Respect Monument dedicated to sacrifice made by veterans
You can’t miss it. It’s called the Trans Canada Respect Monument and it sits on the south side of Highway 40 in Kirkland.
The monument features a bronze statue of a Second World War soldier with a gun slung over his shoulder and his hand raised in a victory/peace sign. The statue is called The Return and it was dedicated with members of the military in attendance, including Second World War veteran Honorary Colonel David Hart.
Hart is 100 years old and fought in the Raid on Dieppe in 1942. Hart was joined by Lt.-Col. Luc Saint Jean, a veteran of the Bosnian War and two tours in Afghanistan, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the monument site near the Task Micro-Electronics building, Saturday.
Task CEO Doug Bellevue’s involvement in efforts to raise awareness to the plight experienced by many returning soldiers began in 2011 when he had a 20foot “Respect” banner, featuring a large red poppy, installed on the Task building.
Bellevue was compelled to do something to help after seeing media reports about veterans returning home from conflict zones with serious post traumatic stress syndrome. Some suffer in silence and struggle along with their daily lives and jobs. Others lose their way and end up on the street. They seek refuge at homeless shelters.
Then there are the ones who choose a darker path. Dozens of Canadian veterans have committed suicide since 2014.
“It all starts with raising awareness,” Bellevue said. “On a good day, 100,000 people pass by my business. Public awareness can help influence decision-makers who shape policy.”
References to emotional and mental scarring caused by exposure to war zones reach back as far as ancient Greece. During the First World War, it was called “shell shock.” During the Second World War it was called “war neurosis” then “combat fatigue.” Veterans of the Vietnam War suffered from “combat stress reaction.” The term “post traumatic stress disorder” first appeared in 1980.
After flying the first banner, Bellevue worked with Lt.-Col. Colin Robinson, Lt.-Col. Steve Gregory and Maj. Richard Gratton to expand the project. Their efforts resulted in the foundation of the Respect Campaign — a collaboration between the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services and the Canada Company.
The Respect Campaign has replaced the symbol of the poppy with the yellow ribbon. The poppy is about remembrance and the yellow ribbon about respect.
Bellevue said it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number, but it is estimated more than 100 veterans with PTSD regularly use Montreal homeless shelters.
Bellevue was quick to point out significant efforts are being made on a number of fronts — military and non-profit — to help veterans manage their symptoms, but he said the efforts, especially in the non-profit sector, could be improved with better co-ordination among the different organizations.
To help create a more efficient navigation of available services, the Respect Campaign organizes forums which gather organizations and experts working the same field to share information and resources.
Bellevue said the priority is to get veterans out of homeless shelters and into housing.
“We need to put a protocol in place about how to approach these veterans,” he said. “They are hard to reach. Some won’t acknowledge they have a problem. We need to do a better job of matching the available services with the needs of the veteran.”
The statue, commemorating the sacrifices of veterans past and present, was created by Canadian sculptor and retired Col. André D. Gauthier. It was made possible through corporate donations, fundraising activities, military donations and the support of Kirkland.
To find out more about the Respect Campaign, visit respectcanada.org.