I am pleased to present the 2023–24 Departmental Plan for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). The plan details the priorities for the year ahead and provides an outline of the important work that we will undertake.
At Veterans Affairs Canada, it is our duty and our honour to serve Canada’s Veterans. Our 2023–24 Departmental Plan provides detailed information on how we support those who wore the uniform and what we can do to improve that support. This plan will guide our efforts to deliver the service excellence that Veterans and their families so rightfully deserve.
Our top priority continues to be reducing wait times for disability benefit decisions. While we have made real progress, we can and will continue to improve. Our commitment to modernization and digital solutions will help us streamline processes so we can deliver timely services that help Veterans and their families. We will be publishing an update to our strategic direction document early this year which explains this in depth.
As we look to the year ahead, we remain committed to working with Veterans and our partners to learn how best to support our most vulnerable Veterans.
We will continue to work together and invest in research, including the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund (VFWF), to help us better understand what services are needed to support the physical and mental well-being of Veterans. Whether it’s finding meaningful employment opportunities for Veterans through our National Veterans Employment Strategy or providing immediate funding through the Veterans’ Emergency Fund when our Veterans find themselves in an unexpected situation, it is vital that we provide the supports needed.
To do this, we recognize that our employees’ health and well-being is essential. We are committed to maintaining a healthy and diverse workplace so we can best serve Canada’s Veterans and their families. We will continue to offer wellness initiatives and find opportunities to empower our employees. As we transition to a hybrid work model, we will provide any supports necessary to help our employees be successful.
Finally, we will continue to honour the significant contributions of all our Veterans. We recognize the diversity of our Veterans and their experiences, and will continue to work together to deliver commemorative activities and events which reflect that. Notably, this year, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first United Nations peacekeeping mission, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, and the 25th Anniversary of Operation Resistance and the Swiss Air 111 Response. We will also continue targeted outreach to increase funding to local community organizations across the country through the Commemorative Partnership Program (CPP) and provide education on Canada’s contributions across the globe.
We look forward to delivering results to ensure Canada’s Veterans and their families are both honoured and supported.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, PC, MP
Minister of Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence