August 2023

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News

Greetings from the new Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor

Hello, esteemed Veterans, families and stakeholders.

I was deeply touched last month to be named Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. To be entrusted with the important mission of serving Canada’s Veteran community is both an honour and a privilege.

I come from Dieppe, New Brunswick, a small Acadian city that was renamed in 1946 to honour the memory of those who died in combat in and around Dieppe, France, during the Second World War.

Growing up, we all heard about the Dieppe Raid and what so many gave up in the name of peace, freedom and democracy. All these years later, it is profoundly meaningful for me to now be working on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have worn the uniform for Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace.

Twice in the past few years, I have joined delegations that have travelled to Europe to revisit Dieppe and other historic locations where Canadians have shed blood to defend the values we believe in. On both occasions, the highlight has been to spend time with our Veterans and hear about how their combat experiences shaped their lives.

Prior to entering politics in 2015, I worked for the Canadian Mental Health Association and spent 23 years as a social worker and Victims Services Coordinator with the RCMP. In many ways, that work was similar to what a lot of you do to support our Veterans. I hope that my experience can help as we work together to make sure our Veterans and their families can access the programs and services they need, when and where they need them.

Today I also want to acknowledge and thank my colleague, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, for his commitment and dedication to Canada’s Veterans over the past several years. I wish him well in his new role as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. 

I look forward to working with the Deputy Minister, the rest of the VAC team, and all of you to make sure our Veterans are served and supported as they deserve to be.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Programs and services

Enhancing rehabilitation services: improving support for Veterans and their families

Updates to the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program in November of last year are adding more support for Veterans and their families. The program provides rehabilitation services to Veterans who have a service-related illness or injury that affects their ability to adapt to life after service.

These updates include:

  • Access to a national network of clinics with more than 12,000 registered healthcare professionals.
  • A trained Rehabilitation Service Specialist to support Veterans, family members and Case Managers throughout the rehabilitation journey.
  • 24/7 access to an online portal where Veterans and family members can view their rehabilitation plan, submit claims, manage appointments and access resources and training.
  • Services customized to each Veteran and family member’s unique background and needs, with military cultural awareness training for Rehabilitation Service Specialists.
  • Veterans and family members can more easily give feedback, so we can make sure the program is the best it can be.

These updates are part of a new contract with Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services. VAC has provided rehabilitation services through a national contractor since 2006. This helps to ensure Veterans and their families have access to the professional services they need.

Through the new contract, Veterans are able to stay with their existing rehabilitation service providers. Case Managers remain the primary decision maker with the Veteran on their rehabilitation plan.

Visit our website for more information or to apply.

 

Assessing the health and well-being of Canada’s diverse community of Veterans

To better understand the health needs of Veterans, a dedicated team of researchers, health professionals, and Veterans has developed an inclusive, holistic vision of the health and well-being of Canadian Veterans.

Since May 2023, this team engaged with stakeholders and analyzed reports to gather perspectives on the health and well-being strengths and needs of the Veteran community, the Veterans Well-being Community Health Needs Assessment. It lays a strong foundation for services and support for all Veterans, including women, 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous, Black and racialized Veterans and Veterans with disabilities.

Valuable insight from Veterans’ organizations and representatives

The stakeholders said:

  • Including people with lived experience at all stages of research is important; from planning to implementation to the sharing of findings.
  • Not all Veterans identify as Veterans. Many women, 2SLGBTQI+, and Indigenous Veterans do not see themselves as Veterans.
  • The concept of health equity is not well-known among the community and the Veteran community is excited to learn more about how health equity impacts overall health.
  • Efforts are needed to improve access to providers who understand the Veteran community.  
  • Modern technology and methods can be used to connect with Veterans.

Find out more and keep up to date on developments and opportunities to participate by visiting the Veterans' Well-being Community Health Needs Assessment web page.

An infographic showing the timelines of a review of the health and well-being of Canada’s Veterans, from winter/spring to fall/winter of 2023.
 

Peer support helps Doug Allen reclaim sacred ground and heal

Doug Allen shown as a soldier in Afghanistan, and today.
Doug Allen shown as a soldier in Afghanistan, and today.

Veteran Doug Allen gives a moving account of his experience in his blog post, “The Sacred Ground” on the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families website. Coming from a military family, he describes his father as a lone wolf, something Allen later realizes he had become himself.

Allen’s experience in Afghanistan brought about an “Aha moment,” when he says he related to his father’s experience in the military. Allen recounts the day an ambush killed three members of his platoon. After his return home, he says he realized that his mental health had been negatively affected: “By this point I did not feel like a lone wolf, but more like a scared and abused dog.”

To help reclaim himself, Allen says he takes part in peer support through the Veterans Transition Network.

There are other peer support options and resources for Veterans:

 

Get help with money matters

A recent survey showed that almost one in ten Veterans were stressed about managing their money. How confident do you feel about it? Would you like to learn more? There are resources that can help.

With this article, Salute! begins a series about financial literacy. First, budgeting—an important first step in taking stock and taking charge.  

Why budget?

Budgeting is an important skill that can help you and your family take control of your money. Taking control of your money requires the ability to set spending limits and stick to them. This process will lead to having more money for the things that are most important to you and your family.

How to make a budget

The first step in making a budget is to identify what you spend your money on. Make a list to compare the things you want with the things you need.

Next, identify your financial goals, both short-term and longer-term.

Short-term goals may include:

  • paying off your credit card
  • reducing weekly expenses
  • building an emergency fund.

Longer-term goals may include:

  • paying off all your debts
  • taking a trip
  • buying a car or a home
  • saving to have children, go to school, or retire.

Budgeting tools

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) has a free online tool you can use to create a personalized budget, save it online and track your progress. This personalized, step-by-step budget planner gives you tips and suggestions, creates charts that show you how you are spending your money, and enables you to compare your budget to the budgets of other Canadians.

Using FCAC’s Budget Planner

Step 1: Go to the Budget Planner at Budget Planner on the FCAC’s website.

Step 2: Use your recent pay stubs, benefit statements, bills and account statements to enter your income, savings and expenses into each category of the budget planner.

Step 3: Review your results and see how your budget compares to other Canadians.

Step 4: Stick to your budget and adjust it as your income and expenses change.

Using the FCAC’s budget planner, you now have a detailed and comprehensive budget in four steps.

Do you need more advice about your finances?

If you would like to speak with a certified financial counsellor about your particular financial situation, there are resources available in your community to help. For example, Credit Counselling Canada has developed information specifically for Veterans and their families; reaching out is free and confidential. If you would like to learn more, please visit their Veterans page.

You can also call the Veterans National Call Centre with your questions, toll free at 1-866-522-2122. For persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, contact TTY at 1-833-921-0071.

If you need psychological support, contact the VAC Assistance Service at 1-800-268-7708 or use the chat service (password: Canada). For persons who are hearing impaired: TTY 1-800-567-5803.

VAC recognizes and supports the mental, physical, and financial well-being of Veterans; however, VAC does not provide financial advice. This content is being shared for information purposes only.

 

The Mustard Seed: Helping Veterans out of homelessness

Veterans in Calgary can tell you: the Mustard Seed is a lifeline.

For over 35 years, the Mustard Seed has been a safe and supportive haven for individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. It is a place of comfort for people, where they can meet their physical, mental and spiritual needs, and move toward better health and independence.

Likewise, the Homes for Heroes Foundation was established in response to the housing issues military Veterans experience as they adjust to life after service.

With support from the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund, the Mustard Seed and Homes for Heroes Foundation joined forces on a project that helped Veterans facing homelessness in the greater Calgary area find more appropriate living situations. They helped 34 Veterans find homes.

While the Homes for Heroes Foundation provided the bricks and mortar, the Mustard Seed handled the day-to-day operations of the program. They focused on providing safe and affordable transitional housing for Veterans.

They also provided counselling and assistance to help Veterans develop the necessary life skills to reach their maximum level of independence. For example, the Mustard Seed provided referrals to resources such as Operational Stress Injury (OSI) clinics and mental health support facilities. They continue to strive hard to improve the lives of those in need.

VAC is proud to have supported the Mustard Seed project through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the transition to life after service, check out VAC’s website for services related to mental and physical health, finances, education or jobs and housing and home life. VAC also provides services to families and caregivers who support our Veterans.

 

Participate in the INSPIRE Research Project

INcreasing VeteranS’ Pathways to Information, Resilience, and Empowerment

A new online survey developed in collaboration with Veterans hopes to provide valuable insight into what’s working well and where improvements can be made to better support your overall well-being and the all-important transition from military service to civilian life.

Transitioning involves more than a change in status—it requires Veterans to take on new roles and identities. While this is an exciting time, for some it poses new challenges that may negatively impact your ability to deal with life’s stresses.

That is why the MacDonald Franklin OSI Research Centre wants to hear from Canadian Armed Forces Veterans, including women, 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous, Black and racialized Veterans. You will be asked about your unique experiences, access to resources, your goals and any challenges you may have experienced during your transition out of military service.

If you are a Veteran at any stage of your transition from service, or you know a Veteran who may be interested in completing the survey, please visit the INSPIRE project’s website to learn more about the study or to participate in the survey.

 

Veteran story

Corporal (Ret’d) Francine Beaudry

Cpl (Ret'd) Francine Beaudry saluting while wearing Indigenous costume and military medals.
Cpl (Ret'd) Francine Beaudry saluting while wearing Indigenous costume and military medals.

For more than 40 years, Francine Beaudry has been both a woman of action and a woman with a big heart. She has never been afraid to volunteer her time and to get involved, and she served in the military with dedication for 18 years.

Daughter of two Indigenous parents, she has remained in spirit with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), as she is the current President of the Association des Vétérans Autochtones du Québec.

When asked whether she enjoyed her long military career, Francine Beaudry answers without hesitation: “For me, the Army was a big family.” Having been a Veteran for a little over 25 years, she remains highly engaged in the military community in the Quebec City area.

Read her story.

 

Do you have a story to share about experience in the Canadian Armed Forces? Tell us about it by email.

 

Commemoration

One month to the Invictus Games

Team Canada members cycling during the Invictus Games.
Photo source: Soldier On

Go Team Canada!

In just one month, 30 exceptional competitors will proudly don the maple leaf for Team Canada and head to Dusseldorf, Germany for the 2023 Invictus Games, September 9 to 16.

In the coming weeks, we’ll introduce some of Team Canada’s members and share their journeys with you. Follow our social media channels to follow their progress at the games and, most importantly, cheer them on!

Now is the time to show our support, from near and far. Go Team Canada!

The Invictus Games are a chance to recognize those who served and continue to serve today, while raising awareness of the rehabilitative power of sport. Canada eagerly awaits the opportunity to host the next games in 2025, in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia!

 

Saluting Canadian peacekeepers

August 9 is National Peacekeepers' Day, a time to reflect and express our pride and respect for Canadian peacekeeping Veterans.

Since the first United Nations peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, more than 125,000 Canadian Armed Forces members, alongside more than 4,000 Canadian civilian police officers, have played pivotal roles in fostering international peace across the generations.

Canadian peacekeepers have demonstrated compassion and courage while working to restore peace and security in regions affected by conflict around the world. In doing so, they’ve contributed to an important part of our country’s national identity.

On this day, we express our deepest gratitude to all Canadian peacekeeping Veterans for your service and sacrifice. You have left an indelible mark on the world, and we thank you for your commitment to helping make it a better place.

Learn more about National Peacekeepers’ Day and read the stories of Canadian peacekeepers on our website.

Canada’s national Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa, showing statues of three peacekeeping soldiers.
Canada’s national Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa, showing statues of three peacekeeping soldiers.
 

Remembering Cyprus: An ongoing legacy of peacekeeping

A group of four children standing next to an armoured vehicle, talking to its driver, a UN peacekeeper.
A group of four children standing next to an armoured vehicle, talking to its driver, a UN peacekeeper.

This month, we salute  almost 60 years of Canadian Armed Forces peacekeeping service in Cyprus—one of our country’s longest overseas military engagements. In total, more than 25,000 Canadian Armed Forces members have served in Cyprus over the years, many of them completing multiple rotations. Raymond Goodchild was one of them.

Centuries of tensions on the small Mediterranean island came to a peak in the early 1960s, when Cyprus gained its long-sought independence from the United Kingdom. With ongoing disagreements between Greek and Turkish residents over how the country should be governed, violence broke out between the two groups. In 1964, a UN peacekeeping force was brought in to help stop the fighting, with Canadian peacekeepers being involved from the beginning.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, plunging Canadian and other UN peacekeepers into a war zone that saw weeks of active fighting. The island was divided with a buffer zone between the two groups, called the “Green Line.” However, tensions still remain.

Most Canadian service members were pulled out of Cyprus in 1993, but a small Canadian peacekeeping presence with the UN mission in the country continues today.

We honour the bravery and sacrifice of the 28 Canadian peacekeepers who lost their lives in Cyprus, and that of all who served, and continue to serve there.

Learn more about this mission and read the stories of Veterans who served in Cyprus by exploring our CAF Operations remembrance page.

 

Canada remembers Swissair response 25 years later

Peggy’s Cove lighthouse stands close to where the Swissair Flight 111 went down off the eastern shores of Nova Scotia on 2 September 1998.
Peggy’s Cove lighthouse stands close to where the Swissair Flight 111 went down off the eastern shores of Nova Scotia on 2 September 1998.

On 2 September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 left New York for Geneva, Switzerland. A little over an hour in, the plane carrying 229 people, plummeted into the water off the eastern shores of Nova Scotia.

Trevor Jain holds the framed medical brassard he wore when he worked to identify the victims of Swissair flight 111.
Then-reservist Trevor Jain holds the framed medical brassard he wore as he worked to identify the victims of Swissair flight 111. Today, he is a Senior Staff Officer with the Canadian Forces and has gone on to a successful career in emergency and disaster medicine.

Search and rescue efforts were launched immediately. More than 2,400 Canadian Armed Forces and 450 RCMP members, plus hundreds of Canadian Coast Guard personnel played a key role during this deployment. Named Operation Persistence, the response was one of the largest domestic military operations in our country’s history.

Trevor Jain, a 24-year-old reservist with experience in pathology, was awoken at 3 a.m. on September 3 by a call that would change his life. Within 12 hours of the crash, he had set up two autopsy suites at a nearby hangar. This was now a recovery mission. Eight weeks later, he and his team had identified the remains of everyone on board.

“It was the most traumatic deployment,” Jain said. “It was just the randomness of it—it scarred us. The impact of the mission lingers.”

The dedication and bravery of the members of Operation Persistence were instrumental to the families, residents and individuals impacted. As Canada’s second-deadliest air accident to ever occur, the price of service took its toll in the days, weeks and years following.

In early September, ceremonies in honour of the 229 lives lost and the valiant response efforts will be held in Nova Scotia to mark the 25th anniversary of Operation Persistence and the Swissair Flight 111 tragedy.

Learn about Operation Persistence and read Trevor Jain’s story on our website.

 

80th anniversary of Operation Husky

Operation Husky, the codename for the Allied invasion of Sicily, marked the beginning of the Italian Campaign during the Second World War. It was one of the largest seaborne operations in military history, and Canadians played a critical role in its success.

On 10 July 1943, nearly 3,000 Allied ships and landing craft reached the Sicilian coast in a coordinated attack on enemy territory. The Allied forces were successful in the five-week campaign in Sicily, and capturing the island of Sicily helped secure the Mediterranean Sea and clear the way for an Allied assault on mainland Italy in September 1943. This battlefield success came at a heavy cost, however, with more than 26,000 Canadian casualties, including almost  6,000 who lost their lives. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. 

Last month, a ceremony was held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa commemorating the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily and the beginning of the Italian Campaign.

Learn more about the Italian Campaign and Operation Husky on our website.

  • Major General Maurizio Cantiello, Defense Attaché of the Embassy of Italy, delivers remarks at a podium in front of the National War Memorial.
  • A group of Veterans in formal military uniform salute while standing in a line during an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of Operation Husky on 10 July 2023.
  • A wreath is laid by a dignitary during a ceremony at the National War Memorial.
 

Commemoration calendar

August 2:
The Gulf War began in the Middle East, 1990
August 4:
Canada entered the First World War, 1914
August 8:
105th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Amiens, 1918
August 9:
National Peacekeepers’ Day
August 13:
Canadian Women’s Army Corps established, 1941
August 15:
Victory over Japan (V-J) Day, 1945
August 19:
Canadians took part in the Dieppe Raid, 1942
August: 21
The Falaise Gap was closed during Battle of Normandy, 1944
August: 24
Stretch of Highway 401 in Ontario was officially designated the Highway of Heroes, 2007
September 2:
25th anniversary of the crash of Swissair Flight 111 and the search and recovery mission, 1998
September 2:
Operation Medusa began in Afghanistan, 2006
September 3:
Merchant Navy Veterans Day
September 3:
Canadian and other Allied troops came ashore in mainland Italy, 1943
September 15:
Canadians attacked at Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme, 1916
September 15-16:
Canadian peacekeepers saw heavy action in the Medak Pocket of Croatia, 1993
September 17:
Battle of Britain Sunday
September 19-20:
Newfoundland Regiment soldiers landed in Gallipoli during the First World War, 1915
September 29:
35th anniversary of announcement that the Nobel Peace Prize would be awarded to UN peacekeeping forces, 1988
 

Do you know other Veterans, family members or others who would benefit from the information in this newsletter? Feel free to share it with them.

 

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