At first glance it appears to be a diverse group, but there are some very interesting connections in this mission to Ukraine.
Serge Fournier and Jocelyn Richer will not be traveling to Ukraine for the first time. They return there for the third time.
Gerry Frappier will also be on his third trip, but this is the first time he is traveling with Serge Fournier. And that is significant.
“I wanted to make a concrete and personal gesture and started looking for what I could do since I don’t have any technical skills such as being a doctor or a mechanic.
“The next day I came across an article about Serge Fournier in the Journal de Montréal. His email address was there and I wrote to him immediately.
Understand
“I spoke to Serge because I needed to understand what I was getting into and what I wanted [son] Frappier specifies his opinion of what he experienced. He’s a firefighter, he has skills I don’t have, and I wanted to see if I could help.
“His help enabled me to save a lot of research by directing me to Siobahn’s Trust, a small, self-sustaining organization.”
Benoit Leduc experienced roughly the same situation.
“I didn’t know the others, but I heard Gerry’s statement on Paul Arcand’s show and found an article about his travels in La Presse.
“At a dinner with friends I was talking about the war, that it interested me, and a friend knew Gerry’s partner well, I got her phone number in five minutes. I was able to contact him after a week, we had a good conversation and he convinced me,” explains Benoit Leduc.
Training effect
So five men, who in many cases had nothing to bring together, came together to go on a mission.
“I think it’s hot because there was a ripple effect without us knowing each other,” Frappier says enthusiastically. And then an article in La Presse about my travels had a domino effect and people contacted me through the journalist.”
Frappier will be on a first trip that can be described as organized.
“The first two times I was there I was the only Canadian, but now there are six Quebecers and this domino effect is blowing me away. A small gesture became a larger gesture.
“The message is not that you served pizza, but above all what you bring to the citizens of Kherson. We tell them that we are there and that we have not forgotten them. I now have the certainty that this small gesture can make a difference. The hope we gave them didn’t die overnight, the message remains.”