Isfeld’s humanitarian efforts

In 1986, Mark Isfeld enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces at the age of 22 in Edmonton, Alberta. He became a combat engineer who removed deadly landmines. During his third peacekeeping tour, Mark (nicknamed “Izzy”) was killed by a landmine explosion in Croatia.

After his death, his parents, Brian and Carol, lobbied to eliminate landmines. They also pushed to establish August 9 as National Peacekeepers’ Day in Canada. In 2005, the Governor General awarded them the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of their efforts.

The work to end landmines is important for many reasons. Landmines maim and kill innocent people, including children. They do not discriminate between soldiers and civilians. Survivors endure a lifetime of physical, psychological and economic hardship. The toll on affected communities is devastating.

Once the fighting has ended, landmines still affect people and the local economy. People have difficulty becoming self-sufficient. The residents cannot safely farm or get their products to market.

Landmines cost as little as $3 to produce and are relatively easy to deploy. They can be hidden almost anywhere. Unfortunately, it can cost up to $1,000 to locate and destroy a single mine which is a complex, dangerous and time-consuming task.

Canadian Armed Forces members often use mine detection dogs to help with the task. Dogs can speed up the work of manual demining by about 10 times. The safety of canine partners is a primary concern and there has never been a Canadian-trained dog killed or injured in the field to date.

“Night of a thousand dinners” is a global event on the first Thursday of November to raise awareness of the global landmine crisis. Each year people in Canada and around the world host dinners to help endthe global landmine crisis. Guests are asked to make donations to the Canadian Landmine Foundation.