles and 140 soldiers pulled into the nearby Sault Ste. Marie Armoury.

It's part of a massive road move by troops from Canadian Forces Petawawa, who are on their way to a brigade training exercise in Wainwright, Alberta.

They're spending the night at the Sault Armoury and the first trucks will leave around 7 a.m. on Thursday.

In all, 6,000 soldiers will be involved in the Wainwright exercise, which Sault-based operations officer Capt. Paul Greely tells us is unrelated to the current conflict in Iraq and was planned many months ago.

Participating soldiers confirmed, however, that the exercise simulates conflict in Afghanistan.