Canadian Army vehicles traveling through Southern and Central Ontario

The Canadian Armed Forces is advising members of the public about an increase in “military traffic” within Southern and Central Ontario this weekend.

Beginning on Fri. Aug. 16, a convoy of troops from the 4th Canadian Division of the army will travel to Garrison Petawawa for a major training exercise, with pre-planned routes between Windsor, Sarnia, London, the Greater Toronto Area, Oshawa, Peterborough, Barry’s Bay and Bancroft.

Officials say motorists can expect to see Canadian Army Reserve personnel and vehicles travelling along major roadways, including Highways 401, 407, 115, 28, 62, 66, and others.

Uniformed troops will be travelling with weapons, but officials warn that participating personnel will not carry any ammunition.

“This important training supports year-round preparations for international operations and maintains [our] readiness to support our partners and allies overseas with trained and professional soldiers,” a CAF statement reads. “Canadian Army exercises also help maintain readiness to respond to emergencies in Canadian communities, including natural disasters like flooding and wildfires.”

The 4th Canadian Division is one of the five major formations that report to Army headquarters in Ottawa. It includes all regular and Reserve Force army units in Ontario, except for a portion of Northwestern Ontario.

Throughout the journey, troops will conduct short stops for rest, fuel and scheduled maintenance, but officials say they are taking all necessary measures to ensure minimum inconvenience to the public during the training exercise dates.

Motorists are being asked to take extra caution when approaching military vehicles.