Veterans Affairs Committee on June 2nd, 2016

[Richard Blackwolf]

There is a change from military mode, which is a culture in itself, to civilian mode, and that's what transitioning is all about.

The native people, of course, had and have a pretty strong culture to go back to; it's innate in them. We don't see as many problems with people wanting to return to their own culture. That's not a problem.

Regular people, Canadians in general, really don't have a culture to speak of. I have a lot of good friends on Facebook who are from central Russia, and they have a really strong culture, in terms of their dress and everything. We don't have that in Canada; we've gone into this multicultural thing. People need to transition back into something.

The French culture is good. I don't think there are too many problems with the people from Quebec who are members. We don't see that. They have a good culture there; it's strong and it's something you can go back into.

That's the whole idea, to have something to go back into.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

We will end with Ms. Mathyssen, and we'll be able to give each organization a couple of minutes for a wrap-up at the end, as requested.

Ms. Mathyssen, we're down to three minutes.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wish I could ask everyone a question.

Monsieur Gaillard, you talked about the transition for RCMP officers not being as dramatic because they have lived within a community and with their families. But I wondered about the officers who have served internationally in operations under the auspices of the UN, in Kosovo, Haiti, etc. Do you see a difference between them when they are injured and needing extra support, and those who have never done that external international service?

[Mark Gaillard]

That's hard to say. Of the RCMP who have served in overseas operations, Haiti primarily, but other countries as well, including Afghanistan, I don't think there's a large enough number, and it's probably too soon to tell whether they have special needs as a result of their service-related issues. I think what we're observing, generally speaking, is that PTSD is less a concern because there have not been many traumatic incidents or critical incidents. We know the exception to that rule, for example Moncton and Mayerthorpe, and other examples of that where there's been a critical incident that you can tie back whatever symptoms you have, but for the vast majority of those who do have symptoms, they are more accumulative operational stress injuries.

If one's been in a small community for 30 years, or having moved frequently to different places, numerous tiny incidents add up over time until they reach a critical mass where you begin to exhibit symptoms, either while you're still serving or once you've released from the RCMP. I'm not sure it's easy enough, and I'm hopeful that research will show us if there are special requirements for RCMP and whether there's something unique or indicative of their service overseas that differentiates them from the symptoms and observations we're having with the general population of veterans. It's not just RCMP. Other first responders including police and emergency personnel have also deployed overseas on various missions.

[Gordon Jenkins]

Could I just add to that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

You'll have to wrap this up, Mr. Jenkins, in about 30 seconds for this answer.

[Gordon Jenkins]

I am really surprised at this 10 minutes, one minute.... It really cuts out the discourse and the freedom of being able to speak. I'm sorry, it is like the sandwiches—they are for MPs only. Rules and regulations, I understand.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

I totally agree with you on both issues.

[Gordon Jenkins]

I'll speak quickly, then. It's very interesting that there's no such thing as PTSD in Israel. They live close to the people, and that's your point. But there is none whatsoever.

My second point is that right now in Veterans Affairs, there is no process for transition. We made that point in our paper, which hopefully you'll read. There are good acts, there are good things going to happen, but there is no process. Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

We'll finish with a wrap-up, and we can do the reverse order. We'll start with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans' Association, Mr. Gaillard. We can give you a couple of minutes.

[Mark Gaillard]

The RCMP Veterans' Association has been honoured to appear before the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. At previous Veterans Affairs summits, ministers and senior departmental officials as well as the veterans ombudsman have underlined the fact that all honourably released members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been, are, and continue to be veterans. If you take nothing else away from this presentation, please take this home: the RCMP are veterans too.

We are proud to be recognized as such for our service to Canada since its very beginnings as a nation. Our association is almost as old as the force itself. We are proud of our history, our heritage, and our traditions. We are nearing the Canada 150 celebrations. The mounted police, in many instances, led or prominently figured with Canada on its path to full nationhood since the northwest became part of our great Confederation in the early 1870s, alongside the indispensable and crucial assistance of our first nations, Métis, and Inuit brothers and sisters.

[Richard Blackwolf]

Thank you.

[Mark Gaillard]

There is a price. There are 236 names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice listed on the RCMP honour roll at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan. The most recent is Constable David Wynn, killed in January 2015 by a gunman's bullet in St. Albert, Alberta.

Auxiliary Constable Derek Bond, a volunteer was wounded in the same incident. He is now a member of our veterans association.

Soon, sadly, another name will be added, that of Constable Sarah Beckett, who was killed on duty in April in Victoria, British Columbia. Sarah Beckett had only just returned from maternity leave when she resumed duty after the birth of her second child.

We recently witnessed the professionalism and dedication to duty of those who serve in the RCMP from the members and employees at Wood Buffalo detachment during the wildfire crisis in Fort McMurray.

Like them, the courageous members of the RCMP of today continue the mission entrusted to them by Parliament and the people of Canada: to serve and protect Canada and Canadians from coast to coast to coast and overseas as well.

We, the RCMP veterans, who have gone before, proudly salute them, one and all. Thank you very much for your attention.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Next, from the NATO Veterans Organization of Canada we have Mr. Jenkins.

[Gordon Jenkins]

How long do I have, sir?

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

You have two minutes.

[Gordon Jenkins]

Thank you for listening to us. You're our conduit for the next step. You've heard all our points. You've listened really well. You've asked some excellent questions. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you, Mr. Jenkins.

Last, we'll have the Canadian Aboriginal Veterans and Serving Members Association. You have two minutes.

[Richard Blackwolf]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and honourable members.

We're always very pleased to appear here. This is, I think, our third or fourth appearance. Hopefully we've been helpful in answering your questions.

As for Canadian aboriginal veterans, in 2012 we celebrated 200 years of defending Canada. I had a lot of speaking engagements that year. Many people were quite taken aback by the fact that if the 15 first nations hadn't stood with General Brock, we would be in one of the U.S. states at this time. That was the whole point of the attacks in the War of 1812, to drive the British off the continent.

We're still here, you're still here, now as Canadians, so thank you. We have served in all those 200 years, in the Boer War, the First World War.... It's going to be my honour shortly, on June 21 of this year, to attend at Parry Sound in Ontario the unveiling of the monument to Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, a three-time winner of the Military Medal. Some of his accounts actually could have been at a much higher level. But for the British of the day, as a colonial and as an aboriginal on the other hand, it was the Military Medal. He joins a group of 38 others who, of all the millions who have served, won three. He is a Canadian hero.

We're honoured to do that. We'll be honoured to attend another invitation to go to Australia in the first few days of August to attend at the invitation of the Canadian high commissioner. It's our third trip to Australia. We'll have interchanges there with their aboriginal people and their veterans. We're very honoured to do that.

We're always willing to help out here with any questions from Parliament or the Senate. It's been our duty, and we take it quite seriously. That's why we answered all your questions.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you. On behalf of the committee, I apologize for the tight timeframes that were set out on this. Unfortunately, the rooms are booked; unfortunately, members have other meetings.

We allow briefs to be submitted, however, so if there is anything that you didn't get to tell us here, let me invite you on behalf of the committee to email to the clerk those questions or answers you didn't get a chance to get to, or maybe something you want to add to your great testimony today. The clerk will make sure that we all get copies.

On behalf of the committee, I commend all of you for what you have done for Canada and the men and women among our veterans.

We need to adjourn and go in camera. Could I have a motion from Ms. Rudd to do that?

[A voice]

I so move.

[The Chair, Liberal, Neil Ellis]

Thank you.

We will suspend for about three minutes and come back in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]