Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 7th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number five of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108 and the motion adopted on September 18, 2025, the committee is meeting as part of its study on suicide prevention among veterans.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely by using the Zoom application.

Before we continue, I would ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines written on the cards on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent audio and feedback incidents and to protect the health and safety of all participants, including our dear interpreters.

I want to thank them very much once again.

You will also notice a QR code on the card. It links to a short awareness video.

To ensure an orderly meeting, I would like to outline a few rules for witnesses and members to follow.

Before speaking, please wait for me to recognize you by name. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to turn on your microphone, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking.

As for interpretation, Zoom users can choose floor, English or French at the bottom of their screen. People in the room can use their earpiece and select the desired channel.

A reminder that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair.

For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The committee clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can. We thank the participants for their patience and understanding.

I would like to welcome our witnesses. We have four organizations today, and we thank all of you.

From Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, we have Fardous Hosseiny, president and chief executive officer, and Gabrielle Dupuis, director of research partnerships and government affairs. From the Veterans Association Food Bank, we have Marie Blackburn, executive director. From the Veterans Transition Network, we have Oliver Thorne, chief executive officer, who is joining us by video conference. From Wounded Warriors Canada, we have retired captain Philip Ralph, director of clinical services. Sir, thank you for your service to our country.

We will begin with presentations by witnesses. A round of questions from committee members will follow.

We will begin with opening remarks from Mr. Hosseiny and Ms. Dupuis. Afterwards, each witness will be asked to do the same.

You have the floor for five minutes.

[Fardous Hosseiny, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families]

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Fardous Hosseiny, and I serve as the president and CEO of the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families. It is a privilege to join you today to speak about suicide, a subject with very real and immediate consequences for veterans, families and communities across Canada.

Atlas is a federally funded intermediary working at arm's length from Veterans Affairs Canada to strengthen mental health supports for veterans and their families. We collaborate with veterans, families, researchers and service providers to codevelop practical, evidence-informed resources. We also lead and fund research to build national capacity by supporting new knowledge, skills and networks so that organizations across Canada are better equipped to serve veterans and families.

Suicide among veterans is a serious and persistent challenge. Male veterans are about 1.4 times more likely to die by suicide compared to civilian men, and female veterans about twice as likely as civilian women. For men, the highest risk is often in the first four years after release, while for women, risk peaks much later, often around 20 years post-service.

While veteran-specific data remains limited, CAF reported that in 2023, there were 17 suicide deaths among regular force members and four among reservists. The suicide rate in the regular force that year was about 27 per 100,000 person-years, higher than in 2022. These figures show suicide prevention requires long-horizon planning and sustained support across the veteran life course.

I'll now pass it along to my colleague Gabby Dupuis, director of research partnerships and government affairs.

[Gabrielle Dupuis, Director, Research Partnerships and Government Affairs, Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families]

Thank you, Fardous. I will briefly speak to some of the work that's been done within Atlas.

In our most recent release related to suicide prevention, Atlas worked alongside veterans, family members and the Centre for Suicide Prevention to co-design a suite of resources. The veteran tool kit offers guidance on recognizing warning signs, building protective factors and finding care, while the corresponding family tool kit helps loved ones support veterans while also caring for themselves, with advice on burnout, self-care and safety planning.

We've also developed conversation guides and wallet cards to help start suicide-related discussions in clinics or peer support groups, or even within your home. These were released in September 2024. Since then, these resources have been downloaded about 10,000 times in both English and French, and and we have further distributed printed copies to CAF transition centres, military family resource centres, OSI clinics, VAC offices and Legion locations across Canada. Additionally, recognizing the importance of safe communication, we've co-produced media guidelines with McGill University, veterans and journalists to help organizations and media outlets report on suicide responsibly and safely, not only to reduce stigma but also to reduce the risk of contagion.

We've also created fact sheets showing how families are affected by suicidality and the critical role that families play in prevention. In parallel, Atlas is collaborating with Queen’s University on research into military and veteran family suicidality. This work highlights that family members may face a heightened risk of distress and mental health challenges, often compounded by limited access to dedicated supports and services. It underscores the need to better identify and address the unique mental health needs of families as part of the broader continuum of care for the veteran community.

Our work extends beyond suicide-specific resources. Experiences such as military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries are all connected to suicide risk. The resources Atlas has developed in these areas are part of the broader fabric of suicide prevention, because they help to address the underlying injuries or traumas that can contribute to despair and isolation.

Suicide prevention requires not just tools but also sustained collaboration and system-level thinking. Atlas will be hosting a national round table on the intersection between suicide prevention and substance use, recognizing that these risks are often intertwined. Within the veteran community there is sometimes a culture of turning to alcohol or other substances, perhaps to numb psychological pain, which can mask distress and increase vulnerability. This round table will be supported by a rapid evidence profile to ensure that the discussions are grounded in the latest research and practice insights.

I will now pass it back to Fardous to offer some insights into some international work and to give a closing statement.

[Fardous Hosseiny]

Thank you, Gabby.

I'll be very quick, Madam Chair.

Internationally, I want to highlight two streams of work. The Australian Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide offers a strong model of systemic inquiry. It collected thousands of submissions, including from Atlas, heard directly from veterans and families, and issued more than 100 recommendations. Its findings emphasize accountability and oversight, longitudinal care, the centrality of lived experience and the need for robust data systems.

Separately, Atlas also contributes to and learns from the Five Eyes nations. We are part of the Five Eyes mental health research and innovation collaboration. A recent commentary, “Suicide in Military and Veteran Populations: A View Across the Five Eyes Nations”, reviewed suicide trends, risk and protective factors, and challenges in prevention. It underscores that despite decades of study, we still struggle to predict and prevent suicide with precision, especially in the transition from ideation to attempts. Canada can benefit from these insights—in particular the emphasis on longitudinal research, better data integration and cross-jurisdiction learning—as we refine our own suicide prevention strategies.

The statistics we have shared today underscore the urgency of this work. Even one suicide is too many. Atlas and our partners have demonstrated that practical, evidence-informed tools already exist, and with your support, we can expand our reach, integrate families more fully and strengthen prevention across the veteran life course.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much.

I would like to invite Ms. Blackburn to give an opening statement for five minutes.

[Marie Blackburn, Executive Director, Veterans Association Food Bank]

First of all, thank you for having me here today. It's an honour.

It's unfortunate that we still need to talk about this topic, but it is real and it needs to be addressed.

Is there any magical solution to prevent suicide? No, there is not.

The high number of veterans who talk about, attempt or die from suicide is alarming. As Fardous mentioned, the suicide rates are higher among our male population between the ages of 18 and up. It's the highest suicide rate among all groups. Female veterans are two times more likely to commit suicide than women in the general population.

I tried to research how many veterans died by suicide last year, and it seems hard to get an accurate number. Some of the contributing factors are mental health issues and substance abuse, which can be significant among those contemplating or committing suicide.

As I said, there is no perfect solution to this tragedy, and I'm certainly not an expert, but we do have some programs that may help. At the Veterans Association, we strive to ensure veterans are safe and to provide services that help them understand there is a better way.

I can only share with you some of our experiences through our programs. I think the most important component of our program is the peer-to-peer support. As I've stated many times, veterans have a unique understanding of one another and have a bond that we will never fully understand.

Our goal and mission when we started was always to try to prevent homelessness, hunger, isolation and, ultimately, veteran suicide. We try to keep it simple: Our first goal is to provide hope.

When you feel you cannot get through another day because you can't pay your bills or put gas in your car and you need extra money for your kids or need pet food for your dog—all the simple things we go through in life—we just provide the necessities. It wouldn't matter if you were a veteran or not; not being able to provide for your family or yourself is devastating and can lead to thoughts of giving up.

Having a physical location where veterans can come in, have a coffee and talk about whatever they want, knowing that other veterans will understand what they've been going through, makes a world of difference. On many occasions, veterans have told us it was so good to have somebody who understood exactly what they were feeling.

Our facilities are alcohol- and drug-free. We have designed the Veterans Association so that all veterans feel they have ownership. When you have ownership of something, you tend to nurture it, respect it and ensure you leave a legacy for all veterans from the past and for the future.

We all know that veterans need a purpose. During their time in service, they always had a purpose. At the Veterans Association, we encourage veterans to volunteer, attend community events or simply be there for their fellow veterans and be supportive of them.

We do a full intake for every veteran who comes in. One very important things we do is make sure we fill out their Veterans Affairs paperwork. Numerous times, we've been very successful at finding benefits for veterans. This certainly helps with their financial situation, and their overall mental health improves dramatically. This may sound a little strange, but it does give them the sense that their service was important.

Our outreach team is made up of veterans themselves. The communication among veterans is instrumental in discovering if a veteran is at risk. When they determine that a veteran is struggling, we provide home visits, counselling and an opportunity to volunteer. Removing them from the four walls they stare at constantly helps them take away dark thoughts. Many veterans have come in just to volunteer, have a coffee or go to our Thursday dinners. They feel like they have a purpose again.

Working with Veterans Affairs offices and caseworkers, we're starting to build a better relationship for veterans who have been struggling with their caseworkers. At times, if it means replacing a veteran's caseworker with someone else, then that's what we will do. Many veterans have told us that the disconnect at Veterans Affairs and the lack of understanding have been very difficult to deal with. This is not to say that every veteran experiences this, but for those who do, we ensure that we find someone who will communicate with them and understand them.

There are many programs available for veterans struggling with mental health or addiction, and many of them are instrumental in getting the veterans the best help. We have other resources that can address some of the more complex issues they are going through. We provide financial assistance for any costs, because this will alleviate their financial burden.

Our emergency funding program has always assisted the homeless population. Many people think that homeless veterans are addicts or alcoholics, but the truth is that many are homeless because of unemployment, divorce, sale of property or mental health issues.

I am happy to report that in the month of September, we were able to restructure the lives of six veterans. Those six veterans indicated that they might not have been here today had the program not supported them. All six are now housed and thriving.

Do I still have time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Yes.

[Marie Blackburn]

Veteran suicide is very complex, but at the Veterans Association, we believe that if we address all the issues a veteran may be experiencing, we have a better chance of giving them hope. I cannot tell you how many times a veteran has said to me, “I don’t know where I would be without you—perhaps I'd be homeless, or possibly dead.” We provide a service of hope.

I remember that my board once asked me if I could write a small manual on how to deal with veteran suicide. The truth is, you can't. Each veteran's experience is something different.

For example, I had a veteran who posted on Facebook that he was going to end his life that day. The immediate reaction from a fellow employee was to call the RCMP. Knowing his history with authority and that it had always been very toxic, and knowing this gentleman myself, I called him and told him to get out of the house immediately because the RCMP were on their way. Had they shown up, it most certainly would have been suicide by police.

The lesson we learned from this is that every veteran with any kind of mental issue is now red-flagged in our system. Before one single person makes a decision on how to handle a volatile situation, it is discussed with no fewer than two people.

In closing, I think the most important thing to do is listen, even if you feel like you're too busy or too tired. If someone is looking for a way out, put everything aside and just listen. Do your best to reach out to other resources and follow the amazing work they do. Working together might not save every life, but it can certainly save one.

That's all I have to say.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Ms. Blackburn.

[Marie Blackburn]

You're welcome.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Captain Ralph, you have five minutes.

Captain Ralph, you have five minutes.

[Captain, N) (Retired) Philip Ralph (Director, Clinical Services, Wounded Warriors Canada]

Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to address the committee.

The ongoing discussion we're having today is critical and long overdue. To say that I'm honoured and humbled to be asked to comment is an understatement.

As important as this discussion is, I cannot help but confess a sense of inadequacy as we approach this topic together. I have struggled to frame this discussion in a manner worthy of the topic's gravity. This is a difficult discussion, which is further complicated by the fact that all of us as human beings struggle even in the broadest terms to come to grips with our own mortality. We have all seen what happens when we throw an object into a body of water. As the ripple radiates from the epicentre, the point of contact, and continues towards the shore, so it is with suicide. Powerful and profound are its effects on family, friends and larger society.

My remarks today are informed by over four decades of pastoral ministry, 26 years as an army chaplain and nearly two decades of experience in various roles within Wounded Warriors Canada. Historically, suicide in our society and in many others has been the proverbial elephant in the room. The families I have dealt with over my career have informed and shaped my remarks and, in fact, have profoundly impacted my life.

As essential and as important as this topic is, we must admit it is one that, as individuals and as a society, we still struggle to address because of the flood of colliding emotions, including loss, grief, guilt and shame, all coupled with trauma. The complicated and conflicting emotions and issues surrounding suicide were, for the longest time, only spoken of in society, if at all, in hushed tones. I want to state unequivocally that the very fact that today's committee is addressing this issue is a positive and hopeful sign.

Early in my career as a pastor of a small congregation in Toronto, I remember feeling ill-equipped to deal with a number of families affected by suicide in my community. In my career as a Canadian Armed Forces chaplain, I was often tasked with the sacred responsibility of going to the door to inform loved ones that it was the worst day of their lives. In my career, notifications ranged from those who were killed in action to those who died by suicide.

Towards the end of my career, I noticed a sharp increase and change in the number of notifications related to suicide. I know that is true for many of my fellow chaplains as well. This fact was key in the early decision of Wounded Warriors Canada to focus solely on mental health.

Today, Wounded Warriors Canada is a national leading mental health service provider dedicated to serving trauma-exposed professionals and their families. Wounded Warriors Canada specializes in providing culturally informed services that utilize a combination of education, counselling and training approaches to support resiliency and recovery from post-trauma injuries.

Personally, I vividly recall my personal guilt and confusion at the loss of a serving member by suicide only a couple of days after I talked to that member. It haunted me for a long time. I was angered when senior members of the chain of command, as late as 2003, denied the rise in suicide rates among Canadian Forces members.

We are indebted to the work of those who have gone before us. I think of an article in The Globe and Mail by Renata D'Aliesio called “The Unremembered”, which brought all these things to light.

A review of nine police suicides in Ontario in 2018 said that the realities of the police mental health ecosystem had to change. The same needs to be said about veterans and serving members of the Canadian Forces. Strides have been made, like the naming of the 2024 national Silver Cross mother, Maureen Anderson, but we all know that much more needs to be done. This committee, the department and the Government of Canada need to focus their efforts. This includes policy, programs and, most importantly, proactive prevention.

Items that this committee must consider, I would suggest, include the impact of stoic culture on the mental health of members; the need for safety and a whole-of-person approach to consider physical, emotional, cognitive, relational and spiritual elements of those experiencing trauma so that they can feel and say, “I am safe and I feel safe”; the role of organizations and leadership when it comes to mental health, as when it comes to mental health, leadership is every bit as much of the issue as the individuals themselves; and the immediate implementation and funding of the evidence-informed resiliency programs available right now. The example has been set by the Government of Ontario in the area of public safety with the funding of Warrior Health this past spring. It gives 24-7 access to mental health resources for trauma and operational stress and is specifically designed for trauma-exposed professionals.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't deal with trauma, nothing else matters. Again, if you don't deal with trauma, nothing else matters. I would love to talk to you about how Warrior Health works; maybe I can with your questions.

I want to thank the committee for its attention. This government has rightly highlighted the need to adequately fund and equip the forces. I would submit that a failure to invest in the mental health readiness of serving members and veterans will constitute a mission failure on the part of the government if it's not done. I look forward to sharing with members the resources that are deployable now and will have a significant positive impact for both serving members and veterans.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Captain Ralph.

As you can see, members—and I hope you're okay with it—we've been open to a bit of extra time, but I will reiterate that it's five minutes.

Mr. Thorne, it is your time.

[Oliver Thorne, Chief Executive Officer, Veterans Transition Network]

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Oliver Thorne. I am the CEO of the Veterans Transition Network, a charity that provides free group counselling and transition programs for members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP across Canada.

At the Veterans Transition Network, or VTN, we work with many veterans who are at the highest risk of suicide. Our goal is to provide them with the care, human connection and hope needed to prevent this tragic outcome.

Evaluations of our programs show that more than two thirds of the veterans who participate have experienced suicidal thoughts, most in the past year. Those same evaluations also show a significant and sustained decrease in suicidal ideation among veterans who have participated in our programs and responded to our follow-ups.

My testimony today will focus on the risk factors, potential solutions and current shortfalls of the government effort to prevent veteran suicide. I bring the perspective of an organization that has worked closely on this problem for over a decade.

Although suicide is extremely difficult to predict at an individual level, research from the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs identified several risk factors that are consistently associated with suicide among veterans. Service in the junior ranks, in the army and in combat roles places veterans at elevated risk. It peaks for many within the four years after they leave the service. A difficult transition to civilian life, mental health injuries, a loss of identity and purpose, social isolation, and disconnection are all associated with increased risk of suicide among Canadian veterans.

In our experience at VTN, this series of risk factors often has a domino effect that can lead to suicide.

A psychological injury increases the likelihood of medical release. This release deprives the veteran of the identity, meaning and sense of belonging they find in military service. Those losses amplify the effects of psychological injuries, complicate transition to civilian life and lead to social isolation and disconnection. When that disconnection turns into despair, the risk of suicide becomes dangerously real.

Veterans Affairs and the Canadian Armed Forces have taken steps to reduce suicide risk by improving transition education and access to one-on-one counselling and by investing in peer programming, but we don't yet know if those efforts are working. The veteran suicide mortality study, published in 2021, found no significant change in suicide rates between 1975 and 2016, the last year available data was published. More concerning, data shows that veterans who left the Canadian Armed Forces between 2015 and 2018 reported higher rates of medical release, mental health injuries and transition difficulty than those who had left in the previous 15 years, so we may be entering a period of increased risk for veteran suicide in Canada.

If the risks are suicide, injury, isolation and hopelessness, then the solutions are treatment, social connection and renewed purpose. Group-based counselling can provide all three. It can provide culturally competent specialized clinical care for mental health injuries, delivered in a format that is experiential and socially connected. In a group, veterans don't just receive help. They help one another, rebuilding community and rediscovering the self-worth they had in the military, the very factors that present against suicide. At VTN, we see this every day in our programs across Canada.

However, Veterans Affairs Canada's approval process for allowing veterans to participate in specialized programs or groups like ours is often hampered by a bureaucratic and complex process. That approval process has become increasingly complex over time.

In the past 10 years, we have seen the funding approval rate for Veterans Affairs clients who attend our programs fall by over 60%. We are routinely denied funding for eligible clients, with Veterans Affairs case managers citing unfamiliar, complex and time-consuming approval processes as the reason for the denial.

At VTN, we know the risk is suicide, so we don't turn away those veterans or delay their participation until funding is approved. Instead, we use the funding we raise from donors to ensure that veterans can receive help when and where they ask for it, but that financial constraint reduces the number of people we can help every year.

We know who is at risk, and we know this risk is urgent. My major recommendation for the committee today is to work towards creating greater access for veterans to attend specialized root-based transition programs and trauma programs by implementing an automatic approval for veterans who are medically released from service due to a mental health injury. By doing so, we can get the veterans who are the most at risk quickly into the care and community they need before the dominoes of suicide begin to fall.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Mr. Thorne.

We will now start with the rounds of questions.

We will start with six minutes, and I will invite Mr. Richards to go first.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Thank you, all of you, for your very helpful remarks today.

I want to start with you, Marie, if I may.

You were before this committee for a previous study in a previous Parliament, and you told a story that I think is very appropriate. If you recall the story, I'm talking about the veteran you discovered in a parking lot. I would like you to just briefly tell that story to this committee so we can have it included in the evidence for this study.

I have some questions that relate to it. If I could, I'll let you start by telling the story, and then I'll ask you some questions about it.

[Marie Blackburn]

It was a really hot summer day, and the air conditioning had broken down in the building. All I wanted to do was to go home and sit near my little mister and have a drink.

I had seen his car coming and going all day long. I couldn't really figure out what he wanted. When I left, he came up to me and asked if he could talk to me. I said, “You absolutely can.” Back into the hot building we went, and he just broke down, saying that he was losing everything he could possibly lose—his wife, his kids, his home—and he was at the very end of his rope.

I asked him what would help the most. We ended up paying all of his bills and getting him a hamper. By the end of the conversation, he was pretty stabilized and doing well. Off to home I went, and he went home. About six months later or thereabouts, I met him at a navy pipe band ceremony. He came up to me and asked if I remembered him. I said that I did.

He thanked me at that time. He almost broke down when saying thank you for everything I had done for him. He said, “Seriously, if you hadn't done that, it would have been the last day of my life.” He said, “I was waiting for you to leave, and if you had left, I would have pulled into your parking stall and blown my brains out. I had a loaded handgun under the seat of my car.”

Just knowing that people are resorting to that because there are no resources available is heartbreaking. That's why we spend so much time on addressing even the little issues, like not having food on the table or whatever the case may be. We get a few stories like that.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

First of all, thank you. That's not easy to share, I'm sure.

You pointed out that it's not isolated; it's not the only story you've had like that. I wanted you to tell us that story because I want to see it included in the report, obviously, but I also think it drives the point you were just making. You provide more than just food and clothing and help like that. You provide all kinds of help to veterans.

My question is in relation to that. When veterans are struggling with the basics of shelter, food and finances, does that make it more or less likely they'll get help with any suicidal thoughts they might have or with other mental health challenges or addictions? Do you think it's less possible for someone to get help with those things when those basics aren't taken care of?

[Marie Blackburn]

From our experience at the food bank, it's about when you lose all hope and you're going to lose everything. Part of the story I forgot to tell you was that he had struggled for a long time with Veterans Affairs to try to get his benefits. They just weren't coming through. When people come to the food bank and we can pay their rent so they know they won't be facing homelessness, or they can put food on the table for their children, or they can feed their dog, I don't know—there's no scientific study on it or anything—whether that truly prevents them from committing suicide. Some will just commit suicide. We had a couple we worked with for a long time and they still ended up committing suicide.

Overall, though, through our program, we know that we've stopped a lot of people from thinking that this is the end. I think that's important to say.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Let me ask you about the challenges you face in being able to continue to do the good work you do for veterans. You told us previously that the cost of living is a challenge that has made it more difficult for you to continue to do your work. Does that remain a challenge? What impact does that have on a veteran when they're in these kinds of situations?

Second, what other challenges do you face? What are some of the bigger challenges you face in order to continue to do the work you do and serve all the veterans you wish to serve?

[Marie Blackburn]

Our busiest time of year is October, November and December. That's when we get the majority of our funding. It's going to be a little squeaky this year, because there's a strike with teachers, and we get a good portion of our food from schools. Then we have the postal strike on top of that. A lot of our elderly folks would rather send a cheque. That's the only way they know how to make a donation. That will be a struggle.

We've always done fairly well just as our own little company with our own emergency funding programs, and then along came the veteran homeless program. They have designated $1 million a year for us to now work in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C., but $1 million doesn't go very far when you're trying to help people. We get constant referrals from Veterans Affairs—at least three to five a week—asking if we can help with a veteran, but we get zero dollars from Veterans Affairs to fund any of our programs, which seems a little strange to me.

I think the biggest challenge is always maintaining that we'll have that money to help veterans.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Thank you, Marie. Thank you for all that you do.

[Marie Blackburn]

You're welcome.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I'm sorry about that. I was listening actively and forgot the time.

I would like to invite Mr. Clark to go ahead for six minutes.

[Braedon Clark, Liberal, Sackville—Bedford—Preston, NS]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm directing my questions to you, Captain Ralph. First of all, I want to thank you for both your service as a chaplain and the work you talked about in your opening statement, which I think is exemplary, of course.

You touched on a couple of things that piqued my interest. One was the need to deal with “stoic culture”, as you phrased it. Obviously, you've been exposed to veterans in the military for decades. Can you explain what you meant by stoic culture?

As a second piece to that, over your career in the military and working with veterans, have you seen change in that? What do the trends look like, in your view?