Two things unite the veterans who rode through Langley on Tuesday and Wednesday – a love of motorcycles, and a desire to help.
The Rolling Barrage is a coast-to-coast cross-Canada motorcycle ride organized by military veterans.
It’s intended to raise both awareness and funds to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder. The psychiatric condition that affects those who’ve suffered or witnessed violence and other serious trauma. Many of the sufferers are military veterans and first responders, such as police and paramedics.
Riders joined and left the ride at various points, with a few making the whole trek and others riding for a few hundred or thousand kilometres.
It’s a personal mission for many of the participants.
“I’m doing it because I’ve lost friends to PTSD,” said Nigel Colley of Sooke, who rode almost 5,000 kilometres with the event this year. “I believe we need to get this message out there.”
Breaking the stigma that many feel with mental health issues is one of the reasons Colley has taken part both years since the Rolling Barrage was founded in 2017.
Supporters came out to meet the riders, including Gary Grigg, who came from Maple Ridge to make a donation and to buy some Rolling Barrage swag to support the cause.
“I have had PTSD since ’77, when I was wounded,” he said.
Grigg was serving as a UN peacekeeper during the long-running conflict on Cyprus when he was wounded.
“There was no help back then, no one knew what it was,” said Grigg.
It wouldn’t be until 1998 that he received any help, not long before he retired from the Canadian Forces in 2001.
Overall, approximately 1,000 riders were expected to take part on at least one of the legs on the cross-Canada tour this year.
Founded and led by Scott Casey, a retired Canadian Forces corporal (pictured on the front page), the organization behind Rolling Barrage began as an online support group.
After leaving Langley on Wednesday morning, the Rolling Barrage headed to its final stop on Vancouver Island. The Rolling Barrage is expected to continue as an annual event.
