The Need for Honour House?

Canadian troops have served in Afghanistan since 2002, with more than 25,000 men and women having completed at least one tour of duty. More than 150 Canadians have been killed in this conflict and over 1,100 have been injured.

In October 2006, the Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver sponsored a benefit, concert, in support of the BC Mainland Military Family Resource Center, titled, “Salute To Our Troops In Afghanistan”. This event focused attention on the needs of our troops – both those serving overseas, and those returning home.  In particular, it helped to raise awareness about injured or wounded Canadian Forces receiving care or rehabilitation in the Metro-Vancouver area medical facilities; and the difficulty they and their families have in finding temporary housing during such times of need.

A similar situation is faced by families of first responders – i.e., fire, police and ambulance personnel – who are injured in the line of duty.

Board of Directors

The Honour House Society Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse group of people committed to the purpose of building Honour House.  The diversity of the people recruited to our advisory panel and committees along with the support of our patrons is essential to the success of Honour House.

Allan is a real estate project marketer and was a Vancouver Park Commissioner from 1993 - 2008.

During his Park Board tenure he was involved with the creation of the Italian Garden at Hastings Park, the refurbishment of Victory Square Park and Cenotaph and served the Board on many projects and committees, including Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Hastings Park Working Committee, and Capital Plan strategy to redevelop Sunset Community Centre and most recently, the renovation and revitalization of Nat Bailey Baseball Stadium.

He was recently reappointed to the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants’ Association and is a Director for the Vancouver Resource Society for People with Disabilities.

John spent his early working life as a stockbroker in Victoria and subsequently moved to Vancouver to become a consultant specializing in transportation issues.

Over the last seven years he has been the Chief Executive Officer of Automated Container Technologies Ltd., the developer of a high speed shipping container transfer system.

In addition to this, he and some associates have recently formed The Portside Group, a consulting and contract managerial company providing services to the transportation industry. He chairs the Advisory Board for the Centre of Excellence in Sustainability, Infrastructure and Transportation Economics at the School of Business of the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

In another dimension to his life, John spent over thirty years as an army reservist retiring in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Security Branch). His appointments included command of 11 Victoria Service Battalion, a composite logistics unit, and Senior Staff Officer Administration, British Columbia District.

Brian has had a keen interest in Military and International affairs for most of his adult life. He has been an Associate Member of the BC Regiment (DCO) Officers’ Association since 1990, and he has been one of the BC Directors of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) since 2001.

Brian has a significant background in voluntary organizational activities. He was a Director of the Vancouver Sea Festival Society for 14 years (Chairman in 1986-87), a member of the Presidents’ Club committee at the Abbotsford International Air Show from 1987 to 2001, a volunteer Director of the Vancouver Community Arts Council, and a member of the 1986 Vancouver Centennial Committee.

He also has extensive experience in organizing fund raising programs for new business ventures, non-profit organizations, and the Reform, Canadian Alliance and Conservative parties.

Brian’s work experience includes the Canadian Pacific Railway (his MBA major was in Transportation), nine years as an Investment Broker, and private business consulting, primarily to new business venture start-ups.

Cam was born in Quebec and has lived in BC since his early teens where he attended UBC. He spent 27 years with CBC TV and radio as a reporter; parliamentary reporter; Washington-based foreign correspondent, producer, and News Director at CBC-TV in Toronto. He was appointed Manager of the International Press Centre for the Victoria Commonwealth Games in 1994.

For the past eight years Cam has delivered media and crisis communications training for Stanton Associates throughout BC and handled media relations for World Forum 2006 and for Emergency Preparedness for
Industry and Commerce Council (EPICC) Forums from 2005 - 08. He is Chair of the Vancouver Remembrance Day Observance Committee and Director of Ceremonies at Victory Square. He is an Honorary Major in The British Columbia Regiment (DCO) and is Secretary of the BCR Commanding Officer’s Committee. He volunteers as MC for a variety of Regimental events and civic functions, most recently for the City of Vancouver mast dedication by the Earl of Wessex in June 2009.

Cam is a member of the Vancouver Navy 2010 Centennial Committee, a member of the Board of both the Canadian Club of Vancouver and the Sir Winston Churchill Society, and Director of Communications for Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver. Cam served as a Commissioner on the Vancouver Heritage Commission for five years.

Mr. Michael Flanigan is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in Urban Land Economics and Finance. For the past seventeen years, Mr. Flanigan has specialized in real estate development in the Vancouver Lower Mainland and has been extensively involved in over two billion dollars of commercial and residential mixed-use projects in the Greater Vancouver marketplace.

After five years as Director of Leasing and Vice President for Hong Kong based Henderson Development (Canada) Ltd., Mr. Flanigan joined the City of Vancouver as the Deputy Director of Real Estate Services. After six years with the City, Mr. Flanigan took over as Director of Real Estate Services in 2006 and is responsible for the strategic planning and financial management of the City’s $2.6 billion Property Endowment Fund.

Additionally, Mr. Flanigan currently oversees a number of the City’s major real estate interests including the anchor block redevelopment of the Woodward’s Project in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the East Fraser Lands project (a 116 acre new mixed use community consisting of over 5,000 new residential homes and a neighborhood shopping centre), the Mayor’s task force on Homelessness, and is working closely with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) on project oversight for the delivery of the Olympic Village Project in South East False Creek.

Mr. Flanigan is also extensively involved in Community Planning and Financing Vancouver’s growth. Working closely with Vancouver’s development community, Mr. Flanigan is committed to maximizing the delivery of community amenities, park space, public infrastructure, childcare service, and heritage building retention while commensurately facilitating economically successful real estate developments for the private sector.

Larry Kerr

Larry Kerr had been a practicing architect for 15 years prior to joining a real estate development company as a Development Manager in 1996. He is currently employed with Wesgroup Properties.

During this period he has been involved in all aspects of residential housing, both market and non-market, from speculative developer multi-family, to very specific purpose built housing for special needs. This has included affordable family housing, community care facilities, facilities for crisis prevention and control, independent living, and seniors housing and congregate care.  Clients have included BC Housing, the Salvation Army, the Downtown Eastside Residents Association, St. James Society, and Vancouver Coastal Health.

From 1993 to 2000, Larry sat as a Director on the Board of the Vancouver Resource Society (VRS) for People with Disabilities. The VRS is a non-profit society that offers housing and assistance with daily living for over 125 people with disabilities living in the community. To achieve their mission, VRS must acquire housing for their clients to live in and secure government contracts to provide for their daily care needs. Larry served as President during the last five years of his term on the Board.

In addition, he has served on the Architectural Institute’s Housing Committee, The United Way Building Committee, the Port Moody Mayor’s Planning Policy Advisory Committee, and municipal Design Panels.

During high school, Larry served with a cadet corps affiliated with the Black Watch. As the parent of  two sons, he has actively participated in coaching minor hockey and baseball.

He is currently involved in the delivery of a community care facility for Vancouver Coastal Health, and the redevelopment of the former Labatt’s site adjacent Royal Columbia Hospital in New Westminster.

Born in Alberta, Jim grew up in various locations in Canada and the United States, he moved back to Vancouver a number of years ago. A graduate of Simon Fraser University, Jim served as an officer in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), worked as a broadcast journalist for the CTV Network and was Director of Communications and Government Relations for Canada Post.

Since 1990, Jim has been President of Stanton Associates, a Vancouver-based communications and training company with offices across Canada and the USA. Stanton Associates deliver media relations and crisis communications workshops and seminars throughout the North American communications and emergency preparedness community.

He is President of Vancouver Royal United Services Institute, one of Honour House’s founding organizations, serves on the Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Citizen Advisory Committee, has been a Board member in the Emergency Preparedness for Industry and Commerce Council (EPICC) since 2001, is a member of the 2010 Vancouver Navy Centennial Committee and the 2014 PPCLI Centennial Committee.

Jim is a frequent guest lecturer on communications and the new media at international conferences. He teaches at Royal Roads University, the Justice Institute of BC and University of Victoria.

Patron

“When a soldier steps on foreign soil in a high-risk environment, every single Canadian should be walking with him or her.”
Rick Hillier on his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff

Born and raised in Campbellton, Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland, Rick Hillier graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was posted to his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) in Petawawa, Ontario, and subsequently to the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Lahr, Germany. He has also served as a staff officer at Force Mobile Command Headquarters at CFB St. Hubert in Montreal, and at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

He commanded 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG) in 1997-98, and (in 1998) as Deputy Commanding General of III Armoured Corps of the United States Army, at Fort Hood, Texas.

In January 1998, as Commander 2 CMBG, he led Operation Recuperation, the Canadian Forces' intervention in the paralyzing ice storm in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. He was named Chief of the Land Staff, commanding the Canadian Army, on May 30, 2003. He commanded the Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

After serving as Chief of the Land Staff he commanded NATO ISAF in Afghanistan from February 9 to August 12, 2004, bringing to this role his support for what is known as Canada's 3-D" approach to security – defence, diplomacy, and development.

On February 4 2005, he became Chief of Defence Staff. His willingness to speak openly and on the record about the Canadian Forces' financial resources, and about the defence budget in particular, distinguished Hillier from previous Chiefs of the Defence Staff.

As Chief of Defense Staff, Hillier maintained a very high profile, frequently talking with the media and arguing his case for defence planning. He was been called the most prominent Chief of the Defense Staff in decades. In April 2008, Hillier announced he would step down as CDS on 1 July 2008.

Following his retirement, Hillier was appointed to the honourary post of Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has joined the law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in the capacity of Strategic Advisor. General Hillier will assist Gowlings with client initiatives, business development and related strategic matters.

Honour House Society is proud to have this distinguished Canadian as our Patron.

Honourary Patron

Honour House is privileged to have Trevor Greene as our Honorary Patron.

In March 2006, Captain Trevor Greene, a member of Vancouver’s Seaforth Highlander’s of Canada, a reserve army unit, was serving in Afghanistan in a military organization known as CIMIC, Civilian-Military Co-operation, when he was ambushed and struck in the head with an axe.

Beloved by friends and family for his larger-than-life personality, Greene, was attending a routine village meeting or "shura" north of Kandahar when he was attacked.

News of the horrific event made headlines across Canada, as the Canadian officer who went to the war-torn country to spread peace was instead left fighting for his life.

Greene was not expected to live. He spent the next year in Vancouver General Hospital, nearly dying several times. Doctors predicted that he would never come out of his coma, let alone speak or have any movement again. Amazingly, he proved them all wrong.

With the unwavering love and support of his fiancée, Debbie Lepore, and from a deep desire to be an active father to their young daughter Grace, Greene eventually transferred to a brain injury rehabilitation program in Alberta.

Captain Greene and Ms. Lepore now live in British Columbia where he continues to make remarkable progress.

In a recent CTV interview, Capt. Greene said, "I will always support the mission. If you look at it in a global sense, the deaths of Canadian troops and our allies have protected thousands of Afghans," he said, speaking slowly but clearly. "We dug wells, now we're advising government. That's progress."

Advisory Panel

Christie started working at the Globe and Mail in 1972 while still studying at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto, and has since worked for the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun and the National Post, returning to The Globe and Mail in 2002.

She has been a journalist in Canada for over 25 years, with columns covering sports, lifestyle, current affairs and crime.

She has won numerous writing awards, including a National Newspaper Award for column writing and most recently won the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction for her book “Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army.”

Blatchford said: “Fifteen Days is my way of paying tribute and giving a voice to the courageous men and women who put their lives on the line for a better world.”

Dr. John Blatherwick, CM, OBC, C.ST.J., CD, MD, F.R.C.P.(C)

A catalyst and innovator for public health in British Columbia, Dr. John Blatherwick has served as a medical health officer in British Columbia - and a strong voice for improved health - for 36 years.

Dr. Blatherwick is a persuasive champion of public health, and a force of influence in his community. He is Canada's longest serving medical health officer, having held his current position in Vancouver for 23 years.

Not hesitating to take controversial positions when he has believed doing so was important to public health, Dr. Blatherwick is known for his strong stands on tobacco use in the workplace, harm reduction programs for injection drug users, safe sex, and AIDS care, among many others.

Dr. Blatherwick pushed for drinking water treatment in the Vancouver area, introduced new immunization programs, and school health initiatives that have improved the health of school children.

He took the lead for Vancouver Coastal Health in Olympic medical planning, served for 39 years in the Canadian Forces Reserves, and represented Canada for six years at NATO as the head of the Canadian Forces Reserve Medical Group.

Victor Coroy, LCOL (Retired), CD

Vic is a retired military officer with a career spanning 39 years of regular and reserve force service in Canada and in Europe.

He served as an artillery officer and military pilot. At senior levels his duties involved planning for military national and international joint and combined operations and as the Canadian representative on several NATO assignments.

Post military; he pursued a career as CEO of a consulting firm where he worked on several NDHQ studies and military information management projects for Defence Research Establishments. His consulting career also included a number of assignments with private sector agencies and businesses.

He is the past Executive Director of the Conference of Defence Associations and the CDA Institute, formerly a Director of the Atlantic Council of Canada, National VP Canadian NATO Defence College Association, VP Air OP Pilots’ Association, a former member of the Board of Governors, Commissionaires BC and is the Past President of Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver.

As Principal of Walter Francl Architecture Inc., Walter brings to our team extensive experience in providing design and project management leadership on a variety of complex civic projects. Walter has over 25 years experience as an Architect and Structural Engineer.

He combines conceptual design ability with project management skills and technical expertise. Walter has been active within the profession, serving on numerous professional committees.

He is a Past President of the Architect’s Institute of British Columbia, and has in the past and is again currently serving on the Vancouver Urban Design Panel and Development Permit Board. He has also been an advisory member of the Development Permit Board.

Edwin (Ted) A Hawthorne

Ted was born in Saskatchewan and moved to British Columbia in 1954. He received his LLB from UBC and has been a partner in the law firm Hawthorne, Piggott & Company since 1973.

He has been actively involved in numerous aspects of The British Columbia Regiment (DCO) for many years; initially serving in the Cadet Corps, joining the Regiment in 1961 and participating in all facets of the Regimental Family, including the BC Veterans Commemorative Association.

Ted is currently President and CEO of Columbus Long Term Care Society and serves as a director and officer of many other non-profit charitable organizations, including The Hatfield Society, Chacko & Lize Simon Scholarship Trust, Royal City Youth Ballet, the BC Regiment (DCO) Charitable Trust and Honorary Solicitor for The Army Cadet League of Canada (BC Branch).

Brian has been a firefighter with Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services for the past nine years; prior to that he was a Remote Access Fire Suppression Specialist with Canadian National Parks Service.

As a founding member and current Executive Director of Firefighters Without Borders BC (FWB BC) work as liaison for BC Fire Departments, corporate and community sponsors and international partners. He coordinated three international deployments of BC fire fighters in addition to delivery of equipment, including hundreds of sets of fire fighter personal protective equipment

Brian is Vice-President of the Vancouver International Association of Fire Fighters Local 18 Fire, Director, Fighters Charitable Society and involved in various public relations programs

As a member of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Yaletown and most recently as Community Services Chair, he played a central role in the development and support of international aid projects.

Currently Managing Director of Lignum Forest Products and the Managing Partner of the Vancouver Canadians baseball team, Kerr has been involved with many charitable and cultural organizations, including the Vancouver Foundation for a number of years, serving on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee.

With a distinguished career in the forest industry and a commitment to community involvement, Jake's many contributions have been recognized with the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

David R. Kuhl, MD, PHD

David is the Director of the Centre for Practitioner Renewal (CPR).  In that capacity he works to combine medicine and psychology in sustaining health care providers in the work place.  He is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.  Prior to his involvement in the CPR he developed the Palliative Care Program at Providence Health Care.  The research he did served as the basis for 2 books, “What Dying People Want” and “Facing Death Embracing Life.”

Dr. Kuhl has been a co-leader in the University of British Columbia/Royal Canadian Legion Veterans' Transition Program since its inception.

Debbie is a native of British Columbia with a passionate love for the outdoors. Debbie worked as a Chartered Account for Price Waterhouse Coopers where she became team leader for Dreams Take Flight, an organization dedicated to providing a trip of a lifetime to 125 disabled or socially challenged children.

After the horrific attack on her fiancé, Captain Trevor Green, Ms. Lepore dedicated her full time and energy to be Trevor’s advocate and to spearhead his recovery.

Debbie and Trevor reside in Nanaimo with their daughter Grace and are writing a book to share their story of hope and survival.

Veronica is currently Director of Sales for F.AS.T. First Aid & Survival Technologies, a Canadian enterprise that has shown its entrepreneurial spirit for over 20 years and which has proven to be a perfect match.

An entrepreneurial executive with extensive experience in the start-up and general management of diverse operations and in the development and delivery of sales, marketing and service strategies, Veronica is an accomplished negotiator, communicator and relationship-builder.

As Governor of the Surrey Board of Trade, Past Executive-At-Large of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce and recent recipient of the Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow award for initiating a wheelchair exchange project between Canada and Mexico, Veronica has always felt it important to contribute to the community.

She recently became intimately aware of the challenges being faced by young men and women entering the Canadian forces when her daughter’s friends chose military careers upon graduation.

Dave Sinclair was elected President of BC/Yukon Command at the 2009 Convention and is currently serving as Chairman of the Government Liaison and the Leadership and Business Management Committees. He is a Life Member of Britannia Branch 7 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Victoria, South/Mid Vancouver Island Zone.

Dave Sinclair joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1953 and served 25 years in the RCN retiring in 1977. He served on numerous ships mainly in the Pacific and retired in 1994 just in time to be the supervisor of all 675 vehicles at the Commonwealth Games.

Dave was President of Legion Manor for six years; a 143 unit housing complex which includes 68 Assisted Living suites located in Victoria BC. During his term in office he was instrumental in raising the funds and building the 68 suite assisted living building. He is also a Board Member of Elder Care Foundation of Greater Victoria.

David Sinclair was a Board Member of the Premier's Council on Aging and Seniors, a non partisan council formed by the Premier of British Columbia to advise the Government on future policy regarding seniors. In 2007, he was named "Citizen of the Year" in Greater Victoria in recognition of his outstanding citizenship and public service contributions.

In July 2009, Dave Sinclair accepted an invitation to be a member of the Honour House British Columbia Advisory Panel.

He and his wife, Anne, were married in 1957. The have two children and two grandchildren.

Vytas served with Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Croatia in 1993.

He has assisted the Royal Canadian legion/UBC Veterans Transition Program Facilitator in providing counseling and teaching coping skills to veterans living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to make the transition to civilian life.

Vytas has extensive work and volunteer experience in the Veteran’s Transition Program (Vancouver), working with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Victoria and in the Vancouver Crisis Centre, and the Victoria Cool Aid Society.

He is committed to working towards social justice and providing anti- oppressive practice. Vytas is currently attending the University of Victoria in his 4th year studies towards a Bachelor of Social Work Program.

Marvin J. Westwood PHD

Marv is a Professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at UBC.
He is also an Associate Member in the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

He has held teaching positions at St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia) and McGill University (Montreal). His teaching and research focuses primarily on trauma repair using specific group approaches.

Dr. Westwood is founder of the University of British Columbia/Royal Canadian Legion Veterans’ Transition Program.

Legal Counsel To the Society

Joel Camley is a lawyer with the Vancouver office of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Gowlings).

His practice is primarily focused on real estate development, corporate/commercial and lending/insolvency matters.  Joel has previously acted as a director for the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre Society of British Columbia and as an advisory member to the capital campaign for the Urban Native Youth Association's Native Youth Centre in Vancouver.

Gowlings is pleased to have a relationship with General (Ret’d) R.J. Hillier in his capacity of Strategic Advisor and to offer its support for Honour House by making our services and resources available to the Honour House Society.

Quotes

	“The programs that Honour House supports through cooperation with the Veteran’s Transition Program are essential for the recovery of peacekeepers like myself and Afghan veterans as we transition back into civilian life.” Tony Spiess, Medak Pocket veteran, former Yugoslavia

“Honor House is a noble idea whose time has come.  Having a refuge where the injured person and their family can be together is a powerful healing force critical to recovery.  All the members of the Honor House Society have worked above and beyond the call of duty to make this vision a reality.  I am proud to be Honorary Patron and look forward to crossing the threshold of Honor House when it opens later this year". Trevor Greene, Capt (Ret’d) Honourary Patron

	"Honour House and the Veteran's Transition Program collaborate to assist military personnel in working toward successful transition into civilian life". Marv Westwood, PhD The RCL/UBC Transition Program

Client Comments

Comments from Winch House Guests

“This beautiful refuge is a true home away from home.”

”Absolutely amazing and comfortable for kids and adults. Gorgeous decorating. Thank you.”

“Many thanks for the blessing of being able to stay in such a beautiful place.”

“Thanks so much for this wonderful home. It made things so much easier in this tough time.”