The Order of St. George & Becoming a Dame - Part 1 of 2

The Order of St. George & Becoming a Dame - Part 1 of 2

On September 29th, I along with 31 others became Chevaliers in the Order of St. George.
The Investiture Ceremony took place at Kingston Ontario's St. George's Cathedral.

How I came to be invested into the Order

I was sponsored into the order by Allan Plett who is the Ops Manager for 3 C.A.V. (Canadian Army  Veterans Motorcycle Units). I have been an honorary member since 6 months after C.A.V. started about 16 years ago. As a member of the media I don't officially pay dues with any riding club.

I do however wear their crest proudly as a supporter member.

Both my mom and dad served and I was born on the Armed Forces Base Churchill Manitoba.
My now deceased brother, Jim was born in Downsview Ontario and had been a cadet who got his glider pilots wings.

I myself applied to join the military, I took my medical, wrote my exams and waited for two years.
There was a hiring moratorium on at the time and when I got my call to basic training the day I was getting ready to leave for California, I chose California. I ended up getting to work on jet engines and learning anyway.

I admire our military. The Canadian Military is filled with a lot of very noble people, doing work that most of us don't have the courage or the will to do. Most of these people answer a call to service that starts in their soul.

It has its ugly side, but that happens in every organization.  Look around you and you'll know what I mean. Religious leaders doing heinous things, police officers sometimes not much better, doctors and nurses who violate trust...and they make it very hard for those who answer those callings that are pure of heart and truly pushing forward good things.  It happens in the soccer mom community, the football dad community, it happens in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, it's the human condition.

As organizations go, the Canadian Military is an organization that I have dedicated a lot of my effort and time to supporting because while imperfect (such as the human condition is), it's an organization that for the most part is filed with noble, honourable people of their word.

I lived first hand the devestating results of military spouses, one with what we now call PTSD from physical and mental abuse and trauma as a kid, and the other who was a pugalist, and also suffered from trauma in his youth.

Unlike the veterans and Silver Cross families and cadets that I work to support today, I am a civilian and therefore as a rape, physical and mental abuse trauma survivor, supports are not as accessible. At least there are supports available to our veterans and their families as a group, and even if not perfect they sure are evolving in a hurry.  As a civilian, you fall through the cracks and when you live in a city like Grande Prairie, where doctors are here in order to qualify for citizenship, and you lose your doctor when they move to Calgary or Edmonton, it can take as many as 15 years to get another one.
Just ask me. I know our city is working on it, but it's tough to get skilled doctors to live in this cold but beautiful place.

Dealing with the challenges, the triggers, on your own can be difficult, but working with veterans, talking to them, becoming friends with them, you learn from them various coping methods and you grow, evolve.  Homeless veterans and people like me, well we have something in common, we are all but unidentifiable for outreach to get help. We are virtually faceless.  But together we help each other.

Sorry for being a little long winded; I guess I could have just said I identify with them, but you wouldn't have any understanding as to why.

When I was sponsored into the Order of St. George, I had to provide my CV, outline the charitable work I have done, have that vetted and then my application had to go to the board for approval.
It was an interesting process that took the better part of a year.

Getting Ready for the Investiture

I needed a gown for the gala after the ceremony and was talking to my friend Kim Newberry, a
Camrose Alberta Cadet mom whose cadet corps I have sponsored for various things, about this dilemma, I had no idea where to even start and wanted some advice.

Kim recommended a place called Tish's Fashion and Finery.
I was told this was a woman's fashion boutique with a selection that would blow your mind and she got me a fitting appointment for the morning of the Run to the Hills Rally in Two Hills since I'd be in the area already!

The sales lady I dealt with was named Donna, and she was the most patient, kind hearted person inthe world.  I haven't worn a dress other than to the odd Christmas party or funerals in the last 25 years since I quit modelling for part of my living. I had NO clue what would look good on me. She let me try on 7 or 8 dresses, all were beautiful but....

She served me coffee, chatted with me about the event and made sure to help me select dresses that would wow and while all of them were spectacular....when friends and family saw me in the dress that I ultimately chose, their comments had me blushing.

And then you could have knocked me over with a feather when I was told the dress was a gift from Tish for the volunteer work I do for the cadets and veterans. 

Apparently this is something Tish does frequently. She picks out someone that she sees needs/deserves to feel beautiful and she helps make that happen.

So ladies, if you find yourself needing something to make you feel fabulous, may I recommend a dress from Tish's Fashion and Finery in Camrose Alberta!

Suffice it to say, that not only did I feel special, I felt beautiful.

After the gown, I needed to go purchase some dress clothes as we postulants would have 3 functions to get through before the gala and the gown!

It was a whirlwind time filled with learning about the Order in Canada which was brought here in 2003 by the Grande Master Gareth Green. The Order of St George has been around since 1326.

When it started here in Canada it was largely ceremonial but now the Order of St George in Canada is a working Knighthood that supports our military, veterans, cadets and many programs that support our youth.

To learn more about the Order of St. George and the Foundation visit: www.orderstgeorge.ca

Next time, photos and videos from the meet n greet, the ceremony, dinner and my thoughts on being a part of this organization.

Until then, if you are blessed to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you,

Renee "Belt Drive Betty" Charbonneau
Editor & Rider and Dame in the Order of St. George.

From my desk to yours, my home to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Holidays.

As we get ready to celebrate the winter solstice and all of the holidays around the world like Las Posadas, Saint Stephen’s Day and Holy Innocents day I reflect on the year gone by and the year ahead.

As I look back at 2017, I realize that I have been going through a painful rebirthing, envisioning of who I am, who could I be?

I experienced a ton of change in 2017, after 45 years of smoking cigarettes I am almost 1-year cigarette free. (January 2^nd is the anniversary.)

My good friend Blair died earlier this year. He was the road captain on that fateful day when I hit a road boil and crashed and had another bike hit mine from behind. 

I am not looking forward to discovery in February. It will bring up the memories of Blair, the sadness I feel at his departure from this side of the grass.  It will also bring up the frustration I feel over being sued by someone who hit me from behind, who was following too close.  

The frustration I feel over a police officer that did not do his job and never sent me a subpoena so I had no idea what date, time or city court was in.  The fact that I have a letter of apology from the RCMP officer offers little comfort, as I now have to relive that day and that whole horrid affair all over again. ARGH….

In May of 2017, PTSD started kicking my ass again, HARD. I did all of the survival things that I know to do to keep it at bay, under control, under wraps, I succeeded most of the time and failed miserably a couple of times. 

And that brings me to some people that I am hugely grateful for.

My contractors.  Yes, my family too, but today it’s the people who work with me I want to talk about…I am grateful to them and for them for so many reasons.

I have an injury that no one else can see, and sometimes I come across pretty impatient, harsh and intolerant with my tone of voice.  Sometimes my volume goes up and the aggression comes out and then the tears start to flow – tears of frustration at not being able to let nice Renee out.

For these people to keep hanging in there with me, through the ups and downs, well a girl can’t feel much more gratitude than I do right now.  I have come so close to losing everything I have worked all my life for, including my sanity, thanks to PTSD.

PTSD is hard to explain because no two people truly experience it the same way.

My triggers are someone spitting in my face while they are talking/yelling at me, the color orange when I feel threatened or vulnerable, someone coming at me from behind, unsecured loads, fire…there are a few others but these are the most important, the most hurtful of all of the triggers because they can spiral me into a pit of despair so fast.  These are my least controllable triggers.

In May I had a disagreement with someone who reminds me a lot of my mother.

My mother is a huge contributor to my hidden injury called PTSD.

Anyway, the relationship I had with my mother was love/hate.

It was stormy, and at times violent.

This happened on May 4^th, the anniversary of Fort Mac, I was already fragile, but I knew if I got away from the TV and radio and all of the accounts and documentaries and threw myself into something I am wildly passionate about I’d be OK.

Once at the monument site, I had this person that was yelling at me about something she knew nothing about, she was doing it in front of a crew of construction workers, many in orange safety vests as she was spitting in my face while yelling.  I triggered hard. I was vibrating from head to toe, shaking like a leaf, and I asked this person 3 times to “PLEASE get out of my personal space”. The fourth time I didn’t ask, I yelled at her calling her some very choice, un-lady like names and ran to my car.   I drove out of the parking lot too fast, to a safe place about 2 blocks away and stopped the car. The waterworks were just flowing.

My heart was hammering, my mouth was dry, my ears were ringing, and my palms were wet. It took me a good half hour to get a grip on myself.  I went back to the job site and thankfully she and her vehicle were gone.  The rest of the day went uninterrupted, but I felt my embarrassment and I also felt the embarrassment of these men who were volunteering their time to help me at the monument site, having to witness this altercation, it was truly mortifying.

All summer long I battled the dark thoughts, the self-destruction, the pulling back from life and finally I sought out a business coach I know.  With her help, I started re-carving a path forward for my business and me.  The PTSD still weighs heavy on my brain, but having her to talk to and guide me, motivate me, understand and support me – WHEW – HUGE. So Holly Sorgen of EmPower Up, thank you for being such a kick assed business coach and holding my feet to the fire to perform and show up.

Susan Healey – for 12 years of the 15 I’ve been running this business, this gal has become my friend, my sister, and my anchor.  It’s so funny – this quiet, unassuming human being can whip my ass into shape over my tone or the way I say something or react to something like no one else can.  I almost need to be paying her fees for therapy because she sure helps me. I know there are times that if she didn’t need this job she’d have left me, but I am so grateful she’s stuck it out.

Grateful that today we have the kind of relationship where she is helping to prepare me to be a boss, a manager of people. That thought alone used to terrify me, that’s why I had a hard time growing this thing.

Her patience, perseverance and quiet unassuming way coupled with the knowledge that she is always there for me to bounce things off of, to vent to, so that I can think clearer…yes, without Suzie I am not sure where I’d be, but it wouldn’t be as the editor of a newspaper for motorcyclists that’s for sure. I’d have given up a long time ago.

Then there’s Dave T.  Dave has been with us three years now and his passion and dedication for helping all of the charity events, big & small across the nation get added to our calendars and promoted on Facebook is nothing short of a blessing.

Dave also has the patience to deal with my invisible injury.  He is not afraid to let me know if I cross a line, he’s kind but firm about it!

And last but not least there is Rhonda, my one and only sales rep; Rhonda is the president of RAGE in Saskatchewan and also has PTSD.  She was run over by a drunk driver in an SUV and was pinned under that SUV - ON HER MOTORCYCLE. Along side her many physical injuries, PTSD is one of her most painful and challenging to manage injuries too.

Rhonda’s PTSD reacts different from mine – where I knee jerk and generally become hurtful with my mouth, Rhonda turtles, pulls inside her self.

She drives me crazy, challenges the hell out of me, and forces both of us to be more compassionate with one another. Hidden injuries are hard to deal with in others, even when you yourself suffer from a hidden injury. Ask any veteran.

We are a team, as dysfunctional as any family can be, but as tight as any family can be.   As I sit back and reflect on a year filled with ups and downs, smiles and tears, I can see the perfect balance these people bring to my life, my business and me.

My only hope is that I bring value to theirs as well.

My team of contractors balances me out; they hold me accountable while understanding that PTSD is not always “controllable”.

Sometimes you have to ride it out. 

The fact that they get it makes me feel blessed and special.

I am not sure why I deserve their loyalty and friendship, but I am grateful for it and hope they know I have their six and that they are part of my extended family, and are loved and appreciated even when it doesn’t seem so.

I hope that as you reflect back on your year that you can count many blessings and I’ll bet as you examine all of those blessings, a person is attached to them somewhere!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours in 2018!

Belt Drive Betty,

Editor & Rider

PTSD - the shame, fear, anger and misunderstandings and RIDING!

Airdrie Bikes & Bulls

PTSD is a dreadful dis-ease.

It can come on so hard, so strong, so fast that you simply can't function in any coherent way.

Sometimes you know what your triggers are and other times you get caught so off guard by a trigger that you didn't know existed that you feel foolish or worse.

The outbursts of a PTSD survivor can be almost as disturbing to witness and or deal with as the outburst from a person with Tourette Syndrome.

For the person inside of the PTSD episode, it can be scary, frightening, embarrassing, horrifying, mortifying - there are a lot of words you can put to how the person in the moment feels. As the whole thing blows up out of control, the person inside of the episode almost immediate begins berating themselves, at least that's been my experience.

I was diagnosed back in the late 90's and I gotta tell you that the supports for civilians suck.
The drugs put so much weight on you that your self esteem goes in the toilet, they mess with your innards and make them unhappy and unhealthy.

The drugs, they are the absolute worst part, next to a health care system that is over burdened. Continuity of care is challenging especially in the north where doctors from other countries who seek to immigrate to Canada are "requested" to work here for their first 5 years.

Motorcycle Ride to the Reynolds presented by Honda Canada

Many leave here for warmer climes and bigger cities with larger population bases for customers.

At least for veterans, there is some attempt at a cohesive support program, there is truly little for the civilian.

One of the hardest things to deal with from my perspective is the shame one feels when you get to a point that you can't control your tone of voice or the anguish or anger with which you speak.

Since May and the first anniversary of Fort Mac I have struggled hard with PTSD.
I am winning, but I have had a few occasions that I am not overly proud of.



Being around others who judge you, who can't deal with or accept you because of the PTSD can make life, interesting.

3rd CAV Rally 

Many people turn on you once they experience a PTSD episode with you, those who don't, those are the ones you hang on to.

It can be a very lonely way to live.

This is my way of reaching out the Military Minds Rolling Barrage as they complete their trip - across Canada to raise PTSD awareness...although I have not always gotten along with the way their organization uses dark humour publicly sometimes, I do appreciate the work that they do.

I salute all who work to help people understand the invisible would called PTSD.

That work benefits everyone with PTSD or those who love someone with it.



Now onto other more pleasant topics.

In the last few weeks I have not been on the computer much.

Hence why I have not updated this blog for a bit.

I have actually been out riding.

Pipes Education event at Harley-Davidson of Edmonton

I am finally coming out of the fog of adrenal fatigue and while I can now work 6 days a week again, I am still only able to work between 8-10 hours a day, sometimes I can manage 12.
When you are used to being a one person crew that worked 12-14 hours a day 7 days a week, it's rough. I miss those highly productive hours.
HOWEVER as I mentioned, I have been riding and enjoying every mile I have put on and there have been a few.

I went to the  Run to the Hills Memorial Rally, Airdrie Bikes & Bulls, spent some time with the Military Police in Dundurn Saskatchewan, and I attended the 3rd CAV Rally, I went to Drumheller for a day with a friend and I rode Lucky Highway 13 to create videos with.




I spent time in Wetaskiwin at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum for the Motorcycle Ride to the Reynolds presented by Honda Canada and got one heck of an education on motorcycle pipes from the gang over at Harley-Davidson of Edmonton.

Military Police, Moose Jaw

I promise I will bring you up to speed on all of those events and a whole lot more in the coming days and weeks.


Please folks, if you are lucky enough to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.  We have lost enough people in our community - please be safe and hyper vigilant.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Highway 63 Song for Fort Mac Wildfire

The Fort McMurray wildfire may very go down as the biggest story of 2016.  It was Canada’s largest-ever natural disaster.  Eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated down highway 63 as flames erupted around them.

Fort McMurray still needs help to rebuild, and to aid in a meaningful and financial way, Larry Pegg has been inspired to write a song and put together a touching music video about this ‘coming together’ in such a time of need.

"...it looks like hell on the CBC..." is a line from Larry Pegg Music’s moving song Highway 63. The song is supporting the wildfire relief efforts and creating awareness for #MentalHealth, #PTSD and #SuicidePrevention, all key issues that will affect those affected by this dramatic and tragic event. As Larry has suffered unimaginable loss himself,  he was able to tap into that and thus create his beautiful rendition of this tragedy.

Larry would like to recognize and thank Michel Chamberland who captured the images seen on the video, and to the CBC for their tireless coverage and their interview of Captain Adam Bugden (as you'll see on the video), Chief Darby Allen and so many others. Thanks as well to the Montana Smoke Jumpers who provided their fearless footage in solidarity with their fellow firefighters, both brothers and sisters.  All their efforts and hard work that are seen in the images of the video drove the rhythm, the melody, the lyrics and the message.

You can download Highway 63 here. Click 'Your price' in the player to download and Larry will devote 100% of download proceeds (set your own price, $2.00 minimum CAD) to the wildfire relief cause and mental health and suicide prevention going forward.  The Red Cross is doing incredible work in supporting those that are in need.

Highway 63 features Ottawa-based Jeff Rogers (keyboards/vocals), Ross Murray (drums/vocals), Stuart Watkins (bass), Fred Guignion (guitars and lap steel), Larry Pegg (guitars and vocals) and Edmund Eagan (supporting Ross Murray in production and arrangement). Jeff sings the lead, and he kicks it out of the park with his great voice and delivery. Mastered by the iconic Emily Lazar at The Lodge in New York City.

We feel this song is a strong contender for ‘Canada’s song of the year’ and we are asking you to download, share, and share some more!

Please share via Twitter: @LPGrooves
Like and share on Facebook

If you need mental health support you call these numbers 24 hours a day.
Alberta Addictions Help Line: 1-877-332-2322
Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642
Wood Buffalo Distress Line: 1-780-743-4357



Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

The good, the bad and the very ugly

Our military is in the headlines this week and it is not a pretty thing.

Here is the link to the Maclean's article preview: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/our-militarys-disgrace-a-preview-of-our-latest-cover-story/

Rape and violence, these are among the topics of the investigation by L’actuality and their sister publication Maclean's.

Our military has reportedly had these problems for a lot of years.
And sadly, so has our R.C.M.P.

But it's not just about what happens at work.

In the US, this article from the Free Thought Project states that 1 in 4 women is a victim of domestic abuse but that number is 1 in 2 for police officers spouses.

The Canadian Dimension article from October 2015 suggests that domestic abuse in Canada by police officers is handled very badly by the police services:

Begin Quote:
As bad as things are in the U.S., by comparison Canada and other countries are in the Stone Age in taking action or acknowledging the problem. In the Montreal and Halifax police departments, less than one percent of male officers who commit domestic violence may face a criminal charge, according to calculations based on discipline records. The situation is even worse at the RCMP—even after Jocelyn Hotte’s shooting rampage. The RCMP disciplines Mounties more harshly if they steal or make a false statement than if they attack an intimate partner. A male Mountie who assaults his wife or girlfriend may have as little as a one-in-6,500 chance of ever facing a judge for his crime. End Quote

Not surprisingly, the Canadian Military also has it's issues with spousal abuse.
The CBC reported on the issue in 2011.

Police Officers and Combat Military Personnel and Veterans all become broken human beings at some point in their careers.  Some become far more broken than others.

My personal belief is that there are a number of factors at play here.

The very nature of the jobs these people sign up for is centered around violence and dealing with the worst of the worst in humanity.

Some of the people who come to these jobs already have ego issues or anger/aggression issues but are successful at hiding their true nature for a long time, until one day they loose their grip. Others have superiors who turn a blind eye or ship the bad apple out to another detachment or unit to get rid of the administration headaches.

Others are good people who over time become jaded by the filth they have to deal with on a day to day basis, who slowly begin to loose a handle on their own sense of morality and decency.
Their moral compass shifts.

Yet others are plunged into the depths of darkness over a single horrific incident that haunts them.

The darkness and pain has to have somewhere to go and if it is not being dealt with in a constructive way like counselling, things can go off the rails.

From everything I have read, it appears that most of the "offenders" in these rape and violence cases are male. And that does not surprise me.

"Weakness" in the military is frowned upon, the same in the R.C.M.P.  and other police services.
You have to be mentally tough to deal with a lot of the situations these people face.
You have to have your "brother/sister's" back. They need to be able to rely on you and so a sign of cracking under pressure could be a death nell to your job when it comes to your trustworthiness in a crisis situation. Hence showing any humanness means your livelihood becomes jeopardized.

You truly are a cog in the wheel, a piece of machinery and when you break down, when you are going sideways, you run the risk of being discharged and worse.

The stigma attached with "weakness" is a largely a male "issue".
Many men see "weakness" as a flaw.
The system sees "weakness" as a flaw.
And so, they become good at covering up the misery they are in.

Too often no one notices and so no interventions take place.
Due to the fear levels the victims have, often times many are hurt before the "situation" ever comes to light.

The violent, grotesque and often cruel world these people live in while on the job, takes a huge toll on their psyche. The military and police services in particular, are very good at making people into "soldiers", into order followers, into people who turn off the pain, the degradation while on the job, but as the horrors come to them through their mind's eye, in a crowded room or in their dreams, many crack.

Eventually some of them totally crumble. Without help, many become lost.

Many times, the victim becomes a victimizer.

The problem is not with the majority of these human beings, but rather with a system that does little to address the mental health needs of it's people.

If the "management" caught the warning signs and got these people the support, help and tools they need, things wouldn't have to degenerate the way they often seem to.

That is the SHAME GAME.

If they only knew that it's NOT WEAKNESS at all but HUMANNESS.

I don't care how tough you are, how strong you think you are.  If shown enough horror, enough cruelty, at least one of three things will happen, if not all three:

1) You will become so angry, so filled with a sense of impotency that the rage damned near consumes you and you take it out on everyone around you especially your spouse.

2) You commit suicide either physically or career wise. By that I mean, you drink and drive (Self Medicate), you pick fights, you become overtly aggressive - a bully...you become a problem child in other words.

3) You find the right help and support and begin living a better, healthier and more balanced life.

Our soldiers, veterans and police have more than a hurdle or two to overcome.

The New Veterans Charter  still does not provide for them adequately, in spite of the Equitas agreement, for if it did, the bureaucracy would have changed hugely, especially with the high profile cases mentioned below, but it has not.

From my personal experience talking with veterans, it hasn't improved for a lot of them.
Their case managers are burnt out and overworked thanks to so many VAC offices closing, which means the bureaucracy is worse than ever.

Some of the policies and procedures are border line cruel when it comes to benefits and supports.

Case in point - Eric Magill - when you read his story in the Trenton Trentonian Newspaper, you will shake your head at the lunacy.

He lives in Trenton Ontario and has been given a wheelchair with California wheels on it, the wrong wheels for his terrain and the brakes don't work. His house is not wheel chair accessible, neither is his vehicle and why? Paperwork issues. Bureaucracy. 14 YEARS WORTH.

And how about the case of veteran Paul Franklin- his legs were left behind in Afghanistan, taken by an suicide bomber and yet every year he is asked if they have grown back.

The degradation of needing support and being treated like an unworthy/manipulative human being is cruel.

If prisoners were treated in this manner, the John Howard Society or someone would be advocating loudly for them.

The Equitas Society was formed to combat the inadequacies in the New Veteran Charter and while an agreement was reached in May of 2015, nothing much has changed.

Psychological supports are even tougher to get than the physical supports like a wheelchair and sadly, I personally know of stories where spouse's of soldiers with PTSD and other mental challenges are told to run far away, take half of everything and go.

No family counselling, no real help. Instead - destroy a family.

I have lost military friends to suicide. The devastation to their families is enormous.

Sadly, I get why these people blow a head gasket and why so much abuse and suicide exists.

The combination of the rigours of the job, the sometimes inhumane treatment at the hands of superiors and bureaucrats becomes too much and voila, the perfect storm.

I admit I am no psychiatrist or psychologist, but I have heard these heart wrenching stories enough to know that I am not too far off in my interpretation of what takes place. At least for some.

It's tragic. But, we can do something to help end some of the degradation of suffering for one man...

I hope those of you who can will join us in Nisku at Blackjack's Roadhouse on May 28th for our Wheels for Our Wounded Poker Run - this year we will be riding to help Eric Magill.

This poker run will be the kick off our national Crowdfunding Campaign that we are launching for him.

With Branch #389 of ANAVETS as our new partner, we are going to be able to provide those who need or wish to have a charitable donation receipt when you donate online or mail cheques.

We are just waiting for the new bank accounts to be opened and the PayPal account for ANAVETS to be set up!

We intend to raise funds through the crowdfunding platform until we have raised all of the money we need to fund the scooter conversion project for Eric.


If you are blessed to be riding these days, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you and please consider dressing for the slide and not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

"Further Than Yesterday, That's All That Counts" - A Book Review

Medric "Cous" Cousineau, SC, CD, Captain Retired, RCAF should be called the Robin Williams of the Canadian Forces.

I have had the honour of knowing Medric and his wife Jocelyn Cousineau for a number of years.
My first time meeting this man was at the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby Nova Scotia.
He was performing magic tricks. Everyone called him "Sea Dawg the Magic Man".

On the outside, this very large and jovial man came across as a class clown kind of guy. But his eyes held a look of something hidden, blocked off, almost dead unless he was speaking from a place of anger, the laughter he made everyone else experience never seemed to reach his eyes.

Like Robin Williams, Cous brought joy and laughter to others lives, but privately he was dying an emotional death.

Cous's book, "Further Than Yesterday, That's All That Counts" is a real, raw and detailed look at military service. It chronicles his time in the Canadian Forces and the harrowing sea rescue that he and his comrades under took. The one that sent him into the abyss.

I found it very difficult to read Cous's book. I'd pick it up, read a bit and then have to put it down again, but it kept drawing me back.

His descriptions of the horrifying painfulness of PTSD, are so bang on, so poignant and that's why this read captivated me and repelled me all at the same time.

His style of describing the demon called PTSD, draws you in, makes you feel the darkness, the hurt, the anguish. He makes you feel and understand the devastation that PTSD wreaked on his family.

But it does far more than that.

It gives one hope.

Cous's service dog "Thai" has shown not only Medric and his family, but an entire nation the healing power of unconditional love.

Of all of the things a service dog does to enriched the life of its handler and their family, that unconditional love is probably the most profound.  This dog turned the lights on in Medric's head and heart and gave him a sense of purpose in his life, a renewed mission if you will.

That mission? To get others to understand and appreciate the life rejuvenating gift of service dogs.

This book is a must read for anyone whose life is touched by military service.

Get the book here: www.furtherthanyesterday.com

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider



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All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Your Invitation....

Our event, Wheels for Our Wounded takes place at Blackjack's Roadhouse in Nisku AB, this weekend - Saturday May 30th and if you live within a day's ride, you are INVITED....

Wheels for Our Wounded is all about helping veterans, soldiers and first responders who need help to have a vehicle modified to accommodate their new normal, be it putting a side car on a motorcycle so that a service dog can go with that person, all the way to buying or assisting with modifying a vehicle to make it wheelchair accessible.

The Federal and Provincial governments look at vehicles as a luxury. If you can't take public transit, then you need a prescription to get help and even then, the help offered to make a vehicle wheelchair accessible is only $5K from the Federal Government.

There is NO help to covert a motorcycle to accommodate a side car or  make it into a trike.

You and I, we who ride, know that a motorcycle or trike can be a sanity line for many. Just look how many veterans, solders and first responders ride - they will all tell you that wind therapy is a valid therapy - yet no one in "power" sees it.

We also know that wheels mean a certain freedom and independence.

Our first recipient for this very special, newly founded event is a veteran.  This veteran will get their motorcycle in BC during Wounded Warriors Weekend Week. This veteran by all accounts, is one of the most giving and compassionate people out there and would never ask for help for themselves.

It's hard to raise funds for an anonymous face....it's hard for people to wrap their head around supporting someone who is incognito but I promise you this much, when this veteran gets their new wheels, you are going to see someone with a grin from ear to ear who is then going to be pissed because "I don't need your charity" is this person's mindset.
And then that grin will return.

You will get to "MEET" this veteran through photos and videos of them getting their bike - I PROMISE.


We need to keep this person anonymous until they get their bike, we have to for their sake. If they found out what we were doing for them, well let's just say pride goeth before a fall and so, until its a done deal, we are keeping a lid on the recipient's name.

I promised that the help I got last year from this community, I would find a way to pay forward ten fold....and because of the support of great volunteers and supporters the intent now is to pay that kindness, that help forward a hundred fold.

Rob Truscott, JM McKinney, Les Shandruk and the gang from the Northern Gateway Motorcycle Association, 1st, 2nd, 3rd C.A.V. and C.A.V. National, Cindy Irvine, Rob Himmelspach, Blackjack's Roadhouse, Edmonton Harley-Davidson, Mountainview Harley-Davidson, JP Cormier and Tim Isberg, Cori from Steel Horses Photography, IOMC, RCL Legion Riders, all of the volunteers who will be running booths and helping with registrations etc,  (some 70 of them), the 40 or so sponsors we have, the team at Belt Drive Betty Media, Pat Varga, Cindy Murphy, all of these good people and SOOOO many more are the reason I/WE can host this event - without the aforementioned team  - I AM all but powerless....but as a community we are SOOOO powerful and everyone has worked so hard to get us here...

Our special guest is Kate MacEachern, the gal who has been walking with a 45 lbs rucksack on her back to create awareness of PTSD, to create discussion, healing and raise funds for service dogs and Wounded Warriors Weekend...

As a team, our intent is to show this woman the best in hospitality, generosity and compassion and create the best fund and awareness raising opportunity that we can.

We intend to give her voice the audience it deserves, because she speaks for so many who can't speak for themselves...

Folks, on Saturday, she and the NASH Project will be 30 days into their journey of healing! They still have many miles to traverse - let's give them the support and send off they need to keep putting one boot, one hoof infant of the other.

PLEASE, join us, RAIN OR SHINE - we won't make fun of you for showing up in a cage (much)...we NEED your support, so we can support those who need it.

It costs on average, $5,000 to put a service dog into the care and control of a soldier, veteran or first responder that needs one.

It's going to cost $12,000 to give a veteran their sanity line back in the way of a motorcycle...

Without YOU - all of the work of our volunteers, all of the support of our sponsors, will be for naught.  So PLEASE, come out, meet our team, ride/drive the poker run route, come eat some BBQ, listen to some great tunes , see what the vendors offer and most of all support those who rush in when everyone pulls back...

Fire Fighters in Grande Prairie doing their job last weekend

Our Fire Fighters (God Love them, the wildfire situation is desperate), our EMS who deal with the trauma and aftermath of some of the most horrific events you can imagine, the same for the police services, I may not always like some of their members, damned they do a job I couldn't...

Our soldiers and veterans - their jobs are critical to our well being as a nation...

Your support means everything and not just to us, the Wheels for Our Wounded team, but to Kate Mac & The Long Way Home Team, the NASH Project , Alpha K9, Paws Fur Thought, Valour Place & the Mattradd fundraiser as well as Wounded Warriors Weekend - in all your donations, your participation in the poker run, the silent auctions and 50/50 draws, the pledge challenge - will be helping 7 organizations provide outreach.

Visit www.wheelsforourwounded.ca  visit the sponsors page, the supporters page, read about Kate Mac and TLWH 2015, the NASH Project, Wounded Warriors Weekend...and then please, be motivated enough that no matter WHAT MOTHER NATURE throws our way this weekend...please come out.

On Sunday May 31st join us for a Bikers Breakfast at Blackjacks from 8am to 9:30 AM and help us send Kate of in Grande style...she will leave while we are eating breakfast and we will then catch up to her at the Royal Canadian Legion in Leduc where we will share one final hug, one final thank you and send her and the NASH Project on their way to Chilliwak - over the Coquihalla...for Kate and the Trans Canada trail for the horse team.

Our soldiers, our veterans and our first responders don't back out of doing their jobs if it rains, snows, hails, floods...please don't let them down if Mother Nature decides to be a bag...

DRIVE, RIDE or DOG SLED in - but please, come out and support these important causes...

Thanks folks and if you are blessed to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

PTSD - A Growing Conversation

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. (Mayo Clinic)

Kate MacEachern, a former Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces is on a mission.

Walking from Nipawin Saskatchewan to Chilliwack BC, Kate's journey is all about creating dialogue around PTSD, it's causes, it's side effects and the solutions that can bring a measure of happiness, joy and sunshine back into people's lives.

The 45 pound rucksack she carries on her back is symbolic of the burden of PTSD that so many first responders, service personnel and veteran's carry.

The journey through PTSD is all about learning to live with a new normal.

My story:

Like everyone out there, I have a few causes that are close to my heart. Finding a cure for MS - my wonderful husband has MS, so, it's important to me that we find a cure, anything to do with children who are suffering from sexual, physical and psychological abuse. As a survivor, those causes are important to me. PTSD; being a survivor, having dealt with psychiatrists and doctors, insurance and bureaucracy, I know all too well about the stigma involved with PTSD.

PTSD almost robbed me of my life. I had survived repeated beatings at the hand of my mother, I had survived being sexually molested, I had survived the car crash that put me in braces, physically, but inside, my spirit, my soul and mind were struggling. Nightmares, cold sweats, very little sleep for days and weeks and months and years...mood swings, sometimes violent ones...along with a host of other unpleasant symptoms. 

After several medications that did not work (Wellbutrin, Zoloft etc) the drugs the doctors eventually put me on, Paxil and Amitriptyline ended up exacerbating the problem instead of alleviating it.  No one knew at the time, that you should not drink coffee on Paxil. Here I was, 2-3 pots of coffee a day on 40MG's of this stuff and low and behold, when they adjusted the Amtrityline the last time, it triggered suicidal thoughts. After about a week of not being able to shut the voice off in my head, feeling like I couldn't tell anyone what was going on, terrified of what the outcome would be, I checked myself into the hospital. I spent two weeks being weened off of caffeine, through tests, it was discovered I had caffeine toxicity and 75% liver damage caused by the combination of coffee and Paxil.

I went through hell. My family went through it with me. Counselling helped some, but none of the drugs the doctors tried on me worked and with the last set almost killing me I decided I would pitch the drugs and find other ways to deal with my challenges. I meditate now, watch my diet, use herbal supplements, read a lot of spiritual books. Riding my motorcycle helps me cope as does snuggling with my cats...but...

It wasn't until I went to Wounded Warriors Weekend in Slave Lake AB last August that I truly, deeply got the message that I wasn't alone, I wasn't weird, I was wounded.

Being surrounded by others who had similar sleeping patterns to mine, watching others trigger, listening to the experiences of others who like me, wanted to do more than just survive...it wasn't until that weekend that I felt accepted, by ME. I had bought into the stigma that the doctors, friends and strangers had labelled me with. I was ashamed of me and this weakness.  NO MORE.

At Wounded Warriors Weekend I found a new layer to my healing.

DIALOGUE.

I feel stronger inside than I have in years, and I believe that the simple act of dialogue brought an enlightenment an understanding to my brain that it had not been able to accept before.

Although I wasn't a soldier or a veteran, I wasn't a cop or a fire fighter, not a medic either, the people who attended Wounded Warriors Weekend, made me realize that my trauma's while different from theirs, were real, horrible and that I wasn't crazy.

I was more like them than not, I was simply trying to find a new normal while resenting loosing the old normal.

One of the people who touched my soul and helped rekindle my fire and passion for life, was Kate MacEachern. Having been thrown from a horse during a training exercise with the Lord Strathcona's Mounted Regiment, this woman, whose back was broken, who later experienced a stroke because of a dislodged blood clot caused by the horse incident, a woman who was told she'd never walk again, might never function fully again, helped me.

She helped me through her compassion, her empathy, her courage, strength and inner beauty.

Kate MacEachern is all of those things and so much more.

After interviewing her, spending time with her, I vowed that I wanted to do more surrounding the issue of PTSD.

I wanted to support our Warriors, those who do jobs that horrify, that destroy the soul, the body and the mind. The Police, Medics, Fire Fighters, Soldiers, Veteran's - these people do jobs that I am not sure I would have the courage to do. They see horrific car wrecks, people burning alive, children being abused, bullets and IED's taking the lives of their friends - they see the WORST of humanity & Mother Nature and yet they rush in to help instead of pulling back.

Because of meeting Kate, I decided to start an event that will become it's own association in time, called Wheels for Our Wounded using my non profit, The Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association to do so.

The goal; to help those who need wind therapy to deal with their PTSD be able to have motorcycles converted with side cars or made into trikes, help buy wheel chair accessible vehicles or help get vehicles modified so a Warrior could drive their car or truck.

You see the government looks upon private vehicles as a luxury, but those of us who ride, know that a motorcycle is far more than a luxury, for some of us, it's a life line. Those who can't take public transit know that wheels mean freedom, independence and dignity.

Dog therapy, equine therapy, wind therapy, gardening therapy - there are almost as many PTSD therapy types as there are sufferers.  This is not a one size fits all illness. There are organizations funding many of the different therapies, but vehicle therapy outside of wheel chair accessible vehicles isn't being funded here in Canada.

I called Kate and asked her if she could be my special guest since she'd be in Edmonton for May 30th - told her I'd donate 25% of everything we take in to her cause and the balance would go to purchasing a motorcycle for a veteran in need of motorcycle therapy. She agreed.

AND THEN I was asked to join the team of The Long Way Home as Operations Manager.
Overwhelmed but excited to be involved in making a bigger difference, I readily agreed.

Though we are only two weeks into Kate's 3 month long journey, I can't tell you how healing this experience has been. Gruelling, challenging but healing, for all of us in the team I do believe.

As her ops manager, my job is to take care of all the little things that crop up while the team is on the road. I apply for permits, coordinate with the rest of the team like Cindy Murphy the publicist, the events team, Pat Varga, Brenda Fredercikson, Drea Popiel, David Wilson, Sophie Pyne and Paula DeLorey her medic and all of the communities and people who reach out wanting to be involved.
I help with social media, the web site, designing and ordering of swag, ensuring the team knows what is happening from day to day. It's busy work.

The on road team is comprised of 5 women, three who are survivors with PTSD, 4 horses and one pre teen boy.

Kate is joined for the first 30 days of this trip by her son, Tyler. His message is almost as powerful as that of his mother. After all he lives with PTSD as much as she does.

For much of this journey Kate will be walking with two horses and their riders, Rebecca and her daughter Emily; Emily has PTSD. The N.A.S.H. Project provides service dogs and therapy horses and is headed up by Rebecca and her daughter.

As beneficiaries of Kate's efforts, they wanted to join Kate and show the people they get to meet what great therapy a horse can be, to talk about the effects of a service dog on its handler, to provide hope and help the discussions focus on HOPE, on supports.

Kate, Tyler, Rebecca, Emily, Lisa and JoAnne  with the Fire Fighters of
Britannia Wilton Fire Dept near Lloydminster SK/AB

I have been volunteering a ton of my time to this walk, this cause, this woman and the team on the road and yet...I feel like I have been given far more than I have been able to give to them.

To read the stories of how Kate and her team's message have touched people's lives, to see the photos and the joy, the hope she is spreading - the dialogue that is being created.

To play witness to the to the monster determination that is Kate MacEachern fills me in a way I can't truly describe.

This is her third and final journey.

It will be the most gruelling of them all, it is truly THE LONG WAY HOME.

PLEASE Follow Kate Mac, The Long Way Home and the N.A.S.H. Project. There are SOOOO many ways you can support this woman and her team as they make their way to Chilliwack.

You can:

1. Join an event in a community near you.
2. Be out on the highway and walk a kilometre or two with her.
3. Donate a few dollars, buy a tee shirt or a pin through her online store. 
4. Join her Free shopping circle.

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, visit her site often - show this woman and this team that PTSD IS NO LONGER a DIRTY LITTLE SECRET - engage, talk share.

The more dialogue that is created, the more support will be offered to those working at reclaiming their lives and learning to live within a new normal.

Thanks for hearing me out folks and PLEASE - GET INVOLVED - BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE....

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider



Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

The Kick Off for the Long Way Home 2015

David Reed

The day before the event at Government House in Regina Saskatchewan, the three teams involved in this, the final walk for Kate called "The Long Way Home 2015" converged at the home of David & Danielle Reed.

David Reed is an Aide de Camp to the Lieutenant Governor General and was in charge of the honour guard at Government House.

The 3 teams involved in the Long Way Home 2015 are The Wounded Warriors Weekend Foundation team, The N.A.S.H. Project and of course Kate MacEachern's team.

The Reeds with a welcome
sign made by their children

Her Honour with the puppy

As a benefactor of Kate's walk, Wounded Warriors Weekend Foundation has helped the cause by getting sponsors for a truck and tailer, helping to set up some of the events along the route and taking care of a lot of other small details.

Danielle Reed (L) Heather Salloum (B)
Her Honour (R)

The N.A.S.H. Project, which is also one of the benefactors of Kate's walk, is joining Kate for the entire trip from Nipawin SK to Chilliwack BC.


Rebecca Santanna, the founder of The N.A.S.H. Project and her daughter Emily will be riding horses in the ditch beside Kate.

A very proud and honoured Kate

Their driver and support person Lisa Peterson will be ensuring the horse team will have everything they need while on this journey. There are 4 horses that will be being sharing the trail duties.


Kate MacEachern's team includes Paula DeLorey, Kate's medic, Sophie Pyne, Kate's photographer, JoAnne Power-Gilliland, known as Gunny, Kate's Driver and Kate's son Tyler, who is joining his mother for the first 30 days of her journey.  Also in Kate's entourage, her father Hugh and her aunt, Linda and myself (I am Kate's Ops Manager).

The Wounded Warriors Weekend Foundation team, also benefactors of Kate's walk, includes Blake Emmons, the founder of the Wounded Warriors Weekend, Pat Varga who is heading up the "events" team, Brenda Frederickson, also on the "events" team, Verda Hoppe along with a whole host of volunteers.

The woman who is responsible for ensuring the media knows about all three teams and their roles is Cindy Murphy, who is a fabulous publicist.

The BBQ hosted by David and Danielle was not only a fantastic time but a wonderful  opportunity for everyone from the three teams to meet face to face,

A huge surprise awaited Kate!

Heather Salloum, the executive director of the Lieutenant Governor's office and Vaughn Solomon Schofield, the Lieutenant Governor General of Saskatchewan came for the BBQ and Her Honour presented Kate with the Lieutenant Governor General's Service Pin and right on the heels of that, she presented Kate with a replica of her Diamond Jubilee medal which had been stolen a couple of years ago.

Ken Madraga of Melody Ford
presenting Kate the keys

Kate was emotional and understandably so.

After the fantastic meal that Reed's hosted, the teams headed to the Ramada Inn Regina to get rested and ready for the big day at Government House.

Before we could head to Government House the next morning, Ken Madraga of Melody Ford in Melfort Saskatchewan presented Kate and her team with an F250 Crew Cab to use as the tow rig for her journey.  It was a moment that I am sure no one, especially Kate will forget.

The weather was picture perfect on April 29th and Government House was filled with excitement, pomp and pageantry.

The horses of the N.A.S.H. Project had their own pen right out front of Government House and the media scrum that would be held after the reception was held beside their pen.

After a wonderful luncheon, the ceremony began, with Her Honour coming through not one, but two honour guards.

Vaughn Solomon Schofield and her right hand gal Heather had invited 9 chiefs to attend the ceremony/reception for Kate and the teams and out of 9, 8 of them came! The ninth chief wanted to attend but she was out of country at a conference.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, RCMP, Municipal Police and EMS chiefs for the province of Saskatchewan were all there.

After hearing the moving speech from Her

Honour, the cutest little gal named Destiny presented the Lieutenant Governor General with the puppy that the N.A.S.H. Project donated to the province of Saskatchewan to be trained as a service dog.  Her Honour dubbed him "Ruff Rider". The puppy, a Mastiff- Great Dane cross was oblivious to all of the happiness and joy he brought to the day.






We got to hear from Rebecca of the N.A.S.H. Project and why therapy horses and service dogs are so successful in helping those with PTSD.


Next up was Blake Emmons of the Wounded Warriors Weekend Foundation.

He spoke of the power of camaraderie, common experience and the healing that provides those with PTSD.

Then came Corporal Kate MacEachern Ret'd who delivered a moving and passionate speech on PTSD and what the walk means to her, her fellow sufferers/survivors and her team.

As we all watched this amazing young woman speak, the sense of anticipation, the challenge, the heartache and the triumph that lays ahead was palpable.

"Untied We Stand, Divided We Don't Stand a Chance" is the line she closed with.

It was a fitting train of thought to end the reception on.

The media scrum that followed lasted about an hour and a half with media from all over Saskatchewan interviewing the two road team members. Dixon Christie, producer and videographer of "Battle Scars" who is filming for a documentary on Kate's walk was on hand interviewing the various team members as well.

As Kate's Ops Manager, it was hard to say goodbye to everyone on the teams, but they had a good four hour drive ahead of them to get to Nipawin, the home of the Wounded Warriors Weekend and Kate's step off location.

As I got on a plane to head back to Grande Prairie, the two road teams were busy packing their gear into a toy hauler provided by Chegus RV in Watson SK.

I am told that the pancake breakfast hosted by the Town of Nipawin and their Legion was huge success and we know that Kate, Rebecca and Emily made it to their first overnight stop in Love SK.

It takes a lot of people to organize an event of this magnitude and every person who has been involved has stepped up in stellar fashion.

As Kate walks from Nipawin SK to Chilliwack BC, Rebecca and Emily of the N.A.S.H. Project will be ditch riding along with her and the walk and ride will culminate at this year's location for the Wounded Warriors Weekend - Chilliwack BC.

The ladies of these two teams have a long and arduous journey ahead of them, they will walk and ride through all of Mother Nature's changing moods and hopefully you will come out to meet them, support them and donate to the cause.

You can follow their journey and donate to the cause by visiting www.thelongwayhome.ca  
If you want to join Kate along the way, you will have to sign a waiver which can be downloaded on the website.

For media inquiries you can contact Cindy Murphy at: dcmurphey@sasktel.net

All photos by Sophie Pyne - Official Photographer for The Long Way Home.

If you are blessed to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
Ops Manager, The Long Way Home 2015



Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.