A support group believed to be the first of its kind in Canada is helping war veterans with post-traumatic stress. The Operation Good to Go group held a fishing retreat last week which gave soldiers the chance to bond and support each other during therapy sessions.
"Everyone who's been here has been through an awful lot. It's good to get a chance to kind of deal with a lot of that stuff," said Master Cpl. Adam Cyr.
Cpl. Cyr lost his leg while on duty in Afghanistan. After returning to Canada, he started the Operation Good to Go group to help veterans.
During his time in Afghanistan, Warrant Officer Brett Perry survived two close calls. In 2002, a large bomb landed 15 metres away from him and on his second tour of duty his vehicle was attacked by the Taliban.
"We basically had to fight for our (lives) to get out of there," said Perry.
When he returned to Canada, Perry was unable to deal with the trauma of what he'd seen and turned to alcohol.
"It was a constant battle. You would drink to try and forget and then when you would forget, everything would come back (later) even worse," said Perry.
He struggled for years, but hopes that it is now behind him.
"There is always light at the end of the tunnel. And the tunnel might be long sometimes and you might come out into the light and go back into the tunnel, but there is always an end to it," said Perry.
He credits his wife and his faith for helping him pull through. The couple is expecting their first child in August.
After seeing a previous CTV News story on the Operation Good to Go group, the owners of Jackson's Lodge decided to donate accommodations, boats and fuel for the soldiers.
More information on Operation Good to Go is available online at: www.operationgood2go.com
- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley
