One year ago, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Local 1928 steward and Royal Navy veteran Pete Cool was reaching out to members across Canada about an initiative to increase opportunities for veterans in the trades.

That objective celebrated a milestone when Vancouver, British Columbia, Local 258 became the first Canadian local to have a chartered Veterans Committee.

"I truly believe we'll get things moving if we have great communication with our members," said Cool, who served in the Navy for 17 years and represents the First District on the union-wide International Veterans Committee. "That's how I found these guys."

Those guys are Local 258 members Jamie Lowe and Jordan Geddert. They led the effort to form a committee after reading about Cool's plans and being encouraged by Business Manager Cody Gatzke. They now co-chair the committee, which consists of 19 members.

"I was absolutely aware that we had a bunch of veterans among our ranks," Gatzke said. "I was very surprised they were as interested and engaged in this as they were. It exceeded my expectations. Jamie and Jordan are pretty passionate about it."

Like Cool, Lowe served in the Navy. Geddert served in the United Kingdom's Royal Marine Commandos, seeing combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lowe and Geddert also are members of the International Veterans Committee.

Both credit IBEW membership with helping them avoid many of the pitfalls some veterans face, including loneliness and mental health challenges.

"When you get into the IBEW, you have that brotherhood and sisterhood," Geddert said. "You can rely on each other. A lot of times, you spend more time with them than your family."

Local 258 is an outside, tree trimming utility and manufacturing local with jurisdiction over all of British Columbia, so in-person interactions with brothers and sisters can be rare. But it took Local 258 less than one year to get its Veterans Committee recognized.

Lowe and Geddert reached out to every veteran in the local. That personal touch proved more effective than relying on social media.

"What really helped us is that in being a lineman, you're part of a community that feels small," said Geddert, who lives in 100 Mile House, about a five-hour drive northeast of Vancouver. "You know a guy who knows a guy."

Lowe said the committee meets virtually, once every two months. It hopes to form a close relationship with Helmets to Hardhats, a partnership of 15 trade unions, including the IBEW, that helps veterans transition to a career in the trades.

"There's a lot of people coming out of the military that have so many good qualities that transfer into the IBEW," Geddert said. "They would flourish. It's a win-win in my eyes. We just have to get the word out there."

First District International Vice President Russ Shewchuk praised Local 258 for its accomplishments.

"The commitment of Jamie, Jordan and Pete, with supports from their locals, epitomizes our union's solidarity — quite literally — from coast to coast," he said. "A post-military career in the trades can be a great fit professionally, offering many transferrable skills.

"Our members have taken this a step further by building connections and a community within the IBEW for veterans to thrive beyond the tools. I applaud their continued efforts and success."

The work already is paying off. Local 258 has added one veteran member since the committee was recognized and is working on signing another.

They also hope to form stronger relationships with veterans already in the local.

"What we've found is that every veteran we've asked has said, 'I want to be involved,'" Lowe said. "No one has said no. We want to see every veteran have a path to a career and do what is best for Local 258."