Bonnyville volunteers supporting The Rolling Barrage gathered at Bonnyville’s Legion hall Saturday to enjoy a team dinner.
The Rolling Barrage (TRB) organizes an annual cross-Canada motorcycle ride to support veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Jamie Beaupré, past president of Royal Canadian Legion Bonnyville Branch 183, organized a stopover for the riders who were en route to Fort McMurray in 2022. That was the start of a warm relationship between Bonnyville and TRB.
TRB was founded by Canadian Army vet Scott Casey in 2017. Casey’s friend and fellow TRB board member Warren Cave says Casey was moved by the number of military veterans whose PTSD led them to die by suicide.
“He was watching as friends and colleagues that he had served with in Bosnia were committing suicide from PTSD mostly related to their service,” Cave said. “He wanted to do something that would bring those people together, whether they were military or first responders, because they’re all having lots of similar situations.”
Part of the objective was to raise funds for support organizations, but Cave says it’s equally important to build a sense of community among those who are coping with lingering effects of their service.
“And throughout it all, try to just normalize that conversation about mental health in that demographic. Because you spend your entire adult life or your career in something like firefighting, police work, EMS, military, defending the country and experiencing all these things and being the tough guy, the go-to guy and not really showing any vulnerability,” Cave said.
“But when the time comes and as you retire or even before you retire, some of the stuff comes back to haunt you.”
TRB started out with half a dozen motorcyclists going from coast to coast in 2017, with supporters joining them for portions of the journey. This year there were 125 riders doing “the full pull” from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to Aldergove BC.
And again, an informal “relay” of supporters will join in for a day ride or longer along the route.
The route changes from year to year, but Bonnyville has been a welcome — and welcoming — stop for the riders. In 2024, the TRB route was going to include a two-night stop in Jasper, but the fire there made that impossible. Beaupré and a team of volunteers coordinated a two-night stay in Bonnyville while the TRB team made adjustments to their plans.
TRB has participated in Bonnyville’s Canada Day parade every year since their inaugural contact in 2022.
Bonnyville’s crew of volunteers demonstrates that there are many ways to get involved besides riding a motorcycle.
“The motorcycle ride is basically the vessel, that’s what brings us together,” Cave said.
You don’t need to ride a motorcycle to be involved. We need people to drive trucks, we need people to organize things in communities like Jamie does. There’s all sorts of things behind the scenes that can be done, many things that don’t really involve riding a motorcycle.”
The 2027 TRB route hasn’t been finalized, but Cave says the riders will make their way to Bonnyville.
“We certainly enjoy our time here in Bonnyville, and we’ll be here on Canada Day 2027,” Cave said.
“I think there may be some changes coming up, but I do know we’ll be back because the involvement with the community here, the group of volunteers and sponsors here is just amazing,” he said.
“We’ll be back for sure.”
