Sep 24, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Kristen Calis

PICKERING -- Canada's work in Afghanistan is far from over and pulling troops out before the mission is complete would be premature, said a retired Durham police officer who served in Afghanistan.

Paul Wassill, a retired Durham Region Police sergeant, said in an interview he feels that if Canada pulls out before it accomplishes its goals, the troops will only be back again and it may not run as well as it did the first time.

"It's going to be a long, slow road," he said at an event showcasing the mission at Pickering City Hall.

Ward 2 City Councillor Doug Dickerson was so struck by the Canadian government's Afghanistan 360 multimedia exhibit, which focused on the humanitarian work being done by the Canadian military through visuals, short videos and narrative, at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference, that he arranged for it to visit Pickering, one of only 13 stops it's made thus far. After learning about the improvements and the work aside from fighting, Coun. Dickerson figured if he didn't know a lot of it, chances were others were unaware of the other side.

"It gives them a new understanding," he said.

The exhibit was accompanied Tuesday night by three special guests who have served in Afghanistan. The first speaker, Mr. Wassill, served on a 15-month mission in Afghanistan with the civilian police in Kandahar Province.

"It was one of the best experiences when I was there," he said.

Part of his mission was to investigate the kidnapping of Melissa Fung, a CBC news reporter in November 2008, who went missing from Kabul. After two months in Kabul, he spent the rest of his time in Kandahar, where they trained, mentored and coached Afghanistan police on many things such as proper gun training, how to conduct raids and mission planning.

Master Warrant Officer Mark Shannon shared his experience in the country from August 2008 to April 2009 as a civilian military cooperation operator team leader working within the Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Teams. He's served in Cambodia and Bosnia in the past.

He feels Afghanistan 360 is "amazing" because it portrays what's really happening in Afghanistan.

"Yes, there's people over there fighting but that's only a small part of what we're doing over there," he said, adding he felt the majority of Afghanis wanted Canada there to help improve the country.

He said Canadians are there showing how to build a democratic society, proper prisons and teaching residents how to improve the Dahla Dam, the second largest dam in Afghanistan, which often experiences flooding and only allows for a limited growing season.

"We've got to provide them an opportunity to build this country."

Once the dam is repaired, the Canadian government expects it will provide a secure irrigation water supply to the majority of the Kandahari population, generate jobs and foster agriculture by providing irrigated land. Right now, he said, the only real option farmers have is to grow poppies, used to make opium.

Alnoor Maherali shared his experience as an executive assistant for the assistant deputy minister for international security at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't scared going out there," he said.

But it was great to see how Canada can help Afghanistan to hopefully become independent one day, he said.

Pickering resident Jan de Vries, who served with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and is now president of the battalion's association, found the speakers informative and said he wishes more people could better understand Canada's mission.

"That's a weakness in our system that Canadians don't always know what's going on," he said.

He noted that no one was able to answer his question of whether Canada's mission will be complete by 2011, when the troops are scheduled to pull out. He said that after losing 130 Canadians to the mission, it would be a shame to pull out without accomplishing the goals.