Commemorating Veterans at NRCan

When we think of Veterans’ Week, we remember and honour those who sacrificed so much for this country. The experiences of NRCan employees like Timothy Caines and Chris Nobrega are good reminders to reflect on the strength and bravery of those who have served and those who still serve to this day.?

This week, we are highlighting veteran employees at NRCan to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.?

Timothy Caines

When we think of veterans, we often think of the front lines. But just as a great tree needs deep roots, military operations depend on those who work behind the scenes.??

During a tour of duty in Ukraine that spanned eight months over 2017–18, NRCan’s Timothy Caines helped organize Canadian training for Ukraine’s armed forces, including medical, sniper, explosives and small arms training. Today, it’s not hard to imagine how important that training was.??

Canadian troops in Afghanistan relied on intelligence from various radar systems. From Ottawa, Timothy helped ensure that images from these systems could be integrated to provide a comprehensive and fully useful picture. He also played a similar role in enhancing radar systems among NATO countries.??

When Hurricane Juan struck Halifax in 2003, Timothy helped make sure troops on the ground had what they needed to clean up. And as a young recruit in the Kingston, Ontario, area, during a severe 1998 ice storm, Timothy and his team went door to door, checking up on rural residents.

Some of this experience clearly informs the work he does now in NRCan’s Corporate Management Services Sector.?

Chris Nobrega

These days, the most important tools for Chris Nobrega of NRCan’s human resources team are a phone and a laptop. In his previous career, he relied more on a rifle and parachute.

Chris’s stories give us a window on how intense military life can be for veterans serving during our own lifetimes. His accounts help us move past uniforms, marching and ceremonies to appreciate the gritty and sometimes-harrowing experiences of those who serve.???

Chris completed four tours, starting with Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1998; Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2003–04; Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2007; and Sinai, Egypt, in 2014. On his first tour, Canada was part of a peacekeeping force led by NATO near the town of Drvar. Chris and his platoon of 30 soldiers were part of a larger company of 120 that set up camp in a cement factory near the town.??

Chris was a Cadet at 13 and began his professional military career at 18. Now a Major, he is a member of the Canadian Army Reserve. Last July, he joined NRCan to work on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.?

Veterans’ Week 2022?

For more stories, resources and event information visit Veterans Affairs Canada's website. ??