Saddle up for remembrance

Travelling across Canada by train helped me realize how big and beautiful our country is. Oceans, mountains, prairies, forests, lakes, cities… the list of things we saw goes on! We Remembrance Clubhouse animals are thankful to live in such a pretty and peaceful place. Our journey from coast to coast reminded me of Paul Nichols and his mare, Zoe, who rode together all the way from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Paul is a Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. He served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the Balkans in the 1990s and saw how difficult it can be to live in a war-torn country. When he came back to Canada, his mind was troubled by what he had seen and he needed time to heal. Riding horses was one way that helped him feel better.

One day, Paul decided that he would share his message that not all Veterans are senior citizens. In fact, many Veterans are younger men and women. After careful planning and accompanied by friends, Paul left Victoria, British Columbia, in April 2015. During his 211-day journey, Paul met countless Canadians of all ages and helped raise awareness in their local communities of their many neighbours who are Veterans.

Clip-clop, clip-clop. I can almost hear the sound of Zoe’s horseshoes hitting the trail when I close my eyes!