Family of B.C. soldier who died suffering PTSD to receive Memorial Cross

VANCOUVER – The family of a Canadian soldier who was battling post-traumatic stress disorder when he was fatally shot in a confrontation with British Columbia RCMP last year will receive a Memorial Cross award.

Greg Matters would have been 41 today, and his family says the decision by Veterans Affairs to award the medal gives them comfort as they mark his birthday without him.

Matters was a soldier for 15 years and served in Bosnia before leaving the forces in 2009.

He was receiving treatment for PTSD when he was fatally shot by police during an incident on his rural property near Prince George, B.C., last September.

His sister, Tracey Matters, says the family was surprised and touched to learn they will receive the cross, which is given to the families of veterans whose deaths are attributable to their service.

Greg Matters’s death is under investigation by the province’s Independent Investigations Office, which has told the family they will complete their report by the end of the month.