My brigade commander in 2015 said there were too many of us. What he was complaining about was the fact that we were stepping on each other's toes. I was sitting on the board of Canada Company at the time. Wounded Warriors was doing different things, and True Patriot Love and Canada Company didn't really share ideas. I saw first-hand how we were working, not necessarily at cross-purposes, but without collaboration.
We started the first meeting, and as I said, 48 organizations came together, and the deal was that we had to try to find ways to learn from each other and capitalize on the resources we have.
What the sergeant refers to in Comox is endemic; it's across the board.
We held our first meeting in Victoria earlier this year, and people were wide-eyed just learning about each other. It was quite fascinating.
That's where it starts. If we don't bring these groups together to talk and build relationships, they won't trust each other and won't collaborate. So we're just taking a tiny step. It almost seems worthless compared to the problems the sergeant is facing, but it's a starting point, because right now, I figure that there are at least 2,000 organizations. By the way, these are good people, and many of them are veterans.
Hopefully, what we're going to be able to do is.... I'll come and knock on your door, sergeant, if you don't mind, because we need to bring these people together and give them the chance to work together.
Thanks to your well-being fund, we're creating paid volunteer positions. For for veterans who can work with us, it's a little thing, but maybe we can give them $500 to run a half-day meeting for us. You think, who cares about that? Who the person who cares about it is somebody who is making $500 when they otherwise wouldn't, and they're serving their country again.
Thank you.