Canadian Walk for Veterans: Co-Founder Matt’s Journey
Walks will be held across Canada September 20th & 21st 2025.
Find your walk.
Matthew Kane is one of the founders of the Canadian Walk for Veterans and a Team Lead for the 2025 Walk in White Rock, BC. He is the co-founder of Prodigy Intelligence and served for more than a decade as an intelligence officer in the Canadian Forces.
True Patriot Love asked him to share his goals for this September’s Walk, his pro tips for first-time team leads and what he wishes more Canadians knew about the Forces.
“Bringing the military and Veteran community to my community is the main reason that I have been involved with the Canadian Walk for Veterans since its inception.”
What do you wish more Canadians knew about Veterans and the military?
When people picture Veterans, they think of those who served in the Second World War. But hundreds of thousands of Canadians have put on the uniform and served around the world in the decades since then. Once, when I was a young Veteran, I took my car in to get serviced. I have a Veteran’s license plate and the mechanic said it was so nice of me to take care of my grandfather’s car! He was surprised when I told him that it was my car and I’d just returned from service overseas.
I am sixth-generation military, and I can trace my family’s service back to the First World War. I grew up seeing family in uniform and knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of. I am proud to have served for over a decade.
But I wish more people knew about the instability that military life brings. Being posted every few years is incredibly difficult on the family. They sacrifice so much to ensure the service member can succeed in their job.
“I wish more people knew about the instability that military life brings. Being posted every few years is incredibly difficult on the family. They sacrifice so much to ensure the service member can succeed in their job.”
What’s on your wish list for this year’s Walk?
Consistent and steady growth is on my wish list for this year. We have more Walks taking place in our area, which is amazing, and I hope that this means that more residents will come out and participate.
Bringing the military and Veteran community to my community is the main reason that I have been involved with the Canadian Walk for Veterans since its inception.
What tips would you give someone who’s thinking about starting their own Walk?
Set up a team and start small. In your first year, lay a good foundation for what is to come: set up a group of great volunteers, make the community aware of what the Canadian Walk for Veterans is, and go from there. If you do this, know that you will grow your Walk to the levels you want – but don’t expect to be there in year one.
When Marc Burchel and I started the Walk, we planned for a single city, and our goal was 100 people. Now, thanks to True Patriot Love, the Walk is across the country and growing.
Looking to Join the Walk? There are 4 ways to get involved:
✅ Join a Walk in one of our host cities across Canada
✅ Start a Walk in your own community by contacting us
✅ Walk virtually from wherever you are
✅ Donate directly to the Canadian Walk for Veterans if you can’t attend
