Advisory Panel

Christie started working at the Globe and Mail in 1972 while still studying at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto, and has since worked for the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun and the National Post, returning to The Globe and Mail in 2002.

She has been a journalist in Canada for over 25 years, with columns covering sports, lifestyle, current affairs and crime.

She has won numerous writing awards, including a National Newspaper Award for column writing and most recently won the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction for her book “Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army.”

Blatchford said: “Fifteen Days is my way of paying tribute and giving a voice to the courageous men and women who put their lives on the line for a better world.”

Vic is a retired military officer with a career spanning 39 years of regular and reserve force service in Canada and in Europe.

He served as an artillery officer and military pilot. At senior levels his duties involved planning for military national and international joint and combined operations and as the Canadian representative on several NATO assignments.

Post military; he pursued a career as CEO of a consulting firm where he worked on several NDHQ studies and military information management projects for Defence Research Establishments. His consulting career also included a number of assignments with private sector agencies and businesses.

He is the past Executive Director of the Conference of Defence Associations and the CDA Institute, formerly a Director of the Atlantic Council of Canada, National VP Canadian NATO Defence College Association, VP Air OP Pilots’ Association, a former member of the Board of Governors, Commissionaires BC and is the Past President of Royal United Services Institute of Vancouver.

As Principal of Walter Francl Architecture Inc., Walter brings to our team extensive experience in providing design and project management leadership on a variety of complex civic projects. Walter has over 25 years experience as an Architect and Structural Engineer.

He combines conceptual design ability with project management skills and technical expertise. Walter has been active within the profession, serving on numerous professional committees.

He is a Past President of the Architect’s Institute of British Columbia, and has in the past and is again currently serving on the Vancouver Urban Design Panel and Development Permit Board. He has also been an advisory member of the Development Permit Board.

Currently Managing Director of Lignum Forest Products and the Managing Partner of the Vancouver Canadians baseball team, Kerr has been involved with many charitable and cultural organizations, including the Vancouver Foundation for a number of years, serving on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee.

With a distinguished career in the forest industry and a commitment to community involvement, Jake’s many contributions have been recognized with the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

David is the Director of the Centre for Practitioner Renewal (CPR). In that capacity he works to combine medicine and psychology in sustaining health care providers in the work place. He is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. Prior to his involvement in the CPR he developed the Palliative Care Program at Providence Health Care. The research he did served as the basis for 2 books, “What Dying People Want” and “Facing Death Embracing Life.”

Dr. Kuhl has been a co-leader in the University of British Columbia/Royal Canadian Legion Veterans’ Transition Program since its inception.

Debbie is a native of British Columbia with a passionate love for the outdoors. Debbie worked as a Chartered Account for Price Waterhouse Coopers where she became team leader for Dreams Take Flight, an organization dedicated to providing a trip of a lifetime to 125 disabled or socially challenged children.

After the horrific attack on her fiancé, Captain Trevor Green, Ms. Lepore dedicated her full time and energy to be Trevor’s advocate and to spearhead his recovery.

Debbie and Trevor reside in Nanaimo with their daughter Grace and are writing a book to share their story of hope and survival.

Dave Sinclair was elected President of BC/Yukon Command at the 2009 Convention and is currently serving as Chairman of the Government Liaison and the Leadership and Business Management Committees. He is a Life Member of Britannia Branch 7 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Victoria, South/Mid Vancouver Island Zone.

Dave Sinclair joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1953 and served 25 years in the RCN retiring in 1977. He served on numerous ships mainly in the Pacific and retired in 1994 just in time to be the supervisor of all 675 vehicles at the Commonwealth Games.

Dave was President of Legion Manor for six years; a 143 unit housing complex which includes 68 Assisted Living suites located in Victoria BC. During his term in office he was instrumental in raising the funds and building the 68 suite assisted living building. He is also a Board Member of Elder Care Foundation of Greater Victoria.

David Sinclair was a Board Member of the Premier’s Council on Aging and Seniors, a non partisan council formed by the Premier of British Columbia to advise the Government on future policy regarding seniors. In 2007, he was named “Citizen of the Year” in Greater Victoria in recognition of his outstanding citizenship and public service contributions.

In July 2009, Dave Sinclair accepted an invitation to be a member of the Honour House British Columbia Advisory Panel.

He and his wife, Anne, were married in 1957. The have two children and two grandchildren.

Marv is a Professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at UBC.
He is also an Associate Member in the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

He has held teaching positions at St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia) and McGill University (Montreal). His teaching and research focuses primarily on trauma repair using specific group approaches.

Dr. Westwood is founder of the University of British Columbia/Royal Canadian Legion Veterans’ Transition Program.