Mascouche, Quebec
Ms. Micheline Laliberté is the spouse of a Canadian Armed Forces member who followed her husband wherever he was stationed, including Valcartier, and always supported him in his activities. A strong-minded and generous woman, she joined The Royal Canadian Legion in Mascouche where she provided essential support to various administrative positions. Along with her spouse, she has run an organization for 10 years that is the only one of its kind in Quebec: l’Amicale des Vétérans de Terrebonne. The organization was founded 70 years ago for Francophone Second World War Veterans with deep roots in the region, and who were looking for a place to have meetings in French.
Under her governance, the organization has continued to maintain the traditions of its founding members, which include organizing a 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 l’Amicale des Vétérans de Terrebonne also recognize that there are Canadian United Nations and NATO Veterans within their organization and try to understand the issues and concerns of the new generation of Veterans coping with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Without the involvement of Ms. Laliberté and her spouse in a preliminary study with Veterans regarding PTSD conducted at the Centre équestre de Terrebonne, there would be no scientific validation of the use of horses as a way to treat Veterans with PTSD.
Ms. Laliberté has also made an impact on various cadet corps in the Des Moulins area that benefit from the money raised each year to help meet their needs and to rent space for activities.