My son's father was also a veteran and did at least three peacekeeping tours during his 28 years of service. Not very long after his last tour—a year or so maybe—he was killed in a traffic accident. We were divorced at the time. My son was 11 years old. My son experienced a lot of trials and tribulations throughout his teenage years and wasn't able to find steady employment, but with H2H, my son—who would be considered a military dependant—is now a member of the millwright union in Calgary, Alberta and is doing amazing. He is an advocate of H2H and tells as many people as he can about us.
Joe mentioned that we have partnered with organizations such as the Office to Advance Women Apprentices. Through that office, one of our clients, Diana Scott, a woman veteran, found our organization. She's an advocate for H2H and all women veterans as she encourages others that it's never too late in life to learn new things such as joining the skilled trades. We are currently assisting Diana in finding a rewarding career as a millwright in the unionized construction industry.
In my personal experiences, there were times when I wondered what my military experience would have been had I identified as a man or if I was married to someone of a much higher rank than me. One moment where I felt let down by my country was when I had completed five years of a posting and my son was struggling with no family around. I requested for us to be posted back to his home town of St. John's, Newfoundland. I made a formal request, as did another member of the unit at the time because his son was also not adjusting very well to the new location. This person was two ranks higher than me and was a man, but had only spent one year in this location. His request was granted and mine was denied.
I was told that I was not experiencing anything different from any other parent. Quite frankly, I was shocked and disappointed. The situation made me reflect on all my identities as a CAF member, a woman and a single mother. Not getting the support that I needed made me vulnerable. Why was my family being treated differently from my male colleague?
I had other moments in my career where things didn't go in my favour, including being involved in a sexual assault misconduct lawsuit. I don't want to get into detail today, but in 2011 after transferring through the reserve in my own province, I was assaulted. I was blindsided; it came out of nowhere. That incident made me question everything about the military and about people in uniform. I always hear people say that it happened because of the way she was dressed. Well, I was wearing my uniform at the time and I was going to one of my favourite functions, which was the soldiers' Christmas dinner. That night was ruined for me.
This incident will stay with me forever, but like many of the other women involved in the class action lawsuit, we will not let these experiences define us. No system or organization is perfect and we still have a lot of work to do. That is why I'm committed to working for organizations like H2H and communicating with VAC daily about what can be done better to assist women in the military.
Over the past couple of years, I have seen major improvements and I want to continue to be part of the solution, so that other women CAF members and veterans can continue to have more positive experiences and look back on their time in the military with pride.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.