Mr. Roger Laliberté is a Veteran, as well as the son of a Canadian Armed Forces member who served in Germany. He served in the Royal 22e Régiment from 1957 to 1969, with postings in the Congo and Cypress. After 12 years of service, he returned to civilian life and worked for various companies. He joined The Royal Canadian Legion in Mascouche.
Along with his spouse, he has run an organization for 10 years that is the only one of its kind in Quebec: the Friends of the Veterans of Terrebonne. The organization was founded 70 years ago for Francophone Veterans with deep roots in the region who took part in the Second World War and were looking for a place to have meetings in French. Under Mr. Laliberté’s leadership, the organization has continued to maintain the traditions of its founding members, which include organizing the Remembrance Day ceremony every year at the cenotaph in Terrebonne, where 600 to 1,000 participants gather. Members also organize several evening events for Veterans and their families and friends, as well as visit Veterans at Ste. Anne’s Hospital and other hospitals on a regular basis.
Members of the Friends of the Veterans of Terrebonne also recognize that there are Canadian United Nations and NATO Veterans within their organization and endeavour to understand the issues and concerns of the new generation of Veterans coping with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With the help of Mr. Laliberté and his spouse, a preliminary study for Veterans with PTSD was conducted at the Centre équestre de Terrebonne (Terrebonne Equestrian Centre). Had they not been involved, there would be no scientific validation of the use of horses as a way to treat Veterans with PTSD.
Mr. Laliberté, along with his spouse, provides support for the various cadet corps in the Des Moulins area that benefit from the money raised each year to help meet their needs or rent space for activities.