Forget Retail! Buy Wholesale Direct! Over $10.6 million inventory available same day. Family owned for more than 40 years. Value to premium parts available. 902-423-7127 | WWW.CANDRAUTOSUPPLY.CA | 2513 AGRICOLA ST., HALIFAX 144518 Monday, February 19, 2018 Volume 52, Issue 4 www.tridentnewspaper.com Happy Valentine’s Day from HMCS St. John’s MS Jennifer Krick, a sailor deployed on Op REASSURANCE in HMCS St. John’s, sends Valentine’s Day wishes home to her children: Bailey, Brandon, Benjamin and Jessica. CPL TONY CHAND, FIS Bell Let's Talk Day MCDVs depart for Sea trials with Mariners win regional Pg. 2 West Africa Pg. 3 Asterix Pg. 12 hockey Pg. 20 145760 2 TRIDENT NEWS FEBRUARY 19, 2018 Don’t keep quiet about mental health issues, advocate tells CFB Halifax crowd By Ryan Melanson, Trident Staff A Canadian golf pro turned mental health advocate visited CFB Halifax on January 31 to share his story of depression, suicide attempts, and the road to recovery, but he says that finally speaking out loud about his issues, above all else, is what allowed him to start making positive steps and managing his mental health. “The way to heal from this stuff or to start healing from this stuff is just to talk about it. It sounds cliche and all that, and just talking isn’t going to immediately fix your problems, but that’s where it starts,” Andrew Jensen said to the group gathered at Juno Tower for the base event marking Bell Let’s Talk Day. The telecom’s annual social media campaign is aimed at opening discussions and ending stig- mas around these issues, and comes with a hefty donation to mental health initiatives across Canada. For 2018, more than 138 million calls, likes, tweets, shares and video watches involving the Bell Let’s Talk hashtag have resulted in donations from Bell Canada totalling nearly $7 million. Jensen joined the campaign as an ambassador after sharing his story Andrew Jensen, professional golfer and Bell Let’s Talk Ambassador, visited CFB Halifax on January 31, the day of this year’s through the sports world and finding Bell Let’s Talk campaign, to speak about his own experiences with depression and fighting the stigmas that surround speaking up that his example could serve as a learn- about mental illness. Pictured from left, Cmdre Craig Skjerpen, CCFL; Andrew Jensen; RAdm Craig Baines, Commander MAR- ing tool for others. He suffered from de- LANT and JTFA; and Capt(N) Paul Forget, CFB Halifax BComd. pression in his teenage years that wors- MONA GHIZ, MARLANT PA ened in early adulthood as he struggled with his golf career, leading to suicide that they need to talk to someone and portsmentalhealth, and set up around because the whole point of today is to attempts and stints in hospital. Start- get some help, that’s incredible.” the base for the day. The project was stop and have a conversation and get ing in 2011, he opened up to his family Members were also encouraged spearheaded by Regional EAP Coor- those discussions going around men- and friends about his battles, establish- to participate in the Bell Let’s Talk dinator Holly Scothorn with the help tal health,” said Base Commander ing a strong support network that led social media campaign through the of TEME staff, and base personnel Capt(N) Paul Forget. to professional help and strategies to day, and in a special CFB Halifax were invited to stop for a chat on the At the national level, a live panel dis- manage his depression. initiative, five Buddy Benches were benches while sharing a photo online cussion in Ottawa was streamed online “When that first step happens, that’s built and painted blue with hashtags using the Bell Let’s Talk hashtag. through Facebook featuring retired when you can take the next step, and like #BellLet’sTalk and #DNDsup- “The benches were a great idea RCN diver and Bell ambassador Bruno the one after that. Now, six and a Guévremont, CAF Director of Mental half years after standing on a rooftop Health Col Colleen Forestier, MWO ready to jump, I’m still here and I’m a Shelley Lamothe, Cmdre Chris Suther- lot further along,” he said. land and Natasha Khattar of ADM(Hr- He encouraged anyone in the audi- Civ), and smaller bases across the ence to speak up and talk to their country held their own events and loved ones, friends or a medical led social media campaigns aimed at professional if they’re having mental supporting Bell Let’s Talk and spark- health trouble. He admits that his own ing discussions about mental health, struggle with depression is ongoing stigma and avenues for treatment. and takes constant work, along with “Stressors of life occur through all the support of others, but said the ranks and all ages and everyone has alternative remains much worse. a point at which they’re going to need Jensen now lives in Jacksonville, support. It’s reaching out and getting Florida, but his father is a veteran of that peer support, spiritual support, the CAF and his two brothers cur- colleague support that is so impor- rently serve; he said the military stop tant, and not withdrawing,” Col Fores- was the most personally meaningful tier said during the national panel. component of his whirlwind day of ap- If you are a member of the CAF or pearances in support of the campaign. larger DND community and are strug- “Speaking to the military has been gling with your mental health, visit one of the biggest joys for me in all of http://forces.gc.ca/yourenotalone this, coming from a military family for information on the wide range of and now getting to visit different bas- Sarah Carter, left, and Regional EAP Coordinator Holly Scothorn, right, show off one support available from chaplains, the es and different units and meet these of the blue Bell Let’s Talk themed benches that were set up around CFB Halifax on MFRC, PSP Health Promotion Ser- people. If I can make a difference for January 31. vices, base and wing clinics and CAF even one person who might decide SUBMITTED mental health professionals. FEBRUARY 19, 2018 TRIDENT NEWS 3 HMC Ships Summerside and Kingston depart for exercises, community work in West Africa By Ryan Melanson, a different crew last year, and only Trident Staff a handful of sailors from the 2017 deployment were tapped to sail to the The crews of two Kingston-class region again. ships left the winter weather behind Lt(N) Andrea Murray, Summerside’s as they departed Halifax Harbour Executive Officer, said her crew have on January 26 for a three month spoken to colleagues who deployed deployment to the Gulf of Guinea last year, looked through the collec- region in West Africa. The trip will tion of photos, and have been build- see the ships work alongside more ing up a high level of excitement and than 20 African countries as part of motivation to make the most of the the American-led Obangame Express opportunity. The ships left with gifts 2018 exercise, in addition to commu- and donations for visits to schools, or- nity and humanitarian-minded port phanages, women’s shelters and other visits to nations like Ghana, Nigeria, community destinations, and she said Cape Verde, Senegal, Liberia and Cote sailors are ready to lend a hand in any d’Ivoire. way they can. “It’s a bit of a cold, grey day, which “After hearing stories from the first might reflect the mood of some of deployment, I really can’t wait, and the families here today, with these this is the type of tasking that has two very capable crews getting ready gotten the whole crew engaged and to leave us for three months,” said excited as we prepare.” Cmdre Craig Skjerpen, Commander LCdr Emily Lambert, Summerside’s CANFLTLANT, speaking to the group The commanding officers of HMCS Kingston and HMCS Summerside speak to the CO, was most most looking forward to of sailors and families prior to the media, along with Cmdre Craig Skjerpen, Commander CCFL, and exchange officers the opportunity to engage with young departure from Jetty NC. from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, before departing on JANUARY 26. women and local female leaders dur- “But this is going to be an opportu- ing events and leadership forums nity to share ideas about the maritime Matthew Woodburn, the Commanding Obangame Express exercise, training being organized at different ports. environment and about maritime Officer of HMCS Summerside. with partner navies and coast guards, “I can’t wait to have a chance to cooperation, as they continue to Obangame Express 2018, one of the and community visits forming the exchange ideas and highlight the im- expand the control of their exclusive largest components of the deploy- bulk of the trip. Though Summerside portant role that Canadian women are economic zone in that West African ment, is an at-sea exercise designed is participating again, she sailed with playing in the CAF,” she said. region, and an opportunity for us to to improve relationships among grow important relationships with participants and increase maritime our partner nations.” safety and security in the Gulf of Working toward that cooperation Guinea. The focus is on maritime and interoperability began before interdiction techniques including the ships even left port, with two boarding, searches and seizures, and exchange officers, one from Ghana for that reason, the ships sailed with and one from Cote d’Ivoire, arriving embarked personnel from the Mari- shortly before the deployment to ac- time Tactical Operations Group to “Debt? You have options.