Mississauga, Ontario
A veteran of the Second World War, Mr. Ross was discharged from the military in 1945 as a result of his above-the-knee leg amputation from action in Normandy. Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Ross joined the federal government as a statistician and was later appointed as a veterans' counsellor with the Unemployment Insurance Commission. In this position, Mr. Ross provided counselling to veterans returning from active duty on all aspects of the Veterans' Charter, such as Out-of-work Allowances, Educational Training, Re-establishment Credits, the Veteran's Land Act, and insurance benefits. Mr. Ross joined the War Amps and The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) in 1945 and continues to be an active member of both organizations. Over the years, he has written many articles for the RCL magazine and War Amps quarterly magazine, informing veterans of their benefit entitlements. He is a member of the National Council of the War Amps. Mr. Ross has been interviewed on radio and television, both locally and nationally, always reinforcing the message of the sacrifice and achievements of Canadian veterans. Mr. Ross is a recipient of the Meritorious and Distinguished Service Medals from the War Amps, as well as the Queen's Jubilee Medal. In 2004, Mr. Ross was nominated to represent his regiment in France on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. He was interviewed by CBC-TV at Juno Beach and received widespread newspaper coverage for his accounts of the exploits of his regiment.