Madam Chair, members of the committee, thank you for having us here today to share our observations on the ground and propose a few recommendations.
The Trail is an organization that provides assistance and housing to veterans who are transitioning to civilian life. We currently operate four points of service in Quebec, including a shelter. We're growing.
I'm joined today by my colleague retired Lieutenant‑Colonel Bruno Plourde. He served for 40 years, was a unit commander and was deployed many times, including to Afghanistan.
Every day, my team and I welcome men and women who have served this country with honour, as well as their families. Too often, we welcome them at their most vulnerable, when they no longer have any reference points, no more missions and sometimes no more hope. I once had a veteran say to me, “When I got to the The Trail, my release date was July 2. I had everything planned for the 3rd; the rope was ready. If I hadn't walked in here that day, there would have been no going back.”
The suicide rate in the veteran community has not decreased in nearly 40 years. The suffering continues, evolves and transforms, but it doesn't diminish. Why? It's because we have a systemic problem. There is no follow-up after they're released from military life.
The organizational culture of the Canadian Armed Forces values strength, resilience and endurance. Those are essential qualities in a military context, but they become barriers when it comes time to ask for help.
Asking for support is still too often seen as an admission of weakness, and that deeply ingrained perception leads to dangerous silence. Many fear being judged, removed from service or medically released. Others feel as if they don't deserve any help, as if they're an impostor, especially if they haven't been deployed.