Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter

A wreath-laying ceremony took place at CHSLD Sainte-Anne’s Hospital (previously Sainte-Anne’s Veterans hospital), largely attended by the institutions’ resident veterans, along with veterans from the Greater Montreal area.

Special guest Nicolas Meunier, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Haiti and Bosnia and is known for his participation as an athlete for Team Canada at the Invictus Games, spoke about the social label associated to veterans of more recent wars. While highlighting the honoured contribution of older veterans, Meunier discussed how newer veterans tend to be ignored on the scale of  social norms.

“People don’t want to support war,” he said in explaining why younger veterans have a harder time being recognized and recognizing themselves for their contributions.

“We have resources, but because of a stereotype, we are afraid to ask for help and to go get what we are entitled to receive. We’ve sacrificed our lives for a very long time, we have psychological wounds as well as physical ones.”

Sixty men and women who served in the Second World War or the Korean War still reside in the hospital that has been converted into a long-term care residence.

The institution’s expertise in the treatment of operational stress injuries, war injuries and pain management continues to welcome soldiers along with police officers. n