What Happened?
Tom grew up in Manitoba, Canada. As a child he lived with his brother and father on a Cree reserve near Flin Flon. His dad sent him and his brother to a boarding school in Winnipeg. Whichever school Tom attended, fights followed. His young life was marked with financial struggles and neglect. There is little else revealed about Tom’s childhood.
Tom gained his hero abilities due to exposure to alien technology. His DNA was supercharged, giving him extra human strength, speed, and endurance. He also has the ability to manifest a red bio-armour that makes him resistant to blunt attacks, gunfire, and able to survive a leap from ten storeys.
As an adult he served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Psychological abuse by parents/caregivers (e.g. verbal abuse, excessive punishment):
NO – Not that is reported. - Physical abuse
NO – Not that is reported. - Sexual abuse
NO – Not that is reported. - Emotional neglect
MAYBE – In some origin stories, his dad was a pacifist and didn’t engage. - Physical neglect or malnourishment
MAYBE – In some origin stories, Tom experiences neglect and ends up on the streets of Toronto/Windsor. - Domestic violence
NO – Not that is reported. - Parental alcoholism or drug use in home
UNKNOWN- It’s uncertain, It’s not disclosed. But the reason for sending Tom to boarding school was to soften him up. - Loss of biological parent before age 18 (Death or absence)
NO – There is little if any mention of his mother. - Parental mental illness or depression
MAYBE – Single parenting can be difficult, and to resign to the decision to send a child 750 km’s away, probably came with great heartache. - Household member imprisoned
NO – Not that is reported. - Multiple changes in placement or primary caregiver
YES – Living in a boarding school during the school year and then on reserve near Flin Flon during the summer. Also, that there would be changes in primary care adults while at the school. - Serious medical issue involving hospitalization?
NO – Not that is reported.
Discussion About ACEs
Tom has a range of one to four adverse childhood experiences. Without intervention, Tom could be at risk for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health struggles as an adult. When someone experiences four or more ACE’s, the odds of the health struggles go to 150-400%.
The one area that isn’t accounted for is the poverty experience from living on reserve. It is an important context that doesn’t really get acknowledged with ACEs.
Protective Childhood Experiences (PCEs)
- Able to talk to family about emotions
MAYBE – Tom’s dad was a good person and tried to do the right thing, but little is mentioned about emotional support or care. - Felt that family stood by in difficult times
YES – His brother Michael, often was sitting in the principals office with Tom when he got in trouble. - Enjoy participating in community traditions
UNKNOWN – While he grew up on a Cree reserve, there is little mention of participating in cultural activities. During his time in boarding school, he did not appear to participate in community events. - Felt belonging in high school
NO – In summary, Tom and his brother blackmailed the headmaster to prevent being expelled by threatening to uncover his affair and gambling. - Felt supported by friends.
NO – As a child, Tom doesn’t mention friendships. - Having atleast two nonparent adults who show genuine care
NO – There is no mention of non-parental caring adults in Tom’s life. - Felt safe and protected by an adult at home
UNCERTAIN – Tom trusted his dad, but there is no mention of safety or protection, especially with reference to the poverty like experience growing up on reserve.
Discussion About PCEs
Tom has a range of one to three protective childhood experiences. It’s important to note that one protective factor doesn’t counter one negative factor; it just adds to the complexity of understanding a child’s history.
As for context that is missing, and just adds to the wonder. What would Tom’s life have been like if he did not attend boarding school in Winnipeg, and instead continued schooling in Flin Flon? Was going to boarding school, while unpleasant and full of fights and threats of expulsion, still better than Flin Flon? And therefore a protective factor? Or was it worse because he was further from family and his culture? And therefore he didn’t have the protection of his culture growing up?
Positive Psychology (PERMA)
- Positive Emotions: He often appears to experience positive emotions such as hope, gratitude, joy, and resilience.
- Engagement: When it comes to being Captain Canuck, Tom is very engaged in that role. He is very passionate about his role.
- Relationships: Tom, in his role as Captain Canuck, has developed meaningful relationships with individuals in the same organization as him, such as Kebec and Redcoat. However, he has moved forward from some connections when the group no longer fits his values, purpose or meaning. Example how he has left Equilibrium for PACT.
- Meaning: Tom finds a lot of purpose and meaning in being Captain Canuck, serving and protecting his country. He is committed to staying true to his values and duty, and these contribute to Tom’s well-being.
- Achievement: Tom is Captain Canuck, that in itself is an achievement. However, he has had many successes in defending Canada, which will contribute positively to his self-esteem.
Discussion About PERMA
Tom, as an adult in his role as Captain Canuck, is constantly engaged in the Positive Psychology Pillars of Well-being. He is an excellent role model for how to practice PERMA on a day to day basis while staying true to his values. However, the only area of PERMA that is at risk is relationships. His brother who was once his biggest ally as a child and youth, is now one of his enemies.
Post Traumatic Stress vs Post Traumatic Growth
- Post Traumatic Stress:
- Re-experiencing: Tom was prone to flashbacks to earlier times, even in his childhood and youth.
- Avoidance: Tom had an initial avoidance of the location where he got his powers, Melville Island. That being said, when a mission was required to go there, he did go.
- Numbing: There is no real mention of numbing of stress.
- Hyperarousal: Whether because of his role, or because of his upbringing, or both, he often does seem to be in a state of hyperarousal.
- Post Traumatic Growth:
- Relationships: As noted in the PERMA, Tom has made lasting relationships.
- New Possibilities: Tom has looked for new possibilities in his role as Captain Canuck. When the Canadian Armed Forces no longer was an appropriate fit for him, he moved to Equilibrium. Then when that wasn’t he joined PACT.
- Personal Strength: Well, he has super human strength! That being said, there are many high intense situations where he instinctually does “I can do that.”
- Spiritual Change: This is difficult to assess. If we look at his values, his values have been consistent. If the organization doesn’t align with his values, he changes the organization.
- Appreciation for Life: Yes, he doesn’t believing in ending life in combat, just disarming them.
Discussion About Post Traumatic Growth
Tom is experiencing PTSD symptoms, but is also experiencing growth from his traumatic experiences. That’s the thing with trauma, you don’t necessarily heal 100% from it, just that as healing occurs, managing the symptoms of PTSD gets better and easier to do, and growth starts happening.
Tom may have and also likely experienced traumatic and terrible events while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and as Captain Canuck. So his childhood and teen years stress likely became more complex and forced into the background due to the high levels of stress experienced as an adult.
As I continue to reflect on Tom’s stress response, I keep thinking about Polyvagal Theory and how that is a good way to understand Tom:
Interventions
Calming Activities: As noted in the video above, doing activities that reduce ANS, such as walking, being outside, spending time with people that care about you, and other ways, are great for reducing the impacts of stress and soothing Tom’s nervous system.
Culture: Tom grew up on a Cree reserve. As he matured and became an adult there appears to be minimal connection to his cultural roots. Creating a plan for Tom to reconnect with his culture could be beneficial for him. This can be through music, connecting with an Elder, or visiting his reserve with someone he trusts.
Stability: Tom has experienced a lot of changes in caregivers and living situations, even into his adulthood. As an adult, mind you he’s a super hero, he has more control around his housing situation than as a child. Whether this is a safe secure apartment, or house, Tom needs a consistent safe space for him to call home.
PEACEful Home: Children’s author Angela Murphy came up with the acronym PEACEful Home strategies: Predictable and routine, Emotional literacy, Attuned Relationship, Calming activities, and Empowerment. Read more here.
Closing Thoughts
Tom Evans (Captain Canuck) is an excellent example of someone who has been transformed from traumatic stress to traumatic growth. His early life, despite the low ACE score, shows a prolonged exposure to stress that he has unintentionally managed through fights at school, he has taken that ability to fight crime while also keeping to his values.
He is also a good example of the difficulties that may arise if there are minimal protective childhood experiences. If he had experienced one or two more, this could have greatly impacted his life.
So this begs the age old question, if had received the support he needed when he was younger, how much would that have changed his trajectory in life. While he may be individually healthier, but he may not have been the ideal candidate to become Captain Canuck.