Evidence of meeting #18 for Veterans Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was you're.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
But Peter Stoffer offered the most eloquent thanks that I ever heard at this table.
So thank you for telling us about your plans to make that long trek from Resolute Bay to the North Pole. I hope you're planning to do it in the daytime. I was in Alert but pretty much like a VIP, and I went during the daytime. It was August.
Are you going to the North Pole or are you just going to Alert?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
No, we're going to Resolute Bay. We fly in there on the 16th. We're there for a day to acclimatize and then we're cross-country skiing. Some guys are snowshoeing—I have no idea why—but we're cross-country skiing to the North Pole.
Conservative
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
A recce was just done. Apparently it's okay. There was a reconnaissance mission and it's good.
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Soldiers, yes. There are about 51 of us in total composing the entire expedition.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
That's an amazing feat. I hope you'll tell us about it when you get back.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Is the Department of Veterans Affairs pitching in with any help for prosthetics and supports?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
No, no. This is entirely through True Patriot Love. I've already accumulated some of the prosthetics and the gear over my recovery period. For example, we were skiing at Calabogie a couple of weeks ago. This is my third year of skiing so I already have the technology and then being able to work with it, working with my prosthetic guy to come up with an idea because my Bartlett knee—anyway I don't want to get too drawn into but there are some mods that have to happen.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
That's fine.
I'd like to shift gears, if you don't mind, and focus on support for families. What types of supports does Soldier On provide, not just for veterans but for military families and military spouses?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
Since I've been there, I know that they support families and stuff like that, but a lot of the events that I participated in and ran in unfortunately don't bring the families out together. The whole idea or the whole mantra of Soldier On is to help develop the individual for his own needs and the ability to gain therapy through an active lifestyle.
That's great, but when the member goes back home after learning to ski or learning to water-ski or whatever the situation is.... I think opening up an opportunity for the family to enjoy that as a whole, together.... When I took Heather out to Calabogie, I was bawling my eyes out every day because I never thought that I would be able to stand up and ski again. You wouldn't even be able to tell that I'm missing a leg if you came and skied with me, but at the time, you know, it's an honour to be able to do it. I think it's something deep down inside the member that changes you, because the family are there with you, along with you, for that process and able to enjoy it and figure things out with this new life you've been given.
Conservative
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Can you describe the level of support that your family has received through other organizations like the Military Family Resource Centres, Wounded Warriors, or True Patriot Love?
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
I've never dealt with Wounded Warriors. I've dealt with Soldier On and True Patriot Love. I know that True Patriot Love has been really great to me and my daughter. I know that initially my unit sent out flowers and stuff to my wife at the time. I don't know...maybe there could be more opportunity for them to get involved.
Conservative
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
—I'd like to know if you have any recommendations that you'd like to make for veterans on how the Department of Veterans Affairs can better support families.
Sgt Bjarne Nielsen
I think it's by having people coming to the door of the family, to their house, and sitting in with them, whether it's once a week or twice a week, just to keep track and try to offer support, or to keep them up with community events and try to get them engaged so they're not just hunkering down, hanging out in the house, and worried that they have to take care of their husband or their wife or whatever.... Because they have to realize that they need to maintain their own freedoms and feel that greatness of getting out and living.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
When this meeting is over, can I go and give you a hug?
