'Deserve to be remembered': Ste. Anne's Hospital pays tribute to its veterans

With bombs raining down on Ukraine and thousands of casualties in Israel and Palestine, remembrance ceremonies take on a special meaning.

On Monday, Ste. Anne's Hospital paid tribute to those who have served in the armed forces, risking their lives in the process.

"They will not grow old like us / Who survived them / They will never know / The outrage nor the weight of the years," recited veteran Roger Lemire.

Dignitaries laid wreaths in memory of the fallen before a hundred or so people gathered in the auditorium of what is now primarily a residential and long-term care centre (CHSLD).

Ste. Anne's Hospital has been caring for Canadian veterans since 1917. On Monday, some 60 men and women who served in the Second World War or the Korean War still reside there.

Among them is 103-year-old Howard McNamara, who recounts flying planes in North Africa and Italy for over four years during the Second World War.

"Those who lost their lives in war deserve to be remembered," he told The Canadian Press in an interview. In fact, he would like to see more of the story told to younger generations.

Nicolas Meunier, who served in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Haiti and Afghanistan, belongs to another generation of veterans who are not spontaneously thought of at Remembrance Day ceremonies.

"The social label is still associated with old wars because people don't want to support war," he said. "For us, right now, it's difficult, but the system is changing."

He travelled to the event to represent the new wave of veterans who, among other things, took part in Canada's longest campaign, in Afghanistan.

"I'm here to show that there are also veterans, right now, who are lurking all over the place in post-traumatic shock, in depression and who are young," he said.

He hopes that services for this new generation of veterans will continue to improve as many of them struggle with complex disorders, according to Meunier.

Ste. Anne's Hospital has developed expertise in the treatment of operational stress injuries, war injuries and pain management.

It continues to welcome soldiers but also police officers.

Meunier had a message for those who are reluctant to speak out: "We have resources, but because of a stereotype, we're afraid to ask for help, to go and get what we're entitled to receive. We've sacrificed our lives for a very long time, we have psychological wounds as well as physical ones."

The sound of bagpipes within the walls of Ste. Anne's Hospital served to remind Canadians not only to think of those who remained on the field of honour, but also of those who returned, leaving a part of themselves behind.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 6, 2023.

- The Canadian Press health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.