View the Schedule of Events - Tues, 19 Sept
- 14:50 – 15:00 – Gather as a group at Parliament Hill
- 15:00 – Memorial opening by placing of boots on the steps of Parliament Hill. Pieter Vorster to present the rationale for the Mefloquine Rally and introduce the speakers
- 15:05 – Dr Remington Nevin Talk
- 15:25 – Dave Bona Talk
- 15:30 – Cathay Wagantall Conservative MP Talk
- 15:40 – Marj Matchee Talk
- 15:50 – Irene Mathysson NDP MP / Georgina Jolibois NDP MP Talk
- 16:00 – John Brassard Conservative MP Talk
- 16:10 – Brad Trost Conservative MP Talk
- 16:20 – John Cummins Retired Conservative MP Talk with Brian Deherra
- 16:30 – John Dowe of IMVA Talk
- 16:40 – Family members of Scott Smith
- 16:50 – Brandon Kett Talk
- 17:00 – Bev Skwernuik – Mefloquine Awareness Canada (MAC) Talk
- 17:10 – Dick Groot Talk – His partner is Trevor Sanderson who is walking across Canada to support vets with PTSD.
- 17:35 – Pieter to open up the floor to anyone present who would like to share their own story
- 17:55 – Ceremonial moment of silence for the fallen as the boots are recovered.
- 18:00 – 21:00 – Anyone who would like to remain and share their stories are welcome to do so.
Please note that this SOE is under revision and all times and speakers listed are based upon our best estimates according to current information.
Media from the rally:
- View/Download a copy of Dr Remington Nevin’s speech in PDF format,
- CBC’s Bonnie Allen on The National (segment starts at 52:30 – 55:00),
- Irene Mathyssen NDP MP raises the issue of mefloquine in parliament,
- Excerpt from Marj Matchee’s talk via Instagram, posted to Facebook by Stuart McCarthy,
- Excerpt from Brandon Kett’s talk via Instagram, posted to Facebook by Brandon Kett,
Attending the rally:
Dr Remington Nevin
Dave Bona
Veteran
Marj Matchee
Cathay Wagantall
M.P.
Georgina Jolibois
M.P.
John Brassard
M.P.
Irene Mathysson
M.P.
John Cummins
former M.P.
John Dowe
Founder of IMVA
Our goals for the rally:
- re-open the Somalia Commission of Inquiry, to review and investigate the role of the drug in the Somalia Affair;
- acknowledgment of the drug’s chronic effects, which may mimic symptoms of PTSD;
- a government program of outreach, to help identify and assist those who may have been exposed to mefloquine;
- government funding to continue research to improve diagnosing, management of, and curing, the chronic effects of mefloquine.
This rally aims to draw attention to the questionable and possibly illegal use of this drug by the Canadian Forces during the 1992 deployment to Somalia, prior to the drug’s licensing by Health Canada. Our group alleges, and will present evidence, that use of this drug drove many soldiers to madness, resulting in the torture and murder of Shidane Arone, ultimately culminating in the disbandment of the entire Canadian Airborne Regiment.
Read more...
MAC invites all members of the media and public to join the rally, where you will hear a variety of personal accounts of the drug’s neurotoxic effects, and how it affects family members and other loved ones that have to live with those living with the symptoms of mefloquine poisoning. There will be an opportunity for those who join the rally to speak out about their own experiences with mefloquine, and receive support from the group.
