Are we building our soldiers up or are we just breaking them down?” asked Eric Robitaille, one of the opening keynote speakers for 2024’s Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) conference in Winnipeg.

A Defence Department physio-therapist who also serves as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, his question was evidently rhetorical. Nevertheless, in revealing data about damage to the bones, joints and muscles of military personnel caused by sudden or repetitive stresses—known as musculoskeletal injuries or MSKI—it soon became clear that his words were chosen as a call to action. 

Exercise, AI and women’s well-being highlight latest military and veteran health forum