In 2021–22, the world began to come to terms with the lingering impacts of the global pandemic.
For our part, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has remained committed to serving Canada’s Veterans and their families. Our progress for this fiscal year is outlined in the following pages.
We have remained focused on reducing processing times, the issue of greatest concern for Veterans, their families, and everyone here at VAC. We’ve reduced the backlog by half since the spring of 2020, and I’m confident this progress will continue.
Over the past year, we’ve provided Veterans with greater access to our programs and services by continuing to modernize as a Department. They have benefited from:
- the launch of our new Mental Health benefit which helps ensure that Veterans get the coverage they need, when they need it;
- connecting more than a thousand Veterans with potential employers through national and regional webinars;
- more options for virtual services at operational stress injury clinics, with over 70% of appointments done remotely;
- improved features on My VAC Account, such as providing access for powers of attorney; and
- the use of Gender-based Analysis Plus, which helps us to be more inclusive in the support of all Veterans, especially the most marginalized.
It is our great honour to pay tribute to Veterans for their remarkable service to our country. This year marked the 105th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and Beaumont-Hamel, and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong. We also observed modern-era military anniversaries, such as the Gulf War and Canada’s Mission to Rwanda. In total, 175 commemorative projects were funded this year, with approximately 10 million Canadians participating in remembrance activities.
I am proud of our mission to provide services and benefits to Veterans and their families and to keep the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians.
While we have made significant progress this year, there is always more work to be done. We will continue to improve our service to Veterans and their families. It is our honour to do so, as they have served us time and time again.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, PC, MP
Minister of Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence