Former Mountie with PTSD sues Ottawa after multiple northern postings
HALIFAX — A former Mountie suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after multiple postings in isolated, high risk communities has filed a lawsuit against the federal government.
In a statement of claim filed in Federal Court in Halifax, a lawyer for John Christopher Bewsher said he was exposed to “psychologically traumatic events” in Labrador and Nunavut and received no psychological evaluation, support or counselling.
The claim said Bewsher was stationed in remote northern communities despite a psychological test early in his career that concluded an isolated post presented a risk to him, and further testing that showed he exhibited signs of “mild to moderate psychological dysfunction.”
Bewsher, who was medically discharged in February and now lives in the Halifax suburb of Bedford, is suing Ottawa as well as a doctor and a psychologist who worked for the RCMP.