A group of current and former Canadian Forces members will trade in their uniforms for blacksmith aprons this weekend as part of a unique healing initiative on Vancouver Island.

The Veterans Axe Forging Workshop, hosted by the Veterans Artist Collective, will take place Oct. 18–19 at the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) in Esquimalt.

Over two days, 12 veterans and serving members will learn to design, heat, and forge camp axes from raw metal billets — an intense, hands-on process that organizers say blends skill-building, creativity, and therapy.

“The process of shaping white hot metal into an axe is exhilarating and frightening. It makes you feel alive!” said Cpl. (Ret’d) M., one of the participants quoted by organizers.

The event is led by Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hennebery,

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