Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 23rd, 2025

[Judith Hills]

I don't know. Maybe it would be bringing about a change in the military where people aren't afraid to go to mental health and where people aren't afraid of their careers being affected if they were to go to mental health. Somehow, we need to end the stigma of mental health. I know we're all meant to be strong and sent off into war. It's what we train for, but at the end of the day, we're all human beings with emotions.

Our lives are difficult. We're often sent away from family. We know that we can be sent away at any given time. However, we need to be given the respect that, when we do need the help, we don't have to fear for our careers. This is something that we've seen videos about. It's been brought up that, if you need help, you get it. “We're there, and we support you.” When you turn around and use the resources, though, it feels like it's held against you. As I mentioned earlier, in the number of people released in the past year, all of us have needed the help of mental health resources. Something is not working. Something is fundamentally wrong.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you, Corporal Hills.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I have about two minutes left, as we are concluding this session.

Perhaps we could ask Mr. Olson or Ms. Hills to give us a recommendation, something very concrete that we could take back at this time.

[Robert Olson]

I would like to reiterate what we said at the outset: Continue to strengthen the efforts we're making to help veterans, and don't discount convening those interested groups to develop a national strategy. It's worth the effort to get this done right. I'd like to re-emphasize that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you.

Corporal Hills.

[Judith Hills]

I'd first like to say that, in my career, I fix airplanes, but I don't know how to fix mental health. I do know that I'm not sure what needs to be done. As I say, my expertise is in aircraft, not in minds. I just want to see changes. It's too late for my son, and it's too late for the many friends that I have lost, but I want to see changes somehow made.

When I see the news come across, I've learned the language, and I can always tell if somebody has passed by suicide, even if the word is not used. It's happening far too often. Every time it happens, another piece of my heart goes with it. I would really like to see something fixed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Corporal Hills.

Again, thank you for your service, and thank you for your courage today.

Mr. Olson, thank you as well.

Madame Sansouci, thank you very much.

This almost concludes our committee meeting.

I just have one housekeeping note to mention.

It is on the topic of the study on suicide prevention among veterans.

I'll keep this for the next time.

I really want to convey this to all of you. There was a shared emotion that you all have, so we'll perhaps talk outside of this committee to know if there are any notes that you would like to bring forward. I will hold back on that for now, Mr. Clerk.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. We will resume the study on suicide prevention among veterans.

Before we adjourn, I would like to remind the committee that the deadline for submitting witness lists for the study on veteran entrepreneurship is October 31, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. As you know, colleagues, you can send your list to our clerk.

With that, does the committee wish to adjourn the meeting?

There being no objection, the meeting is adjourned.