I don't think there is a Canadian military person that has not struggled with the question is it really worth all the sacrifice that is required to soldier for this nation. Yes it has been completely ignored by decades of governments from both sides liberal and cons. But it is also been ignored by it's citizens, they have been silent for decades and without their support the forces is going to continue to slide into the dumpster.
If Canadians actually knew the condition of our Armed forces, they would be disgusted, this condition is to be blamed on like you said on a huge drain on highly skilled soldiers, who have quit to look for better employment with better futures. This skill loss along with lack of modern equipment, and resources is weakening the entire forces capabilities. a lot of Capabilities are lost already. This has been going on for decades. It is truly frustrating to have government after government lie and continue the destruction, but it is heart breaking that the very citizens we defend no longer give a shit or are willing to stand up and demand the government to act.
Our military has time after time proven that they are world class soldiers, held back from their true capabilities by old and obsolete equipment, lack of funding, or government policies made only to complicate DND existence.