Good morning, Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen members of the committee.
I would like to thank you for inviting me to appear before the committee.
My 17‑year military career was fraught with quite traumatic events, and they still have an effect on my daily life. However, over the years, I have learned some ways to manage these symptoms.
Today, in 2023, 43 years later, I am reliving the sexual assault I experienced during my basic training in Saint-Jean. This assault was not committed by a platoon colleague, but by a senior officer, who knew full well that I would not speak out for fear of being fired from the Canadian Armed Forces. At that time, I was 17 years old. I had to face the demons of silence and agree to be just a face to this predator. I was able to find the strength and courage not to give up my dream of becoming an airframe technician and to pursue this fine career.
Unfortunately, since November 2017, I have been in the whirlwind of the sexual misconduct class action lawsuit at the Department of National Defence. I am also trying to have this event recognized in my Veterans Affairs Canada file, which is still under appeal to VRAB, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board.
Since my file was in the media, my post-traumatic stress disorder has seriously worsened.
On May 24, 1986, I was faced with the death of Captain Tristan De Koninck when he crashed with, his F-18, on the base in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. As part of the base defence team, my duty was to retrieve the pilot and the aircraft parts. Need I mention that it isn't normal for anyone to recover human remains? I was young, and I thought that was part of my job. We had no psychological support and no medical follow-up.
On November 14, 1988, in Bagotville, Quebec, I feared for my life. I was suddenly thrown 75 feet into the air when a T-33 pilot, in preparation for the runway, made a wrong manoeuvre; I got the jet blast in my back. I had to undergo surgery on my left knee as a result of that incident. If I hadn't worn the proper winter clothing, part of my body would have been burned. Once again, no psychological support was offered to me, and no incident report was written against the pilot, because the pilot did not abort the start up in any way.
After several years of working in administrative positions, given my physical condition, in other words, my left knee, and undergoing job evaluations, I was downgraded and medically released. I felt like an old rag sent to the garbage after being dirtied. My release from the forces was miserable, and I felt alone in the process. Since then, I have always had to fight the system to have my health recognized at Veterans Affairs Canada. I felt like no one listened to me because I was a woman in a non-traditional trade, and I didn't have to be there.
In conclusion, I believe that there is no proactive attitude at the Department of National Defence or Veterans Affairs Canada when an individual undergoes trauma in the line of duty. For more than 10 years, I've been helping individuals, before or after they leave the armed forces. The majority of them don't even know that they're entitled to the services and care of Veterans Affairs Canada.
In closing, I would like to thank my psychiatrist, Dr. Hugues Poirier, for his support. In fact, since the sexual misconduct file was opened, he alone has been concerned about my psychological state, which is very fragile.
Thank you for your time.