Raison d’être
Canada’s development as an independent country with a unique identity stems partly from its achievements in times of war. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) exists to assist and help those whose courageous efforts gave us this legacy and contributed to our growth as a nation.
VAC’s mandate is set out in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. It charges the Minister of Veterans Affairs with responsibility for “the care, treatment, or re-establishment in civil life of any person who served in the Canadian Armed Forces or Merchant Navy or in the naval, army, air forces or merchant navies of Her Majesty, of any person who has otherwise engaged in pursuits relating to war, and of any other person designated . . . and the care of the dependants or survivors of any person referred to.” Veterans Affairs Canada is also responsible for keeping alive the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict, and peace.
Mandate and role
For more general information about the department, see the Supplementary information section of this report. For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter on the Prime Minister of Canada’s website.