New book explores the Canadian veteran experience

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 2, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canadians' military experiences stay with them long after they exit service. Ripples of War: The Canadian Veteran Experience, published by UBC Press in partnership with the Canadian War Museum, uncovers veterans' experiences that are frequently overlooked, including how their service changed them and how they remember it.

Ripples of War was edited by War Museum historians Michael Petrou, the late Tim Cook, CM, FRSC, and Andrew Burtch. The 384-page collection of historical essays and veterans' personal reflections examines how military service has shaped veterans' lives over the past 80 years. Topics include returning to civilian workplaces, advocating for fairness and opportunity, and evolving approaches to remembrance and commemoration. The book also presents new research and gives voice to the experiences of Indigenous, racialized, women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ veterans.

The publication of Ripples of War also marks the culmination of the multi-phase initiative by the War Museum to explore the lasting impact military service has had on veterans and their loved ones. Launched in 2022, the project In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones has amassed more than 200 oral and video interviews with veterans and their families. Many of the interviews and stories are featured in a virtual exhibition. A groundbreaking conference that shared new research on the post-service experience followed in October 2025.  

Ripples of War is available now from UBC Press, the Canadian War Museum Boutique, and other booksellers.

In Their Own Voices: Stories From Canadian Veterans and Their Loved Ones is generously funded by donors including the A. Britton Smith Family; the Azrieli Foundation; Arthur B.C. Drache, C.M., K.C., and Judy Young Drache; The Royal Canadian Legion; The Legion National Foundation; Friends of the Canadian War Museum; the Crabtree Foundation; Robert Stollery, in honour of his service in the Second World War; Colonel (Ret'd) Stanley A. Milner, O.C., A.O.E., M.S.M., C.D., LL.D.; and individuals from across Canada.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada's national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada's military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions.

For more information, visit warmuseum.ca. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please email us.

SOURCE Canadian War Museum

For more information or to schedule interviews: Avra Gibbs Lamey, Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]