Three veterans who served Canada in the former Yugoslavia—Steve Hartwig, Jason McKenzie, and Scott McIntyre McFarlane—have marched across the country to raise awareness of PTSD
When Steve Hartwig, Jason McKenzie and Scott McFarlane arrived in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on September 7, they paused at the downtown cenotaph honouring fallen soldiers from World War I. They were close to reaching the end of their march across Canada to raise awareness of PTSD among Canada’s veterans.
In WWI, the psychological distress of soldiers was attributed to concussions caused by the impact of shells; this impact was believed to disrupt the brain and cause “shell shock” (Bentley, 2005). Now, in 2014, there is greater understanding of what is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder—but education and awareness is still lacking.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recommended July 31, 2014 that 
How much money you make is more important than what you eat, how much you exercise, or even your genetic make-up, says Dr. Ritika Goel. She’s a family physician whose interests lie in the health and well-being of marginalized communities including those in the inner city of Toronto, rural Canada as well as internationally. 
In Canada, one-in-five people experience a mental illness in their lifetime. However, it is young Canadians that suffer the most, with 75% of mental health problems and illnesses beginning prior to the age of 25, and more than 50% beginning between the ages of 11 and 25.