Victoria, British Columbia
Ms. Orser is a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran, who served in the 1991 Gulf War and did two tours of duty in the former Yugoslavia. During her service, she received the Gulf War Medal and Bravery Bar, the UN Protection Force Medal two-tour clasp, the Special Service Medal for NATO and Peacekeeping, along with the Gulf War Medals for both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In addition, Ms. Orser has received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work with Veterans and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Award for Recycling and Rebuilding in South Africa. She has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) for the past 15 years, serving on the Military and Veterans Committee and assisting with the Veterans Transition Program. Ms. Orser has also been involved with the RCL’s outreach and visitation program, where she regularly visits Veterans in long term care facilities, helping to ensure their needs are being met. She has been a public spokesperson for the program, opening up about her own post-traumatic stress disorder experiences, and has provided one on one counselling to many Veterans wishing to participate. In 2005, she was selected to represent the BC/Yukon Command for the pilgrimage to war cemeteries in Europe. She is an integral part of Cockrell House, a home for homeless Veterans, through which she has organized a wellness clinic.