Hooked on helping

When asked how many fish he caught on a recent salmon run in Owen Sound Ontario, retired Master Corporal Dan Hawco says, “Just one, but, even though a fishing trip can quickly move from feast to famine, there is one f that is constant in every outing, friendship.”

Dan grew up fishing off the coast of Newfoundland before moving to Sarnia Ontario as a teenager. While fishing has his heart, his boyhood dream was to serve in the military. He spent 24 years in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, completing four tours in Bosnia and many years as a tank crew commander stationed overseas.

During his service, Dan developed post-traumatic stress disorder more commonly known as PTSD, suffering on-going symptoms for more than a decade.

“My last tour in Bosnia was 2001 and after, while I was functioning, I wasn’t doing well. My wife kept encouraging me to seek help and that’s how I got connected with the Operational Stress Injury Clinic.”

St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) is home to one of 10 outpatient OSI clinics in the Canadian Operational Stress Injury National Network that provides specialized mental health assessment, treatment and support for members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and veterans with operational stress injuries from their service.

“The hardest part of asking for help was getting started. At the initial interview I had to explain everything I was going through to a psychologist. Baring your soul and opening up to strangers is difficult, it’s painful and a lot of hard work, but the results are fantastic and well worth it. The team at St. Joseph’s saved my life. Had I not sought help when I did, I don’t think I would be here anymore.”

Now, on the other side of healing, Dan’s life mission is to help fellow veterans find their way. “I received world class, top-notch treatment at St. Joseph’s and when I got back on my feet, I wanted to give back to others. I couldn’t think of a better way to do that then to get them off their couch and into a fishing boat.”

Dan and fellow veteran Bob Comeau partnered with Soldier On, a CAF program that provides ill and injured CAF members and veterans opportunities and resources to participate in sport, recreational and creative activities. Two days a week, Dan and Bob take veterans out for free chartered fishing trips on Dan’s boat in Port Burwell Ontario. Each veteran is provided equipment, lures, bait and tackle and taught fishing techniques like rigging and trolling.

“Each group is new, and most of the guys don’t know each other, but within 30 minutes we are laughing and joking the way we would with our long-time army friends. The camaraderie and connection is always there, because we have shared experiences from our military service. My hope is through fishing and friendship, we can show other veterans who may be struggling that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”