Sunshine Coast veterans and community members raised concerns about benefits for veterans and their widowed spouses, Lost Canadians, and the survival of local Legions at a town hall meeting hosted by member of Parliament (MP) John Weston Friday, Sept. 10.
Weston, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, fielded questions and comments on behalf of Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, who was scheduled to be at the Sechelt Legion meeting, but cancelled at the last minute citing cabinet reasons.
Weston outlined some of the federal government's initiatives to help veterans and the military, then opened the floor to attendees' comments and questions.
Past president of the Sechelt Legion Terry Powell voiced concern with how the New Veterans Charter, which came into effect in 2006, has replaced a monthly tax-free pension for life and a survivor benefit with a one-time lump sum disability award, for military personnel who sustain injury in the line of duty.
"When a man of 25 or 30 gets a lump sum of over $100,000, the first thing he's going to do is to go outside and get himself a truck or a big car, and he has no idea how to manage his money," Powell said, advocating that monthly pension be re-instated.
Gibsons resident Don Chapman, who advocates for Lost Canadians - Canadians, including many war brides, who lost their Canadian citizenship under the 1947 Canadian Citizenship Act - queried Weston about Blackburn's commitment to veterans and their family members who are also Lost Canadians.
"I would like the veterans affairs minister to commit to trying to recognize [as citizens] all of the people that fought for Canada and their family members," Chapman said.
Several attendees voiced concerns that the Veterans Independence Program, which provides housekeeping and groundskeeping allowances to veterans' spouses or common-law partners, is not being sufficiently publicized.
Pender Harbour Legion president Walt Wickson also raised concerns about Legions' survival.
"Our Legion and many, many others is having a horrendous time to try to keep our heads above water," he said, noting that Legions provide support to veterans and their wives as well as the elderly in the community, and asking that grant money be made available for Legions.
Weston promised to pass on all comments to Blackburn and to obtain answers to questions asked.
"There is a commitment in our country that is reflected at the grass roots and implemented at the Department of Veterans Affairs, however imperfectly - a commitment to those who don uniforms to protect our freedom and our democracy," Weston said. "And there will be always problems, this is a government, this is an institution of imperfect beings we know as humans. So we'll get better. You need to keep telling these stories, but let's not forget there are untold good stories out there as well."
