Military Family Life

April is Month of the Military Child.  For this episode we are speaking with Chris Quigley and her friend Bella about the work they do with Military Children.  They tell us about some of the challenges they hear about and what we all do to support Military Children this month - and year round.About our Guests:An East coast chance meeting and marriage to a CAF Member - now veteran - was the catalyst for Chris's now 26 year career supporting military members and their families at  MFRC's and with Military Family Services.  Chris has a background in childhood education and MH. These pursuits allow her to engage with children to help them cope and learn resiliency skills. Using the art of puppetry, Chris is able to meet children where they are at and help them overcome their  struggles.  Some parents have described it as a true blessing.  Chris and Bella – her 6 year old ostrich puppet -- develop relationships with children – and in doing so they help children discover ways to cope with missing loved ones , overcome the fear of speaking to new friends and many other challenges that face Military children.  When Chris is not supporting military families in some capacity, you can find her volunteering at the local MFRC, gardening and planning her winter greenery and Christmas displays for friends in the neighborhood.We want to hear from you!Do you want to tell your story?  Send us an email to find out more about being a guest: Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

It has been three years since the first episode of Military Family Life!This month, Claudia and Julie are looking back at our first 20 episodes.  Here are some of our favourite stories, best pieces of advice and lessons learned along the way.  Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to join us on the podcast.  We have enjoyed getting to know each one of you, and we look forward to hearing more stories from Military family members in the new year.Here are the guests you will hear from in this episode:Clip 1 – Willie VanLankvelt, Joan Harvey and Marg ReidClip 2 – Kayla LamrockClip 3 – Tamara KleinschmidtClip 4 – Ariel from PMQ for Two and Dr Heidi CrammClip 5 – Tammy Barclay and Kim MillsClip 6 – Sandra Pinard and Laura FreyClip 7 –Melissa and Heath Bott and Norma and Tom CartwrightClip 8 – Christina McFadden, Ariel from PMQ, Denver Hilland, Catherine Grant, Andrea NautaClip 9 – Trisha MacLeodClip 10- Kimberly Glandon and Melissa Perry-Biezing (Canadian Military Wives Choir episode)Clip 11 – Ainsley ChristensenClip 12 – Ivy and Jonas Mills, Claudia and Ariel, Tammy Barclay and Crystal Donak Do you want to tell your story?  Send us an email to find out more about being a guest: Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com  

In this episode of Military Family Life we are speaking with Sgt Valery Switzer.  Valery is a CAF Member, a military spouse, a mother of two, a part-time student and a word champion powerlifter. She was also recently named Canadian Armed Forces Female Athlete of the Year!   In our conversation we talk with Valery about power lifting training and competitions, the importance of balance and self-care when juggling so many roles, and her advice for those starting their career in the CAF.About out Guest:Sergeant Valery Switzer was born in Laval, Quebec and joined the Canadian Armed Forces as Regular Forces in March 2013 as a Mobile Support Equipment Operator. Her first posting was to 2SVC BN at Garrison Petawawa in January 2014. During this time, Valery actively participated in various exercises and maintained high readiness as a member of Transportation Coy, Bravo Platoon. In March 2015, she was deployed Poland with 3RCR on Op Reassurance, ROTO 0. Upon returning from deployment, Valery resumed duties within Bravo Platoon before being assigned as the Base Commander's Driver at 4CDSGIn August 2017, she was posted to 1 Canadian Field Hospital and served as the transport section's 2IC, before taking maternity leave following the birth of her daughter, Emily Elizabeth Switzer. Valery was promoted to Master Corporal in April 2020 and assumed responsibility for the training section within the transportation platoon, overseeing all transportation-related training for 1 Canadian Field Hospital.In March 2021, Valery and her husband, Major Zachary Switzer, welcomed their second child, Charles Alexander. Later that same year, the Switzer family moved to beautiful Kingston, Ontario where she took up the position of Base Advance Booker for the transportation platoon. In September 2021, she was appointed Chief Dispatcher, a role that is typically held by a Sergeant, despite being a MCpl.  She continued in that capacity until February 2022 when she transitioned into the position of GPV IC (General Purpose Vehicle) as a MCpl.  In August 2023, Sgt Switzer assumed the rank of Acting While so Employed at the rank of Sergeant while continuing as the GPV IC for CFB Kingston. That section consisted of 30 members both Military and Civilian. She was promoted to Sgt in April 2024.In June 2024, Sgt Switzer officially took over the CFB Kingston Road and Vehicle IC position. Despite a demanding schedule, Val provides unwavering support to her husband who is currently serving on imposed restrictions (IR) as the senior aide the camp to the Chief of Defense Staff.Sgt Switzer is the weekly primary caregiver for their two children while is pursuing an online Bachelor's in Business Administration with the University of Fredericton. But her passion does not stop there Valery is an accomplished competitive powerlifter.  She recently represented the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Powerlifting League, and Canadian Forces Base Kingston at the International Powerlifting League in Coventry, UK.  At that competition she earned the title of World Champion in the 82.5kg open raw power division.This year Valery was awarded Canadian Army Female Athlete of the Year.  Since the recording of this podcast – Val attended the CAF Sport Gala where she was named CAF Female athlete of the year. Valery, her husband Zac and their two children live in Odessa, Ontario, with  their beloved pets-Nova, Shadow, and Tazz.Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

If you are a military family member, you have likely heard someone talk about an OUTCAN posting to a fabulous distant country.Our guest for this episode recently returned from a four year posting to Greece.  She tells us about the good, the bad and the surprises that she and her family experienced during that adventure.  She also talks about how the lessons she has learned helps her to support others with the transitions they are facing in their own lives.  About our guest:Monica Krull has been a military spouse for over 20 years.  In that time she has been posted to bases all over Canada.Most recently she and her family moved to Greece for an OUTCAN posting, returning to Canada in July 2023.  Her family – including her two children ages 10 and 15 - are currently posted to Edmonton Although Monica has moved many times to many places she says that she has been fortunate to work in the field of social service non-profit.  In that role she has been able to focus her energies on supporting families. Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

This month we are bringing the second half of our conversation with Shannon and Cory Nowell.In this episode we talk about the Invictus Games, and Cory's experience on Team Canada in 2018. Shannon also tells us about her experience, and what the games are like for families members who are there to support loved ones.About our Guests: Shannon Nowell has been connected to the military for her entire life- first as a Military Child and later as a Military Spouse.  Shannon is also connected to Military in her professional life having worked at a Military Family Resource Centre and now with Soldier ON. Cory Nowell joined the Military in 1998 – moving from British Columbia to Gagetown to work in Air Defence.  In 2018, Cory competed at the Invictus Games as part of Team Canada.  He is now retired from the military – having served for 23 years.  Links and Resources:Soldier ON https://www.soldieron.caInvictus - https://www.invictusgamesfoundation.orgCFMWS Programs supporting Releasing CAF Members: https://cfmws.ca/support-services/releasingOSISS -http://www.osiss.caFollow Cory on social media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theveterantrainerInstagram: instagram.com/theveterantrainerFacebook Group: @theveterantrainer - facebook.com/groups/175255346457545TikTok:  the.veteran.trainer - tiktok.com/@the.veteran.trainerContact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

This month, we are talking to Shannon and Cory Nowell about their lives as a Military - and Veteran – family. This episode is part one of two.  In it we talk about the challenges that come with relocations, IR, and Out Can postings.  We also talk the medical release process, PTSD, the transition from being a Military to a Veteran family – and the impact it has on the entire family.About our Guests: Shannon Nowell has been connected to the military for her entire life- first as a Military Child and later as a Military Spouse.  Shannon is also connected to Military in her professional life having worked at a Military Family Resource Centre and now with Soldier ON. Cory Nowell joined the Military in 1998 – moving from British Columbia to Gagetown to work in Air Defence.  In 2018, Cory competed at the Invictus Games as part of Team Canada.  He is now retired from the military – having served for 23 years.  You're going to want to follow - or subscribe - to our podcast so you don't miss part part when we talk to Shannon and Cory about their experience at the Invictus Games.Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

In this April edition of our Military Family Life podcast - in honour of the Month of the Military Child - we are focusing on Military children. Kayla Lamrock has experience as a military child, a military spouse and working at an MFRC with children and youth.In this episode Kayla talks about her experiences of deployments and postings from the perspective of a military family member.  She also talks about what it is like to support a loved one with an operational stress injury, and the work she does now to support youth navigating the challenges of military family life. Finally, Kayla gives advice to parents on how they can support their children through challenges.Trigger warning:  In this conversation we touch on topics such as PTSI and suicidal thoughts.  Please listen with care.About our guest:Born to an Infantry soldier, the military lifestyle was all Kayla knew. At thirteen, Kayla recalls what it was like to move away from Petawawa, her military community, and into a small town where being from a military family was much different from the experiences of her peers. Now, with a diploma in Early Childhood Education and a degree in Family Studies & Sociology, Kayla advocates for and provides support for military youth navigating the unique challenges of this lifestyle. Most recently, Kayla has been on the advisory board for the development and implementation of Mind Kit, a website for youth and a Suicide Prevention & Intervention Guide for military families. Learn more about Mindkit a space for youth to explore the topic of mental health. It was created by the Atlas Institute with young Family members of Canadian Veterans living with a posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI). https://mindkit.ca 

In this month's episode we are speaking with Lt(N) Wendy Duguid, a Regular Force Military Chaplain.Wendy has been serving at Garrison Petawawa since 2019.   She was previously the Chaplain for the medical units, and is currently supporting the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) and 2 Signal Squadron.In this conversation we chat with Wendy about:the day-to-day life of a Military Chaplain and the supports they provide;what it was like to join the Reg Force as a second career;the importance of self-care; andhow families can be more resilient in challenging times.Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

This month we are talking with three former MFRC Executive Directors who have  recently retired from their positions in Goose Bay, Greenwood and Shilo.Our co-host Claudia Beswick also added some insight, as she too recently left her position as the ED in Petawawa to take on a different role supporting military families.With all of this experience and collective knowledge, we talk about:how life has changed for Military families over the last twenty yearstheir proudest moments at their MFRCswhy families being posted to Shilo Goose Bay, Greenwood and Petawawa should be excited about life in their new communities; andadvice for leaders taking on new rolesAbout our Guests:Joan Harvey worked at the Goose Bay Military Family Resource Centre for 25 years, 12 of those as Executive Director. Prior to Goose Bay Joan lived in Petawawa for 5 years with her husband who was a military medic. In 1997 they were posted back home to Goose Bay and when her husband was medically released they made it their permanent home. During her 30 year career of working within the Military Community Joan has the pleasure and honour of meeting many people and providing services and programs in an ever changing environment and working with an awesome team. Along with her husband's military career Joan also spend 23 years as a part time reservist working the Royal Canadian Army Cadets as a CIC (Cadet Instructor Cadre) officer. Marg Reid is proud military spouse whose husband served for 38 years. Her son is a currently serving CAF Member on his 2nd overseas deployment. Marg started with the Greenwood MFRC in March 1995 as our social worker, and moved to other positions including the coordinator of Deployment Services.  Marg becoming ED IN 2008 and retired in November 2023.Willemien VanLankvelt was born in the Netherlands and moved to Canada 43 years ago. She spent her entire career working in the non-profit sector - 17 of those years in Shilo at the MFRC. She retired in October 2023.  She has 3 children and 5 grandkids. Trigger WarningToday's conversation we talk about the Afghanistan years and some incidents involving suicide, death and injury in the Military community.  We know these topics can be difficult for some of our listeners- so please take care.

This month we are talking two members of the Canadian Military Wives Choir in Petawawa.  They tell us about how the choir helped them to connect with new friends in the community, their best memories performing with the choir, and their advice for people who are thinking about joining their local choir.About our guests:Melissa Perry-Biezing has been a military spouse for 18 years. Originally from Newfoundland, Melissa moved to Ontario as a child.  She moved to Montreal, Quebec once she finished Nursing school, where she met my husband. Melissa has been a Registered Nurse for almost 20 years, having worked in many areas of nursing mostly in Ontario and Quebec. She is currently working as a Primary Care Nurse at the base clinic in Petawawa. She has two boys, 6.5 and 14 years, and is part of a busy hockey family.  Kimberly Glandon was born in Northwestern Ontario and moved to Ottawa in 2004.  She met her husband in 2006 and they moved to Petawawa the following year.  Since 2007 she has been part of the military lifestyle; and is now navigating life after the army. Kim started with the choir in 2015 and has been a member ever since.Do you want to learn more about the Canadian Military Wives Choir – or find a choir near you?  Visit their website at:https://www.canadianmilitarywiveschoirs.comHere is a link to the Together We Are Stronger video from April 2021 that we talked about in the episode: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianMilitaryWivesChoirs/videos/170616251598128Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

Our Guest this MonthAinsley Christensen is the curator at the Garrison Petawawa Military Museum and has worked at the museum in some capacity or another for the last 20 years. Ainsley was born in Manitoba -moved to Petawawa in 1995 and haw been here ever since  -  minus a few years to attend post-secondary school in Kingston, ON). Ainsley is a military spouse with three very active children ages 12, 10 and 9. As a result she I spends most of her time outside of work driving to activities and watching do all the things they love to do (hockey, volleyball, horseback riding, soccer to name a few!). In this conversation, my cohost Claudia Beswick and I, talk to Ainsley about ·      her work at the Garrison Petawawa Military Museum and some of the exhibits they have honoring Canada's Military, those who served and the family members left behind·      the loss of her brother Sean Greenfield who was killed while serving in Afghanistan; ·      what we as a military community can remember those who have been lost; and ·      ways we can support their loved ones Trigger warning:  In this month's episode we discuss topics such as death and griefFind out more about the HOPE programhttps://cfmws.ca/support-services/families/bereavement-grief/hope-program Visit the PMFRC YouTube channel to see our behind-the-scenes tour of the Garrison Petawawa Military Museum and some of the artifacts we talked about in this episodehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdo_Ha-58Y&list=PLiBkqTv0VrYbrEgX2PlSAhGUe_wXnz4QF&index=1&t=72shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwUlDvpAU2Q&list=PLiBkqTv0VrYbrEgX2PlSAhGUe_wXnz4QF&index=3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5XjbSiUV4A&list=PLiBkqTv0VrYbrEgX2PlSAhGUe_wXnz4QF&index=5Here is the link to the Library and Archives Canada webpage where you can find information about military service records and how to access themhttps://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/military-heritage/Pages/military-heritage.aspx

About our guest:Andrea Nauta is a military spouse - her wonderful husband Dustin has been serving in the military since 2007. They have two beautiful girls who are 11 and 9. Andrea and her family have moved back and forth between Comox and Petawawa, and they are currently happily settled in Comox where Andrea works as a support worker at a local school. Andrea is an accomplished baker.  She started baking when she was 8 with simple cake box mixes and making cupcakes for her family.  Her passion grew year by year – and she dedicated herself to learning more  through books, YouTube, and cooking shows.  Eventually her love of – and talent for – baking brought her to season 3 of the Great Canadian Baking showToady Baking is something Andrea does to relax. She has scaled back on large cake and macaron orders and now bakes for fun. If you want to see some of Andrea's fabulous baking creations – including a photo of the fabulous mermaid tail that Andrea made for her Great Canadian Baking show audition - you can follow her on Instagram at @nautabakesContact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

In this episode we talk about all things deployment with our guest Sandra Pinard. Topics include: what are the things families can do to prepare for a deployment, some suggestions for items to include in a morale mail package and tips for re-integration.We also have an interesting discussion about the differences between Army and Navy deployments. About our guest:Sandra Pinard has been associated with the Military for her entire life so the answer to the question “So where are you from?” is more complicated. Sandra was Born in Halifax NS, and has lived in Shearwater NS, Lawrencetown NS, Jacksonville Florida USA, and Victoria BC -- all before graduating from High School.  During university at UVIC she met her husband who is a member of the Canadian Navy and who has kept their home solidly on the west coast.  Sandra has had a number of roles under the heading of military family.   Her father, brother and spouse are all currently serving or retired CAF members.  And she herself served 23 years in the Air Force Reserves.  Sandra has worked with Military family services for about 2 years and is currently the Virtual MFRC Program Manager.  Before that that, she spent 17 years at the Esquimalt MFRC as the Deployment Coordinator.  Living the military lifestyle and supporting others in our military community Sandra truly understands how important networking, making and maintaining community connections and volunteering can be.  She is always happy to “talk shop”, lend an empathetic ear, and offer tips and support to anyone navigating the obstacles of military family life.Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

About our Guest:Denver Hilland grew up in the GTA and was a professional level ballerina until she left for university. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Kinesiology and Physical Education from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Master of Arts Health Promotion from Dalhousie University.Denver served as the Project coordinator for the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre at MSVU, a Health Promoter for the Health for All Family Health Team, and is now a Health Promotion Specialist for PSP Health Promotion in Petawawa.Denver met her partner before he joined the military. He was called up to basic about five months into their relationship.  They've been together for four and a half years. They were posted to Petawawa in September 2021 while Denver was six months pregnant. Prior to this posting they had a long distance relationship as her partner completed his DP1, with working in Halifax while he was at Borden.Contact us: We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

As many of you know April is month of the Military Child. It is an opportunity for our community to recognize the sacrifices and contributions made by the children Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans.So this month we wanted to hear from some military kids about their experiences and lessons learned.Our GuestsKim Mills has been a military spouse for more than 20 years.She is the author of the military romance series The Way Home – She is public speaker who has talked to military family members at MFRCs and events across Canada.Kim is also the creator of the acclaimed She is Fierce blog – and an online community by the same.  She encourages fellow military families to speak up about their struggles, to reach out for help, and to support one another.Kim is the mom to three kids.  Two of them – Ivy and Jonas – are joining our conversation today.You can check out Kim's blog at :  https://www.sheisfierce.net Find out more about the Deployment Project where Kim and her kids entertained guests from across the community for Sunday night dinner.  https://www.sheisfierce.net/deployment-project/ We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

This month we are speaking with Trisha MacLeod, the Commanding Officer at 2 Field Ambulance in Petawawa and Champion for the Petawawa Defence Visible Minority Awareness Group.  Trisha is a lifelong learner whose current pursuits are centred around understanding, acknowledging and deconstructing systemic racism within healthcare settings and CAF overall.  Driven to serve, she has over 20 years of military service.  She has experience building partner capacities among domestic and international partners,  She is enjoying her current military assignment - which she sees as an opportunity to expand her perspectives and worldview. This is a timely discussion as February is Black History Month, but learning and discussion need to happen year round With that in mind, Trish has provided us with a list of recommended readings and resources for anyone who wants increase their understanding of these issues. Read:·      So you want to talk about race - Ijeoma Oluo ·      Inclusion on Purpose, Ruchika Tulshyan ·      White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo  Support:A Different Booklist is a Canadian, independent, multicultural bookstore specializing in the African Caribbean Diaspora from the Global South  - https://www.adifferentbooklist.com Watch / Listen:How the US medical community fails Black mothers – TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/honourable_ahmed_hussen_a_tale_of_two_canadas_my_story_of_generosity_and_systemic_racism A list of podcasts compiled by Harvard University on the topic of anti-racism for allies: https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/antiracismresources/allies/podcasts  About Race w/ Reni Eddo-Lodge https://www.aboutracepodcast.com/  We want to hear from you!Is there a guest that you would like us interview – or a topic that you would like us to talk about?  If so, please let us know. We would love to hear your suggestions and feedback. You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com or by contacting the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre.

This month we are talking with Crystal Donak about:the importance of being resilienttaking risks (including her recommendation that everyone should travel alone at least once in their life); and how her career and education journey lead her to create Kaper Kids.About Crystal:Crystal has been a military partner for 12 years. In that time, she was the Vice Chair of the PMFRC Board of Directors for several years - and completed original research on how military families and MFRCs engage and communicate with each other. This original research resulted in the development of a communication model detailing how information flows between bases, military members, their families and MFRCs as a family is posted to a base. During Crystal's first posting with her spouse, she quickly realized that moving frequently could significantly impact her career - so such decided to launch a digital business that could move with her. As a result of needing to constantly flex her resiliency and problem-solving skills, she decided to launch a business which teaches kids to develop those skills as an elementary student; called Kaper Kids. Crystal and her two young daughters create kits that help kids learn resiliency and problem-solving through an ongoing, personalized and interactive storyline. Throughout her time as a military spouse, Crystal has lived in Ottawa, Petawawa, and Hamilton and is currently in Comox, BC.You can find more information about Kaper Kids at https://kaperkits.com/minikaper or by following them on social media at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/kaperkidshttps://www.instagram.com/kaperkids/https://www.tiktok.com/@kaperkids_1

This month we are chatting with Laura Frey.Over the years Laura has worn a number of hats including: Military Spouse, Mom, CAF Member, Fitness Competitor and Grandma.Laura is currently posted to Halifax and is serving on the HMCS Charlottetown.As Army Spouses – living on a Garrison that is mostly Army – our hosts had plenty of questions about life on board a ship.In this conversation we talk about Laura's career in the military, the ins and outs of life at sea and her physical transformation as she trained for – and competed in – a fitness competition.Trigger Warning:  This episode does include conversations about suicide and suicide ideation.  We encourage you to listen with care.We want to hear from you!Is there a guest that you would like us interview – or a topic that you would like us to talk about?  If so, please let us know. We would love to hear your suggestions and feedback. You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com or by contacting the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre.

This month we are speaking with another couple – Norma and Tom Cartwright - about their lives as a Canadian Military family.  Having weathered eight postings and numerous deployments, our guests have some great stories and important lessons to share. About our Guests Norma Cartwright has been a military spouse for almost 35 years. She grew up on a farm in Southern Manitoba, and met Tom while he was posted to Shilo in 1986. They married in 1988 and were posted to CFB Lahr Germany in 1989, then to Chatham in 1992. Norma was a stay at home mom until her daughters started school then started work at a cleaning jobs. In 2005, she went back to college and earned a certificate in Office Administration. Norma and Tom live in Petawawa, where Tom retired from military in 2018. They love camping, and going to the beach and events with their friends. Norma also loves to travel, read and bake!Tom Cartwright was born in Alert Bay BC, and grew up in Prince George. He graduated in 1985 and joined the CF in October of that year. His first posting was to 3 RCHA in Shilo, Manitoba where he met Norma. He has been posted to 4 AD Regt in Lahr Germany then to Chatham/Gagetown; and to 18 AD Regt in Lethbridge Alberta. He completed a tour to Bosnia in 2000 before remustering to AVN Tech. He was posted to 408 THS in Edmonton AB from 2002 to 2012, and complete two more tours in Bosnia and four in Afghanistan. In 2012 he was posted to 450 THS in Petawawa,  until retiring in 2018. He currently works as a contractor in support of the RCAF at 450 THS.If you have ideas for an episode, we would love to hear them.  You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com

As military families, we have the opportunity - and the challenge - of moving from community to community. In the process we can make friends with people from across the country.  Sometimes when you move somewhere new, you have the good fortune of reconnecting with an old friend - someone you knew years ago in another time in another place - and to rekindle your friendship.  Catherine Grant met our co-host Claudia Beswick when they were both posted to Wainwright early in their journeys as military spouses. Recently, they had the opportunity to reconnect when Catherine and her family moved to Pembroke. Catherine is from St. John's Newfoundland.  She now lives with Pembroke, and is the owner of The Bath Boutique.  Catherine's husband Will recently retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after a 20-year career.In this episode we talk about: ·      life as new military spouses,·      the importance of connecting with friends and community, and ·      our best advice for anyone starting out – or making the transition to post-service life.  We also share our funniest stories about our experiences in a military family.If you have ideas for an episode, we would love to hear them.  You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.comLinks:https://the-bath-boutique.square.sitehttps://m.facebook.com/BathBoutiqueKeepingItReal/

About our guest:Tamara Kleinschmidt is the Executive Director of the Trenton Military Family Resource Centre. As a military spouse Tamara experienced the privilege of living across our country and beyond. Over a twenty-six-year span Tamara experienced 11 postings, the final one to Trenton in 2005. During this period, she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Political Science, from the Royal Military College of Canada and she and her husband adopted their 3 children, one in New Brunswick and 2 in Ontario.In this episode we talk to Tamara about:how the realities of Military life affected her family's adoption process, how a kind gesture by one Military spouse influenced her outlook on Military life for the next thirty years (for the better),her family's rules for a smooth posting and move,what advice she gives to other families considering adoption, and what she would do differently if she had it to do it again. We want to hear from you!If you have ideas for an episode, we would love to hear them.  You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com

Since the launch of our podcast, we have been talking to members of Military families about some of the unique challenges they have face living with a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. But what happens when there are two people in the family that are members of the Canadian Armed Forces? In this episode we are talking to a service couple about how they have managed to overcome some of those challenges - and some of the solutions that have helped them.   In our discussion we talk about: the challenges of juggling two Military careers, what happens if two people are deployed at the same time, how life in a military family can affect children – and if being a Military member makes it easier – or harder – to be a Military spouse. About our guests:Melissa and Heath Bott are senior officers in the Canadian Armed Forces.  Melissa as a Logistics Officer and Heath an Infantry Officer. Heath joined the military in 1997. And Melissa joined in 2001. They met when they were reservists with the Governor General Foot Guards. They got married in 2006. And in 2009, they transferred to the Regular Forces. Heath and Melissa have two children, a daughter who is 15 and a son who is 12. Since 2009, Heath and Melissa have relocated five times, most recently to Gagetown. Melissa has been deployed twice, once on OP Unifier in 2014 as part of the Theater Activation Team, and OP Impact roto 5/6 in 2016 17 in Kuwait. Heath has also deployed twice.  Once as a Reservist to Bosnia in 2005 and a second time to Op Unifier in 2021. Melissa and Heath are currently Officer Commanding companies throughout their career they have learned with practice how to achieve a healthy work life balance. If you have questions for Heath or Melissa, please send us email and we will forward it to them.  If you have ideas for an episode, we would love to hear them.  You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com

This month we are chatting with Christina McFadden.Christina was born and raised in Germany and was living there when she met her husband, a Canadian Military member. She came to Canada to start a new life with her husband. In this conversation Christina tells us  some of the challenges she faced, and what surprised her about living in Canada and living on a military base. We also talk about:how  volunteer work helped Christina to meet people and improve her job skills;her advice for new Canadians;how pushing out of her comfort zone helped her to grow and expand her horizons; andhow she has built a community of friends that help her to stay in touch with her German culture.We also touch on winter in Petawawa, bears and the challenges of ordering at a drive-thru! 

April is Month of the Military Child. This month we speak with Tammy Barclay – mother of 6 military children – about how her children have dealt with challenges such as postings, deployments and the transition to civilian life.In our conversation we talk about how:·      to help children stay connected with a deployed parent (00:08:45);·      living in an RHU helped Tammy – and Claudia – to connect with their Military community (00:10:00);·      Tammy and her family faced some of the challenges related to their transition from Military to Veteran family (00:19:10);·      homeschooling helped Tammy and her family to adjust to new challenges; and·      volunteering has helped Tammy to find her ‘tribe'.We also share some stories about: adjusting to the ‘sounds' of Military bases, how friends have stepped up to help in a pinch, and why Julie will never plant a lilac bush. Our Guest:Tammy Barclay has been married to her husband Gerry for 23 years and they have 6 children ranging from 10 - 20 years old. She has been a military spouse since 2006, when Gerry re-enlisted, and vividly remembers feeling completely overwhelmed by this new life when she started. They had 3 children when they became a military family and added 3 more along the way, while learning to truly embrace the best that the military life and community has to offer.  Tammy continues to stay involved in the military community after Gerry's medical release in 2018 and as a veteran spouse is always ready to offer encouragement and support to others as they navigate their own military journey.  Tammy serves on the Moose Jaw MFRC Board of Directors.  She is an advocate for mental health, a volunteer with OSISS (Operational Stress Injury Social Support) and an ADHD Coach for individuals and families. Tammy loves to use her experience and expertise to help families build resilience, become empowered and truly thrive in the Canadian military.Want to learn more about Tammy and her work as an ADHD coach?  Visit her website at https://tammybarclay.com or follow her on Facebook at @TammyBarclayADHDCoach

In this month's episode we speak with Dr. Heidi Cramm about the research that she - and her team at the Families Matter Research Group - are doing about the impact of Military life on the family.Trigger warning:  In this discussion we do talk about suicide and suicide ideation as it pertains to CAF Members and their families.  This discussion begins at the 20:00 mark.  Please listen with caution.In our discussion we talk about:·       How the definition of family is changing;·       What it means to be resilient;·       What research is being done regarding Military families in Canada and in other countries;·       How no one really knows ‘what they signed up for'; and·       How the challenges facing families change throughout our lives and careers. About our guest:Heidi Cramm is an occupational therapist and associate professor at Queen's University. Since her time working in children's mental health in a military community, she's been committed to conducting military families health research for the past 10 years and is the Research Advisor at the Canadian Institute for Military & Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). In 2021, she consolidated her research under the banner of the Families Matter Research Group (FMRG). Through the FMRG based at Queen's University, she leads a variety of health and well-being applied and collaborative research designed to improve the lives of military, veterans, public safety personnel and their families. Dr. Cramm and her teams explore how the occupational risks and requirements of military and public safety service shape the roles, routines, and rhythms of family life, with a keen eye to how mental health and impacts of trauma can affect families and how, in turn, families can affect the serving personnel.  Do you want to learn more about the research we discussed in this episode?  Check out the following links:·       Families Matter Research Group - www.fmrg.ca·       Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Reasearch:  https://cimvhr.ca/ Learn more about Dr. Cramm and follow her social media:·       https://rehab.queensu.ca/heidi-cramm·       Facebook: @familiesrsch ·       Twitter: @families_rsch and @HeidiCramm ·       Email:  families@queensu.ca; ·      https://cimvhr.ca/our-team/heidi-cramm/ 

Welcome to Military Family LifeThis month we are speaking with Ariel from PMQ for two.Ariel is the voice behind the blog PMQ for two, where she creates bright, bold, creative interiors, DIY and lifestyle content.  Ariel is also the first Home and DIY creator in Pinterest Canada's creator class of 2021-2022, and her work has been featured online and in print just about everywhere. In this episode:·      Ariel talks about her connection to the Military and why she started her blog·      Claudia tells us about her biggest home improvement nightmare·      Ariel talks about the many PMQs she has lived in over the years, and how her ideas about design have evolved·      Ariel shares her best advice for new Military family members – and talks about what she has coming up.You can follow Ariel on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok by searching for pmqfortwoWe would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

Welcome back to Military Family Life. In this episode, Julie and Claudia discuss:·      the inspiration to start a podcast for Military family members (0:01:15)·      our hopes for this podcast; ·      the conversations we would like to have in the coming months (0:18:00); and ·      our go-to advice for new Military family members (0:09:47)If you have a story or experience that you would like to share with our community of Military family members, please contact us.   Is there a guest that you would like us interview – or a topic that you would like us to talk about?  If so, please let us know. We would love to hear your suggestions and feedback. You can reach us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com or by contacting the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre.

Welcome to Military Family Life!  Since this podcast is about Military family members sharing their experiences and advice, hosts Claudia Beswick and Julie Hollinger kick off this podcast by sharing their own stories.Claudia Beswick is a Military Spouse and Military Child!  In this episode she talks about her many postings, her childhood memories and her love/hate relationship with snow.  Julie Hollinger is also a Military Spouse.  She talks about her experiences dealing with the deployments and how they affected her as a wife and mother.Claudia and Julie both work at the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre where they have the opportunity to learn from Military families every day.References:The book that Julie got from her aunt about Military Life is called "Hurry Up and Wait" by Dianne Collier (Published in 1994) [She talks about it at 4:45]Claudia's essay about her experiences was included in 'Dreaming Big Being Bold 3: Inspiring Stories From Visionaries, Trailblazers & Change Makers'. It was co-authored Paula Morand and Victoria Craig.  [Hear Claudia talk about it at about 18:50.]We would love to hear from you.  If you are a Military Family Member that wants to share your experiences and lessons learned, email us at Podcast.Feedback@PetawawaMFRC.com 

Military Family Life does not come with an instruction manual!Each month we will bring you the stories of people who have ‘been there' – and they are here to share the lessons they have learned along the way … to help you live your BEST military family life.