From left to right: Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight, Jocelyn Démétré and Member of Parliament Marie-Hélène Gaudreau.
Jocelyn Démétré is a retired Canadian Armed Forces Captain who chose writing as a means of overcoming the horrors he experienced in Afghanistan. He has gained the attention of several media outlets and dedicated his life to serving the Veteran community. In 2014, he founded Hero Lodge, a retreat for Veterans suffering from trauma, and in 2018, he established the Hero Foundation, which distributes his book entitled Sunray 21, in which he discusses his experience in the military. These initiatives have touched thousands of Canadians and continue to touch many others.
His work has been featured in several compelling news reports, highlighting his commitment to suicide prevention among Veterans. Hero Lodge, in the Northwest Territories, offers an environment conducive to discussion and sharing and proposes wilderness getaways as an alternative for Veterans looking to avoid excessive alcohol and drug use. Nearly 200 Veterans have visited Hero Lodge, and all have come back from it with hearts full of hope. Since its foundation, Hero Lodge has been managed and administered exclusively by volunteer Veterans, and no salaries or dividends are paid. Jocelyn takes their well-being to heart and focuses his efforts on helping as many Veterans as possible.
In 2018, he founded the Hero Foundation to distribute and oversee the sale of his book Sunray 21, which has been sold worldwide. The book summarizes his military experience and explores the burdens of soldiering. The funds raised are redistributed within the community and used to organize wilderness expeditions to help Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He has also organized several benefit galas in aid of Veterans and donated $36,240 to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation and $10,000 to the Beechwood National Military Cemetery. His recent involvement in raising awareness for the cemetery has already had a big impact, with donations going towards the creation of a stone bench to be located close to the cemetery. Beechwood is an important place for all Veterans and is the final resting place for more than 3,000 of them. Today, he continues his fight to prevent Veteran suicides, bring Veterans together and help raise public awareness for Veterans.