Retired soldier using haunting past to help homeless vets in Calgary

Dean Hopkins has seen the absolute worst humanity has to offer.

But now he’s using the haunting memories he has to try and help homeless veterans in Calgary who have fallen through society’s cracks.

Hopkins is the founder of One Direction Calgary, a charitable organization whose focus is to bring groups and charities together. To achieve greater success through collaboration.

And now he’s turning his energy to create Guardians for Heroes, a charity whose sole focus is to try and end the scourge of homelessness amongst veterans, many of them suffering from the mental effects of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Hopkins knows how these veterans feel, with a three-decade career behind him in the British military, that took him to the world’s hotspots.

The 57-year-old did a whopping 16 tours of duty – everywhere from Iraq to North Ireland to Africa.

But it was a scene 28 years ago in Bosnia that haunts Hopkins and steers his charity work to this day.

Hopkins was in charge of an observation post in Bosnia, in command of peacekeeping troops who had orders to observe and not engage.

Hopkins refuses any elaboration to the story but there’s no doubt it lit the fire currently burning within.

“What I saw in Bosnia was terrible, the worst of humanity. I decided right then I would find a peaceful city in a peaceful country and try and give back to veterans,” he said.

After three decades of accepting the Queen’s shilling, Hopkins decided to retire to Calgary.

“The people here are the best people I’ve found anywhere,” Hopkins said.

In the last 12 months, Hopkins has brought together the Calgary Veterans Food Bank and Hoggin Alberta to start work on a sanctuary, away from the city, for stressed former vets.

The group plans to build 28 cabins on their land to get the veterans back to nature – with fishing, hunting and camping. 

“I’m very passionate when I see homeless veterans that have fallen through the cracks of a society that sees them as a liability,” he said.

Hopkins realizes his dream is now at a point, that it will need government grants and other donations to succeed the way he wants. He estimates it will take $14 million to get Guardians for Heroes fully working.

Not only would Guardians for Heroes help veterans, but Hopkins said it would be open to all past and current emergency workers.

He’s urging all veterans groups to contact him and work together for the greater good.

“There are a plethora of veterans groups out there – from biker ones to hunting ones. I want to know all about them and what work they do. I want to talk to them and start collaborating with all the different groups.”

“My strengths are organizing groups and acting as a mediator. To be honest, we will need the premier (Kenney) on this. We need someone in our group that can navigate the corridors of power to the person in charge of the cash register,” Hopkins said.

“People say it can’t be done. But people who know me, know that if I set my mind to it, I will get it done, whether it takes five years, 10 years, 20 years.”

Once established in Alberta, Hopkins hopes to extend across the country with his front-line “Stand Down” centres.

“All military people understand what ‘Stand Down’ means,” Hopkins said, adding he hopes to set up centres where front-line workers can bring in homeless vets who will be met with staff who can start the process of getting their lives turned around.

Hopkins said services for veterans in Canada are about 10 years behind what they are currently offered in Europe.

“What I’m asking now is for people who have a similar vision to call me. I’m just a cog in what could become a very big machine,” Hopkins said.

The One Direction charity can be accessed through their website.