Ladies and gentlemen, I'm calling this meeting to order.
Good morning, everyone.
Today's meeting is meeting number eight of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence. We're in a hybrid format, as agreed by the House order of September 23, 2020, so the proceedings will be made available on the House of Commons website.
Our meeting today will be twofold. Our first panel for the first hour will be composed of Ms. Sheila Fynes, who is the parent of veteran Corporal Stuart Langridge, who died by suicide in 2008.
Also, we have Ms. Jackie Carlé, the executive director of the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre. Good morning, Ms. Carlé. I know it's early in B.C., and we thank you for joining us today.
After a short pause around noon, we will engage with the second panel.
I want to start by thanking Mrs. Fynes for her testimony and for joining us here today. Thank you for having the courage to join us here today. I know it's not easy, but it's really important that parliamentarians actually hear from people like you, and that we listen, even though it might be difficult to do so. We have to try.
The programs we put in place, the policies we put in place, are designed so that we can make people's lives a little easier, maybe a little bit brighter. We do that by talking to the people with lived experience and experts, and bringing all that information together.
As a veteran as well, I acknowledge your son's service to this country and let you know that we're deeply sorry for your loss. I must say that your courage... I mean, it's inspirational to all of us that you still keep going, as painful and as frustrating as I can just imagine, and I can only imagine, it must be. It's hard and difficult, but I wanted to thank you. I wanted to acknowledge what you're doing. It's important. What you have to say to us today is so very important for us to hear, because this is all about people.
With that, thank you for joining us today, and I thank you in advance, and I will now ask you to take the floor, Mrs. Fynes.