On the Sunday before Remembrance Day, ceremonies across the island of Montreal celebrated the contributions and sacrifices of Canada’s military veterans.
In Lachine, hundreds gathered to pay their respects. Among them was Christine Gauthier, a UN-NATO veteran who was a corporal in an artillery unit. At 46, she is considered to be a young veteran.
“I served 10 years in various artillery regiments,” she said. “I’ve been medically discharged since 1998.”
Gauthier was injured during a training session. The first years after getting out of the military were difficult. Now, she works with the group UN-NATO Veterans, helping those who came after her. She said that while the military does offer help for veterans with mental health issues, it’s only there if you ask for it.
“I didn’t for many years, which caused me to be for 10 years completely isolated and really suicidal and depressed in my house,” she said.
Among veterans at the Lachine ceremony, it’s a recurring problem. David Desjean, another UN-NATO vet who served two tours in Bosnia, has an experience similar to Gauthier’s after he left the military.
“It took me 13 years to figure it out,” he said. “That cost me a lot in time and health.”
He said his time in Bosnia left him with many traumatic memories.
“A lot of things happened, including having a grenade tossed on my lap in the vehicle,” he said. “Going through Sarajevo, sniper alley, so we’d get picked off. Lots of mines. Mines were a dime a dozen over there.”
Desjean said there are close to 200 veterans currently living homeless on Montreal’s streets. Gauthier said it’s UN-NATO Veterans’ mission to change that.
“We need to get these guys off the street and if they are seeing us around or reaching out to us, or if we are coming to them and reaching out to them, we are really there to make sure none of us fall under suicide or anything anymore,” she said. “Too many have died.”
