This House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs meeting, held on November 18, 2025, continued its study on suicide prevention among veterans, hearing from six witnesses appearing as individuals: Gordon Hurley, Marie-Noël Duhaime, Justin McKay, Darren Simons, David Bona, and Ernie Wouters of Seven Edge Success Inc.
Gordon Hurley, a veteran and advocate for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, described his own suicide attempt and argued that Veterans Affairs Canada fails veterans by covering the drug ketamine but not the associated psychotherapy, putting veterans at risk. He proposed a "veterans accelerated access and research program" pilot starting with 10 to 15 participants in Alberta using MDMA-assisted therapy, noting that Australia’s Department of Veterans' Affairs began funding such therapy on October 31, 2025, and that Canada should follow suit rather than rely on a bureaucratic special access program.
Marie-Noël Duhaime, a veteran, spoke about her experience of military sexual trauma and being discarded after service, describing her pension as a "prostitute's pay" and calling for investment in human souls and solidarity cooperatives. She emphasized that she has a $3 million debt invested in a project to care for souls and feed the earth, and asked for a "handkerchief" of help rather than a handout.
Justin McKay, a veteran and sergeant-at-arms at a Legion in Nova Scotia, recounted being sexually assaulted before age 18 and serving two tours in Bosnia, and said he almost took his own life. He urged the committee to heed all witnesses' recommendations, opposed cutting benefits like shockwave therapy for chronic pain, and highlighted the lack of access to care in rural areas, noting that a one-stop shop would ease the burden on veterans.
Darren Simons, a veteran of the Canadian Army and RCMP, described positive early experiences with Veterans Affairs that soured due to claim denials, delays, and poor communication, such as being told to wait nine years for an investigation before his psychological claim was approved. He recommended a single point of contact for veterans, proactive support for families, and individualized treatment, noting that a Legion-funded retreat with Ernie Wouters helped his wife more than it helped him.
David Bona, a veteran poisoned by the anti-malaria drug mefloquine, described tracking suicides among veterans and finding clusters, including 14 suicides in one rifle company from Afghanistan. He argued that mefloquine is driving the suicide epidemic and called for screening, noting that traditional counselling failed him but a brain injury treatment program and Ernie Wouters' approach resolved his long-term trauma.
Ernie Wouters, an international trauma specialist, argued that suicide is a "silver bullet" driven by unresolved trauma, mind-altering drugs, and non-scientific models in psychology and psychiatry, which he said are self-governing and lack independent scientific validation. He recommended addressing the "soul" as the missing link in trauma recovery, stating his program can resolve PTSD in three hours and reduce symptoms by 60% to 80%, and called for training Veterans Affairs staff in trauma-empowered care.
During questions, witnesses testified that veterans have been offered medical assistance in dying when seeking help, with Justin McKay citing a case from a year and a half ago and Gordon Hurley noting a close friend who was offered it while seeking regular services. David Bona added that veterans with extreme anger issues from mefloquine cannot access care and are offered assisted suicide as a result. Ernie Wouters elaborated on the "perfect storm" for suicide, including adverse childhood experiences (ACE scores of six or more making veterans 15 times more likely to die by suicide) and the overmedication of veterans with drugs carrying black box warnings. Darren Simons suggested adding a box to death investigation forms to identify if the deceased was a veteran, enabling better tracking of suicides. The committee agreed to allow witnesses to submit additional written comments.
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