LEST WE FORGET 171 FORCIER, Natalie Marie Natalie Marie Forcier was born and raised in a small French community in Northern Saskatchewan called St. Isidore-de-Bellevue. A town with a population of 100, it is a community thriving on the farming industry. She grew up with five other siblings spending the majority of her childhood playing outdoors or playing sports. She excelled in sports: particularly volleyball and track/field, the arts, and even surprising herself with the ability to run. After graduating in 2002, she yearned to do something different, for a cause bigger than herself and joining the military seemed super appealing to meet those needs. On November 11 of that year, she started her career in the Canadian Armed Forces at eighteen years of age. She became a Medical Technician, a profession that would allow her to travel, meet all walks of life and be able to provide medical assistance in austere and domestic situations. The adventure and service to her country drew her in and allowed her adventures for many years to come. Natalie completed her Basic Training in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC in February 2003 where the realities of transitioning from a small community to the bigger world beyond the prairies set in. Navigating through the rigorous training, sleep deprivation and stressful social dynamics did not allow time to stress about the reality of what was happening. They had a great platoon and her introduction to the military solidified the next fourteen years of her life. After completing her Qualification Level 3 Medic course in Borden, which included a paramedic portion in Chilliwack, BC, she was posted to Winnipeg, MB to 23 CF HSvcsC. Working at the base clinic, she was blessed with a variety of medical professionals that provided her with an extensive hands-on medical knowledge base that solidified her passion to help others. There was an incredible energy at the clinic that focused on education, growth and leadership. In 2008, she was deployed to the Role 3 International Hospital in Afghanistan where she and a great multinational team of medical personnel were able to provide surgical capabilities to the casualties of war. At 24 years old, Natalie was profoundly affected by how fortunate she was to be Canadian and honoured to serve her country alongside so many inspirational people. After returning to Canada, she was then posted to 23 HSvcsC in Trenton, ON. Assuming a clinical role once again, she provided daily clinical care and training/education alongside upkeeping physical training. Not shortly after arriving though, she was selected to return to Afghanistan in 2010 where she would be in a Role 1 position, a dismounted medic attached to an Infantry Regiment. She lived at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City, worked with another amazing group of people and spent the majority of the tour providing security to various NGO projects such as water supplies, schools, community projects, etc. There was much more interaction with the locals and she has very fond memories of my experiences overseas. After returning home the second time, she resumed her position at the clinic where she was later promoted to MCpl and worked in several positions either running clinical sections or coordinating Operations and Training at the unit level. In 2013, she injured her left knee playing soccer on the base team which resulted in an ACL repair, subsequently requiring a total of 4 surgeries. Awarded a medical release in 2016, she transitioned to the Vocational Rehab Program through Manulife that financially assisted her while she returned to school. In September 2015, she started the Massage Therapy Program at Georgian College in Barrie, ON. Natalie graduated with honours in August 2017 and decided to move back to Saskatchewan, where she realized she was struggling with depression and anxiety masked by living in an “isolated” small town. She found it easier to overwork herself to avoid the silence she felt when she would be alone. Her entire adult life was serving in the military and she now found herself completely removed from all of it, with the exception of social media that she too had all but participated in for the last couple years. Having been a medic in the military, she saw on a daily basis the physical and mental effects it can have on the human being, but she hadn’t realized how the support as a veteran is simply lacking in availability, consistency or direction. This reignited in her a purpose of being a part of the solution, the end goal of providing integrated health care for veterans to suit their unique needs and struggles. In the summer of 2019, she moved to the Edmonton area where there was a greater population of veterans to better establish a clinical space with the ability to provide focused care for Veterans and First Responders. She is now part owner of a medical cannabis clinic in St. Albert, AB and a medical clinic in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. She is also a volunteer at the Edmonton Veterans Association Food Bank, assisting military members and veterans with food, shelter, peer support and socioeconomic resources in the province. As a retired Medic, Registered Massage Therapist and clinic owner, she will continue to work for and with our veteran population in order to have a profound effect on their mental health, wellbeing and families.
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