I was interested to read the article about Camp Wainwright in Alberta, Canada (The Argus, June 16).

In 1980-1981, I spent many happy months in Camp Wainwright as a REME Sergeant attached to the British Liaison Officers permanent staff to provide technical support to UK based Infantry and Artillery Regiments for live firing exercises.

From the photo accompanying the article, the vehicle fleet is still Bedford MK 4 ton cargo trucks, among others. It was a truck of this type that featured in the infamous besmirchment of the Queens Lancashire Regiment by the Daily Mirror.

I helped keep these beasts running so exercising soldiers would have transport around the exercise area. I bet I worked on the truck in the photo.

The exercise area at Wainwright is phenomenal, about 50 miles deep and 25 miles wide comprising hills, swamp, forest and prairie as dry as the Sahara.

There are areas where live rounds of all sizes land while, in others, there are sanctuaries of calm where the wildlife carries on as if nothing else was happening.

I saw a beaver lodge that, compared to others, was huge. This was because the area was protected and the family of beavers could live as if no one else was there.

The range safety staff saw to that. They were omnipotent.

You never knew when they would appear and say: "Hold it. Just stop that. Think what you're doing and do it properly."

Without doubt they kept the casualty figures down, though casualties there were and always will be when real rounds fly.

I met many wonderful people and some I continue to see on my visits back to the Great Dominion.

I also spent many happy weekends travelling through the Rockies (the eighth wonder of the world) with members of my unit. I can also vouch for the fact that your tax pounds were well received and wastefully spent by yours truly.

I was lucky in that I spent almost two years there and saw much more and met many more than the units who visited for training.

Canada is a spectacular country, and Canadians are probably the world's friendliest, most hospitable people.

I would recommend anybody contemplating a visit to go and see the eighth wonder of the world.

-Rod Ackers, Portslade