Honouring our Veterans

Join us for a special evening to honour and remember Canadian military veterans and raise awareness about the plight of homeless veterans in Ottawa. Special guest for the evening is Stephen Thorne, an award-winning writer, photographer, editor and broadcaster, who will present a slide show of his remarkable Afghanistan photographs and talk about his experiences with Canadian soldiers and the Afghan people.

Born in Halifax, Stephen Thorne is an award-winning writer, photographer, editor and broadcaster. He has reported extensively from war fronts in Kosovo and Afghanistan. His stories and photographs have been published worldwide and his Afghanistan work anchored a major exhibition at the Canadian War Museum. His photographs of Canada’s wounded warriors are the subject of a new war museum exhibition opening in February. His honours over 38 years in journalism include three National Newspaper Awards, four RTNDA broadcast awards, two Canadian Press Stories of the Year and the first-ever Ross Munro Media Award for excellence in defence reporting. In 2012, he received a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his “contributions to Canada.”

While we commemorate our veterans' heroism and sacrifice, we know that the impact of conflict on some veterans has been shattering and calls for a community response. More than 65 veterans sleep in shelters or on the street in Ottawa every night, and the numbers are growing. In response, Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) is currently preparing to build a residence for forty homeless veterans on the former Rockliffe air force base. Learn more about this initiative which will provide stable housing and help veterans recover from health, mental health and addiction issues. The project is being carried out by MHI in partnership with Salus, the Ontario Legion, Soldiers Helping Soldiers, and Veterans Canada.

Admission: There is no admission charge. Donations to MHI's Veterans House will be gratefully welcomed.
RSVP: Please let the KBI office know if you are planning to attend 613 298-4471
For more information: Contact Marcia Aronson (marcia.aronson@gmail.com) or Barbara Levine (levine.barbara@gmail.com)