Photo: Cadet Warrant Officer Brandon Lin

Staff Cadets Danita Su and Victoria Yu hug goodbye at Vernon Cadet Training Centre.

A summer institution has wrapped up training in Vernon for the season.

Over the weekend, close to 1,000 course and staff cadets departed the Vernon Cadet Training Centre, affectionately known as "the army camp" among locals, making their way back to their homes across Western Canada.

About 1,500 cadets completed training at the centre over the summer.

The cadet program is a national program for young Canadians aged 12 to 18.

Participants engage in a variety of fun and challenging activities while learning about the sea, army and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Cadets take part in environmental, citizenship and community-based activities while learning valuable life skills, such as teamwork, leadership and citizenship.