March 18, 2026
Virtual (MS Teams)
The following list outlines those present during the meeting.
Women Veterans Council members
- Colonel (Retired) Telah Morrison, OMM, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Corporal (Retired) Sarah Lefurgey, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Warrant Officer (Retired) Celine Filion, Canadian Armed Forces
- Constable (Retired) Jennifer Chorney, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Lieutenant-Colonel Dawn Leblanc, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Corporal Ellen Peters, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- The Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
- Dilys Fernandes, Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Dana Shami, Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
- Christine McDowell, A/Deputy Minister and Champion of Inclusion and Gender-Based Analysis Plus
- Nancy Gardiner, incoming Deputy Minister, Veterans Affairs Canada
- Mitch Freeman, A/Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemorations and Public Affairs
- Leonie Roux, Manager, Ministerial Events
- Moussa Dramé, A/Director General, Community Engagement
- Peggy Nash-Butt, Manager, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Engagement Team
- Kim Bethke, Initiatives Manager, Women Veterans Projects, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Engagement Team
- Ana Belen, Program Operations Assistant, Women Veterans Projects, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Engagement Team
- Vincent Lafortune, Team Lead, IT Field Support, Veterans Affairs Canada
- Jim McDowell, IT Support Technician, Veterans Affairs Canada
Land acknowledgement
The Acting Deputy Minister welcomed the Women Veterans Council members and offered a land acknowledgment.
Welcome remarks and introductions
The Acting Deputy Minister introduced the incoming Deputy Minister, Nancy Gardiner, and acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Commemorations and Public Affairs branch, Mitch Freeman.
IT demo of digital working space
As part of previous recommendations of the Council, a digital workspace solution was presented which will allow for strong collaboration, email, calendaring, meetings, and chats between the Council members. The Council members indicated that the IT solution will meet their needs and resolves the Council’s recommendation for a secure communications platform.
Update from the Minister
The Minister of Veterans Affairs acknowledged the great work that the Council has done and celebrated the progress towards the future.
The Minister provided a status update on the annual report with discussion on the publication timeline and next steps required.
Working session: Council Guidebook
The Minister led and engaged the Council members in a review of the Guidebook: an evergreen document that captures the Council’s policies and procedures. The Minister reflected on the importance of a strong foundation for success throughout the development of this document.
The Minister engaged each member to raise concerns and propose modifications, additions or deletions to the document. After a thorough discussion, the group agreed on several modifications that were implemented and the document is on track to be finalized.
National Women Veterans Day consultation update
The Minister provided an update on the recent consultation regarding the establishment of a National Women Veterans Day. The Minister highlighted the consultation process and results, reactions on social media, and the historical context surrounding considerations of establishing such a day.
After a rich discussion with all the members contributing, the Council advised the Minister that at this time, the focus should be on strengthening the representation of women’s stories across existing days of significance and within commemorative events.
Council member recruitment and selection update
The Minister requested the Council’s advice and input on the approach to the process of recruiting new Council members. The Council identified gaps and priorities , including ensuring the Council is representative of historically marginalized groups (including BIPOC women), military branches, geographic experience (prioritizing remote, rural, and northern communities), inclusion of non-commissioned members (NCM), and elevating the voices of aging women Veterans and women Veterans experiencing housing instability.
Concluding remarks
The Minister offered closing remarks thanking members for their consult, advice and recommendations, highlighting how valuable the Council’s contributions are. The Chair thanked the Minister, her Office and the Department for their continued engagement, noting an improvement in working relationships, communication and engagement.