Three Canadian veterans were one step closer to home on Sunday night as they neared the end of their cross-Canada march to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder.
Jason McKenzie and Steve Hartwig are walking towards their hometown of Antigonish, N.S. Both have been living with the disorder since they came back from military service in the former Yugoslavia.
“When I came back to Canada, I just realized there was something wrong,” says Hartwig. “I didn’t have the coping mechanisms or skills in place. I didn’t have any care available at the time, and people really didn’t know about PTSD then.”
That’s why Hartwig began a cross Canada march in Victoria, B.C. earlier this summer with a plan to raise awareness and how it affects the military and first responders.
“With more awareness comes more education and ultimately more acceptance,” adds Hartwig.
The veterans have been walking 30 kilometres a day, six days a week.
The third member of the team is Scott McFarlane who has an injury that’s kept him from walking for the past few days.
“I never got to complete my mission overseas,” he says. “This is a great, worthy cause and now I get to serve again whether it’s in uniform or not.”
The march is set to continue into Sydney on Monday and the trio hopes to arrive in Newfoundland by Tuesday.
