THOMSON: While everyone is talking about rebuilding the CAF, no one is talking about how we support our veterans

President Donald Trump’s bombastic rhetoric about making Canada the 51st state has ignited a long overdue national conversation about Canada’s defence capabilities. But for this discussion to be comprehensive it cannot only be about tanks, planes, and ships, it must also encompass how we manage and support our veterans.It’s something that the born-again Canadian nationalists who’ve found themselves swept up in the red and white tide of puerile patriotism haven’t bothered to consider. They’re too busy fantasizing about how they would “fight to the death” for Canada then give a seconds thought for those who already have.It’s much the same from our politicians.Several of the Liberal leadership candidates have already made announcements about how they would invest in and bolster our military. So too has Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party. But glaringly absent from all these announcements was anything of substance for our veterans.The two are intrinsically linked.According to the 2021 Census there are 461,240 veterans in Canada, or roughly 1.2% of the country’s population. These individuals volunteered to serve and were either willing, or actually did, put their lives on the line for our country.But while our veterans service to Canada has always been exemplary, Canada’s reciprocity in respecting or acknowledging that service has been acutely underwhelming. Many news stories over the years of Canadian Veterans have underscored this reality.For example, in 2016 retired Master Corporal (MCpl) Paul Franklin was still having to fill out paperwork annually to confirm for the government he was still a double amputee after a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (IED) took both his legs in Afghanistan ten years prior.Another dates back to 2022 when Global News reported on how Canadian veterans were inappropriately offered MAID by a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) caseworker while seeking treatment for their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Most recently, a story by Blacklock’s Reporter titled a ‘Call A War A War, Write MP’s’ brought to light the struggle of Persian Gulf War Veterans (PGWV) to be recognized as legitimate wartime veterans which the Department of Veterans Affairs refuses to do because of a technicality.That technicality, which relate to the definitions of what constitutes a war in legislation, has a major impact on the pension entitlements veterans can receive. And it doesn’t just affect PGWV’s either.Veterans of Canada’s war in Afghanistan, more than 40,000 people, will face the same struggle getting recognition and benefits from VAC due to the fact that they fought in a ‘special duty area’ which is distinctly different than “war time service” under the departments Policy on Disabilities.All this echoes the trials and tribulations that veterans and family members of those who served in Canada’s Merchant Navy during the Second World War faced after the conflict ended.Despite their involvement in the Battle of Atlantic and beyond, members of Canada’s Merchant Navy weren’t granted official veteran status until 1992. It would then be another 8 years until 2000, Fifty-five years after the end of the wars end that they could access pensions or allowances for their war time service.Is that the degree to which our nations gratitude or yearly recitals of “we will remember them” extends?Are Canada’s PGWV’s going to have to wait 55 years before the government acknowledges their war time service, and grants them access to full disability compensation? Will veterans of Afghanistan wait equally as long?To that end I’d like to pose a question to all those individuals who’ve recently wrapped themselves in the Canadian flag and proclaimed they are willing to fight and die for Canada:“Would you still be willing to go to war if your country won’t recognize it as one or fully support you afterwards?”Because that’s the status quo.It’s not right that our veterans have to fight their own government harder and longer than the enemies we send them to battle on our behalf. Especially over something so seemingly incontestable as health benefits, honours, and recognition where it’s due.At some point Canadians will once again be thrust into harm’s way and it’s not simply enough just giving them the right tools to do their jobs, we need to talk about what follows.Which is why it is imperative that as we discuss ways to build and support a revitalized Canadian Armed Forces, we need to simultaneously reevaluate and draw up plans to support a new generation of veterans.

THOMSON: While everyone is talking about rebuilding the CAF, no one is talking about how we support our veterans

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