In this edition:
- News
- Contemporary Portrait of Canadian Veterans: Information from the 2021 Census
- Programs and services
- Education and training benefit
- VLRC expands services
- Spotlight on women Veterans
- October is Women’s History Month
- Joan Buchanan
- Rufca Hanna (Invictus Games)
- Engagement
- 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Annual Forum
- Commemoration
- Veterans' Week and Remembrance Day
- Commemoration calendar
News
Contemporary Portrait of Canadian Veterans: Information from the 2021 Census
For the first time in 50 years, in 2021, the national census asked a question to identify Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) living in Canada. The census reports that there were 461,240 CAF Veterans living in Canada on 11 May 2021, accounting for 1.5 percent of the population aged 17 and over.
Based on data collected as part of the 2021 census, we prepared a report to give a snapshot of Veterans across categories such as age, education, marital status, activity and income. The report presents those results according to the gender of the Veteran and makes comparisons with the general Canadian population. Read the research summary on our website.
Programs and services
Is the Education and Training Benefit right for you?
Navigating education options as you transition to life after service can be a challenge.
Our Education and Training Benefit (ETB) can assist you by providing funding for education or training that can lead to a rewarding career after your service. There are two streams of funding available. Formal program funding is for post-secondary programs that lead to a diploma, degree, certificate or certification. Short-course funding is aimed at career and personal development courses.
You may qualify for the ETB if you honourably released from the CAF on or after 1 April 2006 or are a current member of the Supplementary Reserve and have at least six years (2,191 paid days) of service. You have 10 years from your release or transfer date to apply for and access ETB funding.
Check out the Education and Training Benefit for more information.
Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada Expands Services for Veterans
Veterans with vision loss now have a new path for support. Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC) offers a number of services.
As a non-profit, national health care organization, VLRC’s mission is to provide high-quality rehabilitation and health care services that give Veterans with vision loss the freedom to choose the lives they want to lead.
Customized services
If you qualify, you can get support for vision loss through many of VLRC’s services, including:
- Vision rehabilitation techniques for greater independence in their daily lives.
- Diabetic retinopathy screenings, which can reduce the risk of vision loss by 95 per cent.
- Mental health counselling with registered psychologists and social workers to support the feelings of loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, and depression that can come with vision loss.
- Courses such as the Sight Loss Awareness in Falls Education (SAFE) and programs like Aging in Place. Please visit VLRC for more information about services for Veterans.
Spotlight on women Veterans
October is Women’s History Month
Women's History Month in Canada is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of women throughout our nation’s history.
Women Veterans have made and continue to make significant contributions to Canada’s military, serving in various positions and playing important roles in times of war and peace. Learn more about women Veterans in Canada and about Women's History Month in Canada.
Joan Buchanan
Born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Joan Buchanan emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, when she was 17 years old. She joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) 16 years later for what would become both a rewarding and challenging career
Buchanan emigrated to Toronto at the age of 17. Sixteen years later, she joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), where the work ethic she says she gained on the farm has served her well. Read Joan's story.
Rufca Hanna (Invictus Games)
Rufca Hanna
“We all have our stories. I deserve to be here” are the words etched on a bracelet on Rufca Hanna’s wrist. It was a gift from her Invictus Games coaches, and she never takes it off. The motto reminds her that mental and physical health go hand-in-hand.
“I wear it proudly because it shows me that there is a life after the military. There is a life after everything that happened to you,” she says.
Hanna, with almost 24 years as an Army human resources clerk—and who served in Bosnia and Afghanistan, is training for the Invictus Games that will be held in Vancouver and Whistler this winter. She says it’s been a really positive experience for her in the midst of her PTSD diagnosis and medical release. Read Rufca's story.
Engagement
2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Annual Forum
Veterans Affairs Canada Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor greets participants at the 2024 2SLGTQI+ Veteran Forum.
Veterans Affairs Canada hosted the 2SLGBTQI+Veterans Forum August 28—29, 2024, bringing together Veterans and community partners to talk about the important issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans.
A total of 75 Veterans and members of the Veteran community attended in person, including Veterans Affairs Canada Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor. An additional 39 Veterans and community partners joined the forum virtually.
The first day was focused on personalized support, providing opportunities for 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans to meet one-on-one with VAC employees for assistance with their benefits and services. A sharing circle for in-person Veterans offered a safe space to share their experiences.
Day two featured various sessions on topics relevant to both 2SLGBTQI+ and Indigenous Veterans. Participants took part in two larger sessions and rotated through three breakout sessions with group discussions. These smaller sessions allowed people to be closer with presenters and each other, raising meaningful conversations. Questions from the audience helped to ensure that every voice was heard.
“I was just struck by the power of storytelling … and how much those stories help us honor the past, but also chart the way for the future and those individual stories come together in a collective movement.” - Forum Participant
Commemoration
Veterans' Week and Remembrance Day
2024 Veterans' Week poster
Every year, Veterans’ Week (November 5-11) and Remembrance Day give us the chance to reflect on and honour the sacrifices of those who have served Canada in times of war, military conflict, and peace. Canada has long been a defender of peace and security around the world. Canadian Armed Forces fought in the First World War, Second World War, and the Korean War and served on dozens of missions since then, including in Afghanistan.
They participated in peacekeeping missions in places like Cyprus, the Congo or Rwanda and supported Canadians here at home, responding to natural disasters, participating in search and rescue missions and providing security.
As Canadians, we have a duty to remember the sacrifices of those who have served. This November, we are asking you to get involved by:
- attending a commemorative ceremony
- learning the stories of those who served
- joining the conversation on social media and using hashtag #CanadaRemembers
- visiting veterans.gc.ca/CanadaRemembers.
As well, to encourage conversations between students and teachers during Veterans’ Week, we offer a range of free learning resources.
Commemoration calendar
October
October 1: Battle of the Ancre Heights began; the Canadians were tasked with taking Regina Trench (1916)
October 2: Battle of the Scheldt began to secure the approaches to Antwerp (1944)
October 2:HMCS Iroquois was hit by shore-based enemy fire during the Korean War, killing 3 Canadian sailors (1952)
October 3: First Canadian contingent sailed for Britain to serve in the First World War (1914)
October 7: Canada begins Operation Apollo as part of the International Campaign against Terrorism (2001)
October 13: “Black Friday” for The Black Watch, the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, which suffered high casualties during the Battle of the Scheldt (1944)
October 14: The ferry SS Caribou was sunk off the coast of Newfoundland after being torpedoed by U-69 (1942)
October 22-24: Royal Canadian Regiment saw heavy action during the Second Battle of Hill 355 (1952)
October 26: Canadian voyageurs arrived at Wadi Halfa and began work navigating up the Nile River in rowboats (1884)
October 26: Canadians launched the first of several attacks at Passchendaele (1917)
October 30: First Canadian contingent sailed from Québec City to serve in the South African War (1899)
November
November 1: Battle of Coronel, Canada suffered its first combat fatalities of the First World War when four Canadian sailors are killed in action while serving on a Royal Navy warship HMS Good Hope (1914)
November 2: Canadian Navy began anti-terrorism duties in the Arabian Sea (2001)
November 3: Liberation of Belgium (1944)
November 5-11: Veterans’ Week
November 8: Indigenous Veterans Day
November 8: The Battle of the Scheldt ends in an Allied victory (1944)
November 11: Remembrance Day
November 21: 17 Canadian soldiers died in BC train crash en route to service in Korean War (1950)
November 22-25: Royal 22e Régiment saw heavy action around Hill 355 during Korean War (1951)
November 24: First Canadian peacekeepers arrived as part of the UNEF mission in Egypt (1956)
November 24: HMCS Shawinigan was last seen departing from Sydney, Nova Scotia, before being torpedoed in the Cabot Strait by U-1228 (1944)
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.