caused him to take a step back from the sibling who'd been closer to him than anyone else in his life.

"I could have been friendlier," James said. "I wasn't hateful. We're so much alike, we butt heads sometimes."

Looking to future

Before long, he sat down with June, knowing he had to throw out the outlook he was raised with and support his sister.

"I just wanted to understand," he said. "It didn't really affect our relationship. We were just still the same, we're just twins."

And that's exactly how they remain today, twins with a better sense of who they are. June, who had no idea what transgender meant but felt suffocated for years, said she is now comfortable with her body and in an accepting relationship with a man.

Although therewas a divide for a while, June and James say they've never been closer and love each other. (James Reid Vickers/CBC )

She is continuing hormone therapy but has no immediate plans for surgery. She is also working toward a pharmacy degree.

James now understands June better and wants others to keep an open mind.

He is continuing his military career and hopes to become a lawyer.

June Vickers's advice for anyone going through what she did back in Blackville is simple: "Be true to yourself."