Marie-claude gagnon, Founder
Marie-Claude Gagnon
MC is a former naval reservist, an Accessibility Policy Officer and an activist for the needs of Military Sexual Trama (MST) survivors. She created the group in 2015 to ensure access to basic support for survivors of MST, to raise awareness about MST in the military community and to entice sustainable changes to support MST survivors.
MC est une ancienne réserviste de la marine, une agente des politiques en accessibilité, et une militante pour les besoins des personnes qui vivent avec un Traumatisme sexual dans le militaire (TSM). Elle a créé ce groupe en 2015 pour offrir du soutien aux personnes qui vivents avec un TSM, pour sensibiliser la communauté militaire aux TSM et pour instaurer des changements durables pour soutenir les personnes qui vivents avec un TSM.
MC est une ancienne réserviste de la marine, une agente des politiques en accessibilité, et une militante pour les besoins des personnes qui vivent avec un Traumatisme sexual dans le militaire (TSM). Elle a créé ce groupe en 2015 pour offrir du soutien aux personnes qui vivents avec un TSM, pour sensibiliser la communauté militaire aux TSM et pour instaurer des changements durables pour soutenir les personnes qui vivents avec un TSM.
AMY GRAHAM, policy advocate
Amy Graham
Ret. Leading Seaman Amy Graham is 34 years old and served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Communications Researcher for six years between 2004 and 2010. She was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months from October 2009 until May 2010. A sexual assault by one of her superiors on her way home from Afghanistan solidified her decision to release from the military, which she did before the full onset of PTSD symptoms. In 2014, Amy was diagnosed with severe PTSD and chronic major depression. Veterans Affairs recommended she join the rehabilitation program which gives veterans access to treatment and vocational services after treatment.
The setbacks she has faced as a result of the assault combined with the frustration of the legal process and the awareness of the prevalence of assaults and poor justice in the military has fuelled Amy to fight for more. Not just for herself, but for others facing similar problems. She hopes that this lawsuit will raise awareness to these issues and hasten the course of putting an end to them.
The setbacks she has faced as a result of the assault combined with the frustration of the legal process and the awareness of the prevalence of assaults and poor justice in the military has fuelled Amy to fight for more. Not just for herself, but for others facing similar problems. She hopes that this lawsuit will raise awareness to these issues and hasten the course of putting an end to them.
Cynthia DesjardinS, Social media expert (Twitter)
Cynthia Desjardins
Cynthia is a single Mother of 2 teenage boys. For almost 20 years she has worked as a technology professional in both public and private sectors. Currently, she is a College student enrolled in the second careers program. She is an MST volunteer, dedicated in supporting and helping those who have survived work related sexual trauma in the Canadian military.
Marguerite Samplonius, Social Media Coordinator (Instagram) & Policy Advocate
Marguerite Samplonius
Marguerite has over 30 years of Reserve Force service and is a MST survivor. Like many others, her first assault happened during her recruit training when she was 17 years old.
With the recent assurances of the Chief of Defence staff to address harmful behaviours within the military and provide support for victims, Marguerite would like to use her facilitator skills in ethics, occupational health & safety and anti-harassment to help other MST survivors come forward.
She also hopes her previous policy experience at National Defence Headquarters will provide insights for the group to go forward with viable options on recommendations for revised policies that truly combat harmful behaviours because whether it happened 30 years ago or 30 days ago, the trauma feels the same.
Marguerite believes real changes will happen, but everyone needs to collaborate and become part of the healing process that too many men and women have put off through fear of reprisal.
"It's NOT just 700 anymore"
With the recent assurances of the Chief of Defence staff to address harmful behaviours within the military and provide support for victims, Marguerite would like to use her facilitator skills in ethics, occupational health & safety and anti-harassment to help other MST survivors come forward.
She also hopes her previous policy experience at National Defence Headquarters will provide insights for the group to go forward with viable options on recommendations for revised policies that truly combat harmful behaviours because whether it happened 30 years ago or 30 days ago, the trauma feels the same.
Marguerite believes real changes will happen, but everyone needs to collaborate and become part of the healing process that too many men and women have put off through fear of reprisal.
"It's NOT just 700 anymore"
Diane Rioux, experte en bénéfices
Diane Rioux
Diane est l'épouse d'un Veteran. En couple depuis 25 ans a une famille de 3 enfants. Elle a à coeur notre cause et désire aider.
Elle a été analyste de bénéfices pour Anciens combattants. Maintenant en retraite médicale depuis la fin octobre. Elle a la connaissance des bénéfices. Elle peut expliquer le tout en détail et aider a monter un dossier pour une demande d'invalidité et autres.
Elle a été analyste de bénéfices pour Anciens combattants. Maintenant en retraite médicale depuis la fin octobre. Elle a la connaissance des bénéfices. Elle peut expliquer le tout en détail et aider a monter un dossier pour une demande d'invalidité et autres.
Christine Wood, Editor, English
Christine Wood
Christine is a former Air Force reservist. She is also an MST survivor. Like many new recruits, Christine was assaulted in 2011 while completing her training at CFB Borden. She medically released in 2014 after being diagnosed with PTSD. Christine is married and has a daughter. She is committed to assisting in reforming the CF's policies to protect members from sexual violence.
Sherry Lee Benson-Podolchuk, RCMP Sexual Trauma
Sherry Lee Benson-Podolchuk is a Ret. RCMP who experienced 20 years of workplace bullying, harassment and sexual violence by co-workers. She is an advocate for changing the workplace culture in the RCMP and encouraging victims to speak up. She was part of three Senate Committee Hearings that focused on the problems of harassment in the RCMP. Her goal is to provide education on workplace violence and support for victims of this trauma. Having been diagnosed with PTSD and depression she knows the importance of finding the balance in life with tools, strategies she created to survive to create success and happiness.
Robert “Dale” Shewchuck, It's Just 700-Men
Born 23 June 1976 in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, my dad was retired from the navy after a tour in Korea, and became a truck driver after retiring, spending my time with my dad driving all over the US and Canada in the summer times when I was off school was a large part of my pre-teen summers, once I discovered girls, of course, all this changed and it was more important to spend those lazy summer days exploring the shores having bonfires at night with friends and on most evenings we lose track of time and our parents would come looking, we lived in the biggest town in Canada at the time with a population of about 25000 residents a lot less now that most of our generation was forced to leave to find work. High School has a lot of my
fondest. Prior to that most of my teen years from 12-17 were spent in the RCSCC #86 Dreadknots. Upon turning 16 I joined the reserves as an infantry soldier and a sea cadet for about 2 years at the same time.
Upon taking an infantry communications course I was offered 021 Artillery and was informed none of the navy trades were accepting applicants and 021
Artillery was all that was open. I reluctantly join the Regular Force Army as a mud gunner in 1994 upon graduation of high school. I was told that once I got to the rank of Bombardier I could OT out to open navy trades. Unfortunately, when I did my time 021 Artillery was closed for OT our applications, 2 years after graduating from high school a year early I was stuck in the army where I didn’t feel like I fit in. I did the job toed the line and became an excellent gunner, unfortunately in April 1996, I was drugged and sexually assaulted in the Barracks in Petawawa while on my M109 Conversion course. I was aloud after some time and a McLean’s magazine article to OT to 275 NCIOP, I spend the remainder of my twenty in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the last years leading up to my medical release I deployed 9 out of 10 years.
I am currently with my partner Cathy for 7 years and was married for 13 years prior to that and have 5 children. I love sailing and working on cars and boats and small engines, I love nature, you don’t have to go very far out of Yellowknife to be completely alone and possibly the first person to set foot in some of the remote anchorages on the Great Slave Lake. We took sailing a step further and sailed a year in the Caribbean. It is amazing how the sea cleanses and washes both mental and physical pain away.
Regards,
Dale Shewchuck (Shewy) CD
RCN
EX- Shipborne Air Controller NATO Grade Alpha
Petty Officer Second Class Retired
Contact Dale at itsjust700m@gmail.com