29 May 2024
13:00 – 14:00 (ET)
Virtual via Microsoft Teams
Commemoration Advisory Group members
- Captain (Retired) Ray Kokkonen, Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association
- Major (Retired) Gerry Wharton, Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada
- Derrill Henderson, National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada and Hong Kong Veterans Association of Canada
- Anne Hurtubise
- Dr. Sean Graham, Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence
- Robert Jardine
- Caitlin Bailey, Vimy Foundation
Veterans Affairs Canada officials
- Paul Thomson, Director General, Commemoration Division, Veterans Affairs Canada (Co-Chair)
- Amanda Kelly, A/National Program Manager, Commemoration Division
- Sylvie Thibodeau-Sealey, Director, Policy, Learning and Recognition, Commemoration Division
- Robert Walker, Special Projects Advisor, Policy Learning and Recognition, Commemoration Division
- Amy MacDougald, Senior Advisor, Community Engagement
- Kirstin Sweet, Project Officer, Community Engagement
- Noah Ellis, Project Operations Assistant, Community Engagement
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Tabea De Vries, Special Assistant, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Regrets
- Jamie Morse, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman
- Simon Coakeley
- Andree Gracie
- Lieutenant Colonel Wallace Noseworthy, Canadian Joint Operations Command, Canadian Armed Forces
- John Moses
- Lia Taha Cheng, Royal Canadian Legion
- Dr. Lee Windsor, University of New Brunswick, Gregg Centre (Co-Chair)
Welcome and opening remarks
The VAC co-chair opened the meeting and thanked everyone for joining on relatively short notice. He shared that the member co-chair was unable to attend, but fully supports the recommendations the group has prepared for submission to the Minister.
Land acknowledgement
The VAC co-chair offered a land acknowledgement recognizing that he joined this meeting from the land of the Mi'kmaq people in Charlottetown, PE. Everyone on the call joined from the sacred and traditional territory of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, covered by the historic Treaties of Peace and Friendship.
Approval of previous Records of Discussion
The VAC co-chair presented the outstanding records of discussion that were shared with the group for review and invited any amendments, questions or comments. The advisory group members approved the records of discussion as they are.
Mandate Letter Priority recommendations
The VAC co-chair moved the discussion towards finalizing the recommendations prepared in response to the priority items the Minister identified for the group:
- What new learning materials could the Department develop and implement to focus on the service and sacrifice of modern day Veterans?
- What concrete measures could the Department implement to ensure learning materials focused on equity-deserving Veteran populations reach rural and remote Veteran community schools?
The co-chair opened the floor to the group to provide any feedback, comments or concerns with the recommendations document, which was shared with the group prior to the meeting.
- A member inquired about the intent to communicate with teachers’ organizations.
- The VAC co-chair shared that the intent is to leverage the relationships we have with educators alongside those with teachers’ organizations and education departments.
- A member shared that the recommendation which suggests leveraging the Community Partnership Program funding could be a mechanism to advocate for an increase to funding amounts available for this program.
- The Advisory Group members approved the recommendations as written.
Next steps and closing remarks
The VAC co-chair closed the meeting by sharing that the Community Engagement team will format the recommendations for submission to the Minister along with the recommendations from all advisory groups.
The co-chair thanked the group for all their work over the past year and indicated that this will be the group’s last meeting until the fall. They wished the group a great summer.