Transcript of video

Operation BRONZE

LCol Yves St-Pierre, Commander Task Force Balkans: The main task of the NATO headquarters here is to support reform within the Bosnian army. The second task, obviously, is to try to identify those persons who should be convicted of war crimes. We have been supporting the Balkans for the past 16 years. At the beginning, if you remember, we were more than 2,000 Canadian Forces spread through the Balkans, and now we’re down to eight. Eight people who occupy — I should say — key positions in the NATO headquarters here in Sarajevo.

Major Kyle Troup, Deputy Intelligence Officer, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina: When we were part of NATO — of course we had a very large force here, and this force has been reduced down from a fairly large number, even when we were in the staff side of things, so we’re down to about eight people now. The bulk of that I think changed more when EUFOR took over and there was a very small NATO mission left here. So there remains eight of us as part of the mission now. But the actual contribution of not only the Canadians but all of the coalition forces allows this country to still be at peace.

LCol Yves St-Pierre: In addition to our military role here in Bosnia obviously each rotation has used its own initiative to support the local community. As a matter of fact, over the last few rotations, we have also helped a hockey team formed by young people of all denominations — Christian and Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox — who have difficulty in life.

Brad Collins, civilian coach: I guess it started — over ten years, for sure. My heart was just burning for the people of Bosnia. Seeing the kids on the street and stuff, and when I come over …

It’s amazing because, in Ilidza, which is not too far from here, many kids were playin’ on the street and they had toy guns. And in the back of my mind I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to take the toy guns out of their hand and put a hockey stick in it. So I phoned back, and talked to a guy back in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I told him, I said, “Listen; I wonder if it would be possible to start hockey here in Bosnia?” And he said, “Why not, Brad?” He said, “Why not? I’ll go up to Canadian Tire, and I’ll get a few hockey sticks and a hockey net and we’ll send it over and we’ll see how you do.” And that’s exactly what happened. He sent it over and it just grew. It started to grow, and the kids just love the hockey program.”

Miržet Hodžić, hockey player: In Bosnia, you know, after the war, it was everything. You know, on the streets, drugs, alcohol, all the people, and they helped us to get off the streets, to start to have vision in life, to do something for our country — not for ourselves — for the kids that are on the street now.

Brad Collins: Of course, if you see those kids behind me, every one of them’s got a problem — welcome to Bosnia. To deal with these problems you have to almost be a social worker to them, you have to be their coach. Sometimes you have to be their mum, to give them tender loving care, and sometimes you have to be their dad, to discipline them. It’s part of what you do. So there’s a lot of problems; a lot of problems that they have to deal with.

The Canadian military had an impact on my life, but most of all they also have an impact on these kids’ lives. They’ve worked with them continuously for seven years. All these kids know the Canadian military.

Public Affairs Officer: Capt George Vriniotis

Camera: MCpl Jason Law

Editor: MCpl Jason Law

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