This weekend 150 military personnel will be in Thunder Bay for Exercise Waking Giant, being held by HMCS Griffon.

Commander Nathanael Molson says this year will be similarly sized to last years exercise but with different players involved.

“This is very much an evolution, this year a big change is of course having the regular force Navy, through His Majesty’s Kings ship Regina and then we’re always very pleased to have the search and rescue technicians.”

Those technicians will be parachuting out of a plane, similarly to last year’s exercise, as part of a mock rescue.

The exercise will be taking place in several areas including Silver Islet, the Thunder Bay harbour and down as far as Pie Island and into Sturgeon Bay.

Molson says those areas won’t be an exclusion zone so boaters taking in the last bits of sailing on Lake Superior will be able to see parts of the exercise.

“We’re really blessed with a, what we call our operating area, is just immense and there’s so many layers to it that provide for exciting locations to execute our training.”

Residents who wish to see the parachuting aspect of the training will have to go to Mink Mountain and ask a friend who has lake access with a dock according to Molson.