Veterans Affairs Canada

Creation

Following World War I, in 1928, the Departments of Pensions and National Health became responsible for caring for ill and injured soldiers returning from that war.^[2] Following World War II, the volume of soldiers returning home made it clear that the Government of Canada would require a department dedicated to serving ill and injured veterans. This first came by changing the department to the "Department of Pensions" and creating Health Canada under a separate Ministry. That same year, Prime Minister Mackenzie King's Parliament passed a motion that officially created Veterans Affairs Canada.

Canada operated a benefits program similar to the American G.I. Bill for its World War II veterans, with a strong economic impact similar to the American case.^[3] A war veteran's eligibility for certain benefits depended on the veteran's "overseas" status, defined by Veterans Affairs as having served at least two miles offshore from Canada. In the Second World War (1939–45) Canada did not yet include Newfoundland, which became a Canadian province only in 1949. Thus World War I or World War II veterans who served in Newfoundland (with Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve) are considered by Veterans Affairs to be "overseas veterans" (and as such may be referred to the British Service Personnel and Veterans Agency).

Programs

The Government of Canada declared 2005 the Year of the Veteran.^[4] Its purpose was to teach, remember, thank, honour and celebrate. The image of a poppy overlapping a gold maple leaf became a special symbol during the campaign, on posters, pamphlets, bookmarks and documents.

On November 9, 2008, the Honourable Greg Thompson, the-then Minister of Veterans Affairs, attended a Service of Remembrance at the Canada Memorial in Green Park, London, England. Canada recently assumed responsibility for the Memorial, which pays tribute to the nearly one million Canadian men and women who served in the United Kingdom during the First and Second World Wars.

Veterans' Bill of Rights

In 2007, the Veterans' Bill of Rights was passed by the Harper government. The bill included a statement that Veterans Affairs Canada must show veterans respect.^[5]

2010 Privacy Breach

In October 2010, federal Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart found that a veteran's privacy had been violated by VAC. She found that the confidential medical information of Sean Bruyea, a medically-released Captain, had found its way into the hands of numerous departmental officials, which she said was "deeply concerning" and a violation of the Privacy Act.^[6] Bruyea's information was leaked after his criticisms of the New Veterans Charter and the way Afghanistan veterans were being treated by the government.^[7]

The Government of Canada apologized for its privacy breach^[8] and settled a $400,000 privacy breach suit in November 2010.^[9]

Christopher Garnier Case

In 2018, controversy arose when it was discovered that convicted murderer, Christopher Garnier, was receiving Veterans Affairs Canada funded treatment for post tramatic stress disorder (PTSD). Garnier had been convicted of the 2015 murder of off-duty Police Constable Catherine Campbell in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The controversy stemmed from the fact Garnier had never severed in the Canadian armed forces or RCMP and the PTSD was said to be brought on by the murder for which he was convicted. Garnier was eligible for Veterans Affairs Canada benefits as his father had served in the armed forces. ^[10]

New Veterans Charter

The benefits program administered by Veterans Affairs Canada to ill and injured soldiers was rarely changed since its creation after World War I. The result was a number of out-dated policies that no longer suited the needs of Canada's veterans. This program gave a life-time pension to an individual who was ill or injured due to military service.

In 2005, all parties in the House of Commons passed the New Veterans Charter. This Charter replaced the life-time pension award with a lump sum payment award and used life-time pension payments much more sparingly.^[14] The Charter came into force in early 2006 under Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority government.

Under the New Veterans Charter, an ill or injured member can receive a lump sum payment of up to $550,000 tax-free, ($300,000 lump sum and $250,000 disbursement insurance) as well as a monthly pension of $9685.^[15]

In July 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Julian Fantino as the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Fantino quickly indicated that he was open to amending the New Veterans Charter to ensure veterans received the benefits and support they deserved.

In the spring of 2014, the all-party Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs met to discuss updates to the New Veterans Charter. The result was the unanimously-supported report titled The New Veterans Charter: Moving Forward, which was tabled in Parliament in June 2014.^[16] The committee made 13 recommendations to update the New Veterans Charter to close loopholes and ensure Canada's veterans would continue to receive the support and care that they deserve. In October 2014, the government responded, saying they agreed with the "spirit and intent" of all 13 recommendations and would begin working on the recommendations immediately.^[17]

Mobile Application

Veterans Affairs Canada has recently launched a suite of mobile applications aimed at aiding Veterans with accessing services offered by VAC. These include Veterans Matter, OSI Connect, and PTSD Coach Canada.