New announcement: You're not alone - Mental Health resources for CAF members and families

You're not alone - Mental Health resources for CAF members and families

Are you in distress? Are you having anxiety attacks or thoughts of suicide? Call the Member Assistance Program right now at 1-800-268-7708. Personal, confidential service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If it is an emergency, call 911.

Are you worried about your family member? Is he or she feeling sad, hopeless or angry? For immediate assistance, call the Family Information Line right now at 1-800-866-4546. Personal, confidential service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Please visit for very important message: http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-health-services/mental-health-resources.page

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=12907.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

Ron Clarke fights his government and the ghosts in his head

Ron Clarke fights his government and the ghosts in his head

LOIS LEGGE FEATURES WRITER
Published March 31, 2014 - 6:50pm
Last Updated April 1, 2014 - 12:17pm

[color=blue]Check the Video[/color]: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1197132-ron-clarke-fights-his-government-and-the-ghosts-in-his-head?from=most_read&most_read=1197132

[img]http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u21/d7255ef4cb6e48deac1c7b377645937f.JPG[/img]

Ex-boxer, infantryman has lost battle to keep DVA offices — so far

Ron Clarke strikes his old boxing pose.

And moves in for a knockout.

"I perfected it, as a matter of fact," he says of his overhand right.

His 73-year-old body — waiting now for a major back operation — bobs and weaves. Shadow-dancing in the reflection of framed black and white photos. And his glory days.

SEE ALSO: Veterans battle their own government

"I would always throw a bunch of left hooks at you … and what happens when I go to throw that? You move this way, don't you?" says the former welterweight, edging forward. "And then, bam!"

The Canadian Forces veteran laughs for a moment, thinking about the move that earned him a stellar record in the ring.

Thirty-two fights. Two losses. Twenty-one wins by knockout in the first round.

But that was a long time ago.

And these days, he might have to go the distance — up against his own government and the ghosts in his head.

Many Canadians know about his battle with the federal government. They see him as the tough, feisty senior citizen who took on Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino while fighting, unsuccessfully, to save the department's district office in Sydney, where vets say they got the kind of personal touch they need while facing everything from post-traumatic stress disorder to the aftermath of strokes.

Ottawa closed that support office and seven others in late January, after countrywide protests. And after testy exchanges between Clarke, other vets and Fantino, when he arrived late for a scheduled meeting with them at his office.

But the Georges River resident vows to fight on, to help defeat the Harper government and get those offices back. And he's become something of a folk hero along the way — admired by former soldiers and "civvies," strangers who call him today just because they're lonely or want someone to champion their own unrelated cause.

But sit with this scrappy former infantryman, military postal clerk and peacekeeping vet for a little while and another man emerges.

A man who came from a hardscrabble life on the wrong side of the tracks and grew up to see things that still keep him up nights.

He points to a picture of his late uncle, Edgar, one of dozens of photos or military plaques covering the basement walls of the home he shares with his wife of 56 years, Elsie, recently diagnosed with lung cancer.

"He suffered from (PTSD)," Clarke says of his uncle, a Second World War veteran. "But in them days, they didn't know what the hell it was. God love him … great guy when he was sober. When he was drinking, he was a great guy with me too, you know, around us guys, but he was a tough, rough character.

"My … older brother Billy and I, whenever we had the opportunity, we'd pick him up, take him with us fishing. … Yeah, he loved that."

His voice trails off. And he starts to cry.

"I'll be all right," he says, asking for a tissue. "See, that PTSD, that's what it does to you, this is part of it, right. Anyway.

"The medication hasn't kicked in yet," he says with a laugh, shrugging it off.

"That's another thing I do … I use a lot of humour to get around my problem and that helps.

"And, of course, that little place in the back room there," he says, pointing to his bar. "That helps too, believe me. But I'm not like Uncle Edgar was. I mean, I don't drink to get drunk. I have my brandy every night and maybe a liqueur with it and that's it."

[img]http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u21/d7255ef4cb6e48deac1c7b377645937f.JPG[/img]

But his doctor recently upped his antidepressant medication, something he's been taking since he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2002, 10 years after he retired from a military career that included a decade of those infantry boxing bouts and peacekeeping in Cyprus, Namibia and beyond.

The medication helps, but not always. Lately, with all the pressures of this recent battle, he's been breaking down too often, he says. He thinks he may need more to stem the trauma he traces back to 1973 and a six-month stint with the International Commission of Control and Supervision — tasked with monitoring ceasefires and the release of prisoners during the Vietnam War.

"Yeah, Vietnam," says the Clarke, who grew up between North Sydney and Gannon Road, "the roughest place on this side of the water," where men were stevedores and kids threw rocks at cops who crossed the railway line. He lived there with his mother and 11 siblings (one brother later died on the tracks) in a "poor" household with a heavy-drinking father, who didn't beat them but scared them so much sometimes "we had to go down the back steps and go up to my grandmother's place and stay there."

But then he joined the army at 16. He trained in the infantry, where he boxed as Babe Clarke, for 10 years and switched to the military postal service. And, eventually, went to Vietnam.

"When I arrived in Vietnam, the first day on the ground, I met this first sergeant, that's like a chief warrant officer, a Canadian and he was from Newfoundland and he was American forces," Clarke recalls. "He had his own vehicle and asked me if I wanted to have a look around … we looked around the base and then he went off the base and went up a dirt road."

He takes a breath and explains the rest.

"There was Vietnamese bodies stacked like cordwood, like it would be picked up and taken away. Whew, that was heavy. Anyway, we actually got back to base and he took me over to one of the airplane hangars and it was the mortuary for the Americans. There were thousands, and I mean thousands, of body bags stacked up waiting to be moved back to the States.

"The smell of the place was just…

"And one of our own lads, a captain, he was shot down while we were there. We retrieved his remains and they brought him back and when we took him off the airplane, the smell was just — it stays with me to this day. The smell of death."

The images stay too. Those and others of released prisoners of war, emaciated and confused. He starts to talk about them but stops, overwhelmed by these and other pictures that play over regularly in his dreams.

"Some nights I wake up and I'm a little bit upset," he says.

"I was up 3:30 this morning … no sense going back to sleep because you don't know what goes through this thing up here."

[center] If it wasn't for us veterans, not me in particular but those guys who were in combat, if it wasn't for them, you know (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper wouldn't be sitting up there today … So look, remember what your veterans did for you, did for this country, and treat them with dignity and give them what they need, whatever they need.[/center]

Cape Breton vets like Terry Collins, who served in Afghanistan and also has PTSD, say they're grateful Clarke has taken on the task. The Florence resident, on antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills for his illness, participated in a few protests and media interviews about the closures but then had to withdraw because it made his symptoms worse.

"We're lucky that somebody like that can actually go as long as he's been going," Collins says. "I could only do so much and then my head became too full."

"I think it's great," Elsie Clarke says of her husband's mission. But she worries about him too.

"He does need help," she says. "He's got too much to do."

But Clarke sees the ongoing fight as a matter of principle and respect. And decency, toward veterans he says were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

"Why do they want to treat their vets like that? " he asks.

"Christ, one of the boys said 'why the hell do the vets have to beg for everything they want?' … And I agree with that statement.

"Jesus, you know, if it wasn't for us veterans, not me in particular but those guys who were in combat, if it wasn't for them, you know (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper wouldn't be sitting up there today … So look, remember what your veterans did for you, did for this country, and treat them with dignity and give them what they need, whatever they need. And closing the offices on them was one of the worst things they could ever do."

Clarke also bristles at Fantino's claim the vets have been used by the former employees' union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Yes, he says, the union offered to help and paid for the vets' delegation to Ottawa. But that was after he'd already been involved in two protests in Sydney.

"I said sure, anything to help. The government certainly wasn't helping us … but they (the union) weren't running the show, we were."

Clarke is working with the union again to gather complaints from veterans across the country, now that the offices have been closed. He plans to send them to the federal ombudsman. He's already hearing from vets who've had trouble getting through or getting to the Service Canada offices. And he says they're certainly not getting the immediate action they did from the former Sydney employees. Plus, a recent report from the department itself acknowledged the closures could hamper service delivery to vets.

He's also started what he calls a war chest, a fund, to help defeat the Harper government in the next election. The phone rings today with an offer of $1,000.

The father of four, including a baby who died at just six weeks old, isn't quite sure why he's struck such a chord with the public. He's been told he's articulate. But he wonders about that, since he only has a Grade 8 education.

"They know I'm sincere and they know I'm fighting a good fight, I guess," he reasons.

And that's something he'll continue to do.

"You know, I may be 74 come April but by Jesus, (if) you're in front of me, I've still got this right hand and right arm and you best be careful.

"I may not be as fast as I used to be, but I'm as powerful.

"Even more powerful," he jokes, "because I'm a heavyweight."

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php

VETERANS AFFAIRS: Lest we forget?

VETERANS AFFAIRS: Lest we forget?

12 hours ago
LOIS LEGGE FEATURES WRITER

Check the Video: http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1196925-veterans-affairs-lest-we-forget

NEXT: Ron Clarke has always been a bit of a scrapper. He used to fight oppenents in the ring. Now, this tough, feisty senior is in a battle to oppose the federal government. Read it Tuesday in thechronicleherald.ca

Duncan McKeigan was wounded three times in war. But he kept going back to the front lines.

Once, he captured 10 German soldiers while bleeding from a shrapnel wound in his arm. Once, he caught a piece of the searing hot metal in his jaw. Once, he ran across a minefield in the dark to rescue a soldier shot in the head. And held the wounded man's tongue, so he wouldn't choke, as others carried him to medics.

Having just turned 90, the Battle of Normandy vet still has that piece of shrapnel in his arm. And memories of war in his head.

But he shakes his head in disgust at the fight he and other Cape Breton veterans now face, far past the bloody fields and shattered cities of a different world.

SEE ALSO: Nazi photos haunting souvenirs of war

Battling a government they say is doing them wrong when they tried to do what's right — over and over again, as bombs dropped and shrapnel flew and buddies died through the days and nights of war.

"It's an awful thing to see your friends getting shot and killed and you can't do nothing about it," he says, sitting in his Sydney Mines home.

War mementoes — a Nazi belt buckle, a pin and a sword — lie by his side.

War memories — dead soldiers and bombs and starving civilians — move in his mind.

[img]http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u63629/b31e40ca475f42b3bb73b15474789eb6.JPG[/img]

Second World War veteran Duncan McKeigan shows a sword he took from a German soldier. (RYAN TAPLIN / Staff)

"You wake up dreaming," he says of those days and nights 70 years ago. "All this stuff comes to your mind. … You can see this stuff. It never goes away.

"Never."

This is the refrain from vets of all stripes and circumstances, from new wars and old.

They'll never forget. But has their government?

Once in the bloody fields and muddy trenches of Normandy or dusty and sewage-stained roads of Kabul, these men now live in more peaceful places. Florence and Georges River and Sydney Mines. North Sydney and Sydney, where they used to have what McKeigan calls a "great" place, "one of the best places to go."

He's referring to the local district Veterans Affairs office the government closed in January — along with seven others across the country — despite protests and pleas from men who've faced fear by the years and seen entire cities and entire bodies destroyed.

There, at the Sydney office, caseworkers knew them by name, they say. Came to their homes to assess what the estimated 4,200 area vets needed. Gave them the kind of one-on-one services and personal support they still need while facing everything from post-traumatic stress disorder to the ailments of age.

Physical and mental scars as real as the lump of shrapnel in McKeigan's left arm or the anxiety in Afghanistan vet Terry Collins' chest. Anxiety that brings shortness of breath, tunnel vision and cold sweats, and has become so intense, he says, "it was like my blood was boiling."

And his whole body "tingling," from the PTSD that feels as explosive as the guns and bombs he used to handle, service or destroy.

"It was like a pressure cooker," says the former ammunition and explosives technician, now physically safe in his Florence home, muscular arms inked with the flames of an ammo tech's insignia and Saint Barbara, the patron saint of artillerymen and ammo techs and others risking sudden death.

"Constant pressure," Collins says. "Always there, for years."

[img]http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u63629/647871b053db4239be04089aad0b527a.JPG[/img]

Afghanistan veteran Terry Collins in his home in Florence on Tuesday. (RYAN TAPLIN / Staff)

He worried he might accidentally blow himself or his buddies up. He wondered if enemy mines or bullets or sticky bombs waited just around the corner.

And there's more pressure now, he says, wondering how to get services — previously provided at the Sydney office — by phone or Internet or by driving all the way to Halifax, where Service Canada staff now deal with the bulk of local cases.

Pressure.

It's something these and other Cape Breton vets know a lot about.

From McKeigan and Collins to Second World War vets Charlie Palmer and Dan MacNeil. Or peacekeeping vet Ron Clarke, who's become an unofficial leader for their past and current fight.

Like McKeigan, Dan MacNeil fought long ago, although his memories of combat aren't as clear. He saw dead, of course, as he crossed Juno Beach on D-Day. And he faced enemy fire and saw cities and villages destroyed by people who seemed as though they "didn't have any feeling for human life."

But most vivid for this 94-year-old North Sydney resident are the people who stayed alive and suffered. And the people who saw them and suffer still.

Especially the people of then Nazi-occupied Holland, whose plight touches vet after vet, all these years later.

"The people had a hard time," the former signal operator says in a raspy voice, in the home he shared with his war bride, Joan, for almost 70 years but now lives in alone.

"They had no food. And lots of time we shared what we had with them. … In one instance we were having our dinner and there was one man, he was outside the fence and you could tell he was very hungry. So I finished my dinner and then I took my bowl and I went on up to the cook and I said, "Here, fill that up," so I think we had rice and stuff that day and spaghetti, so he filled it right up, (it) overflowed, so I took it … and I put it under the fence for this poor man.

"I never saw anybody eat like that. It just disappeared. They were starving, see, they were eating tulip bulbs or whatever they could get a hold of to survive and especially (we) took pity on … the kids, you know, the small kids. So we tried to share what we had with them and that was about the saddest part I went through —to see those people, little kids, starving."

MacNeil feels sad these days, too. And others bring him his meals.

Joan died less than a year ago and his voice drops and his shoulders slump at the mention of her name. " Not very good," he says of how he's coping.

[img]http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u63629/995a814c610446c98cd989d3a4496786.JPG[/img]

Second World War veteran Dan MacNeil in his North Sydney home. (RYAN TAPLIN / Staff)

But his two children live close by. And he's grateful for the services that staff at the former Sydney office arranged before it closed. People come in daily to make his meals and help him shower and go to the toilet.

"It's not very nice," he says of the closure, stressing vets didn't ask for much or abuse the services. The staff, he says, were kind and helpful and caring, familiar and comforting — never "tormented" by the former soldiers they served.

"If we need something, what are we going to do?" he asks as the sun streams in from the cold.

"It seems little enough for what we went through that they wouldn't keep that office open for us."

The office had 17 employees to help the vets with everything from paperwork to arranging medical appointments to arranging health aids in their homes.

The vets say the staff cuts leave them vulnerable and there won't be enough people now to provide the one-on-one service they believe they need.

In response to questions late last week, the department said in an email that one Veterans Affairs Canada expert is now available full time at the Service Canada office in Sydney and that vets "can conveniently visit" any of the nearly 600 such offices across the country. Spokesman Simon Forsyth also emphasized that vets can still receive home visits from registered nurses and case managers if required.

Since 2006, he said, the government has committed nearly $5 billion in additional funding to Veterans Affairs.

In the past, the department has also said vets can obtain services by phone or through the Veterans Affairs website.

But men like MacNeil don't even own a computer. And others say they don't know how to use the Internet.

Collins is more computer-literate, but these days he finds it too stressful to even go to a movie, let alone search government websites.

"To navigate through it is a chore in itself. … I remember just starting with something, trying to search it down and when I got so far, it brought me back to the beginning, so to me that's very confusing and repetitive and somebody with PTSD has not got patience to do that. We get discouraged quickly and we just discard it or put it away or put it aside. We don't get the service that we need … because that person isn't there to guide us."

The one-on-one service, he says, was "100 times better."

"Over the phone or on the computer or whatever, it's just ridiculous.

"I used to go over there and sit down with my case manager and we'd work out a plan on what to do now and how to follow it and so on and that would be pointed out to me in point form right in front of me. Now we've lost that service.

"(They'd) help me with anything, really. They could set up appointments for a chiropractor or massage therapy and anything physical as well," says the vet, whose 22 years in the army also left him with neck, back and foot injuries.

"It's like a bond, for sure. You call them by their first names and they call us by our first name."

It's a bond Second World War vet Charlie Palmer says they deserve.

The 93-year-old Sydney man became discouraged recently just trying to work his way through the "press this, press that" phone system for TV repairs.

[img]http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/u63629/a9c64260f5c44409ac0d220dfcd8bbd0.JPG[/img]

Second World War veteran Charlie Palmer in his Sydney home. (RYAN TAPLIN / Staff)

He can't imagine how veterans with PTSD handle telephone or Internet links to Veterans Affairs.

During the Battle of Normandy, Palmer slept under trucks and braved shells from above. He saw one city reduced to a single chimney and watched a woman trying to hide her children under the rubble. He saw other children eating garbage and sold cigarettes on the black market to buy them chocolate.

He's doing OK today, he says, though he was "fighting shadows" when he first returned from war.

"I'd wake up at night and, for instance, if there was something on the wall … I thought there was somebody in the wall that was coming at me."

But he had a loving family — parents, eight sisters and a brother — that cared.

"And I didn't know that they were looking after me, but they did," he says.

Almost 70 years later, he believes vets — young and old — deserve to be looked after by their government.

In February, he stood before the province's standing committee on veterans affairs and called the federal office closure "unacceptable."

Today — in his Sydney home, the day Canada welcomed its last troops back from Afghanistan — he's saying it again.

"I was watching (on TV) today all the top dogs from the prime minister right down, right through the generals … saying how proud they were of their troops and all this stuff, you know, all kinds of nice words, the freedom that we enjoy and all that stuff, and then I think they turn around and … close these bloody offices. What freedom do those poor devils have that (are) suffering from PTSD and their families and their children?

"Just don't tell people how proud you are of them, show them how proud you are by your actions. (A soldier) mixed up in his mind, he needs help, and he needs help until the day he leaves this planet, if necessary, because he was willing to give his life."

McKeigan — father of four, husband to Freda for 68 years — was willing to give his life, again and again and again.

And at times, he's been mixed up in his mind.

His oldest daughter, Pat Canty, remembers a time when she was little, when the man his family adores went back to the war.

"He was very ill and he wasn't sleeping and he imagined he was in the war," she says.

"And he would say 'Freda, hide the girls, the Germans are coming.' And he was reliving a lot of stuff."

Just don't tell people how proud you are of them, show them how proud you are by your actions. (A soldier) mixed up in his mind, he needs help, and he needs help until the day he leaves this planet, if necessary, because he was willing to give his life.

She remembers standing by the side of the road in the middle of the night so the doctor would know where to come.

Few veterans of McKeigan's generation ever received any professional counselling.

"You had to cure yourself," he says.

But it "never leaves." Dead friends and bombs and starving children come back, in memories during the day and in dreams at night.

He thinks of the time in France when shrapnel hit his jaw and he went to hospital for two weeks and "it healed up pretty nice so I was all set to go again."

And the time on the border of Holland and Germany when a shell landed too close and stirred up dirt and temporarily blinded him until he went to hospital for a week and doctors flushed it out and he could see again.

Or the time in Belgium when he'd just flushed 10 Germans out of their bunker and a bomb from a big German 88 anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun came crashing down beside him and lodged shrapnel in his arm.

"The first thing you think is your arm is going to come off," he says, "or your face is going to be all shattered."

But that time, one of the captured Germans, a doctor, patched him up. And he propped his weapon on his bandaged arm and marched the captives, happy their fight was over, back to base. Then he discovered he'd been unarmed.

"I walked all that way," he says, laughing, "without a bullet in the gun."

"I wonder who was looking after you," his wife says with a smile.

"Well, somebody was looking after me," he says.

And perhaps they were looking after him again the night he helped retrieve that wounded soldier, running across a field he learned later was loaded with mines.

Today he can't run and can barely walk. He can't drive or withstand a trip to Halifax for services, hobbled by mini strokes three years ago that made him fall, hit his head and suffer a concussion. He's still recovering from recent gall bladder surgery, too, unable now to deliver Meals on Wheels to seniors like he used to or volunteer with his legion or sing in his church choir.

But he's grateful for the basement stair railings and upstairs chairlift that staff at the former Sydney office helped arrange for him, after visiting him at home and assessing his needs. He's grateful for all their help, over all the years.

"The women and men over there were perfect. They were the best. … If we needed anything, they would come over and talk to you. Where (are) you going to get somebody to talk to you here (now)?"

Check Video http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1196925-veterans-affairs-lest-we-forget

But today, he and Freda also think about how grateful others have been for his help — like the people of Holland he and other Canadians helped liberate. And the generations who never forget.

He went back there for the 35th anniversary.

Children wanted autographs. Adults organized parades.

As the former soldiers marched down the streets of Nijmegen, little ones, about the ages of the starving children they used to feed, gave them something in return.

"We used to have big chocolate bars in case we couldn't get something to eat (while) fighting," he remembers. "All these kids, they didn't have much to eat. We used to take the chocolate bars, break it up and give each little kid a piece. … (During the parade) kids lined up on the street passed each veteran a piece of chocolate."

He pauses for a moment. And his once-wounded eyes water.

"It would bring tears to your eyes."

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php

New announcement: Veterans and their Families are Divided when it comes to Canada’s Record with Ve

Veterans and their Families are Divided when it comes to Canada's Record with Veterans' Services while Canadians are Unclear

Monday, March 03, 2014

http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=6441

Ottawa – Canada's veterans and their families are more divided when it comes to pride in how Canada treats its veterans (41% agree they are proud, while 37% disagree) and the effectiveness of the benefits and services provided by Veterans' Affairs Canada (39% view as effective, while 32% view it as ineffective). This is in stark contrast to almost half of Canadians who neither agree nor disagree that they feel Veterans' Affairs Canada's benefits and services are effective (47%) and two in five who neither agree nor disagree that they are proud of how Canada treats its veterans (38%). It would seem those with the most contact and familiarity with how the Canada treats its veterans are polarized when it comes to these issues while the general public is just not aware. Over half of veterans and their families (54%) are familiar with the programs and services offered by Veterans Affairs Canada, compared to just a quarter of Canadians (27%).

http://www.ipsos-na.com/images/news-polls/media/6441-lg.jpg

While the majority of Canadians (83%) agree that it is important to support members of the Canadian Armed Forces following their services, only one in three (34%) are proud of how Canada currently treats its veterans, while two in five (42%) are not sure. One in five Canadians (20%) and almost half of veterans and their families (45%) are familiar with the policies and programs related to assisting veterans with a disability. This would suggest strong support from the public for veterans programs but a general lack of familiarity and awareness of how Canada is doing in delivering this support. While there is support for these programs, only two percent of Canadians report that they are currently caring for someone who receives or is eligible to receive benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada, and only one in ten (9%) veterans and their families report being in receipt of benefits from Veterans' Affairs Canada.

Just over half (55%) of veterans, their families or care-givers were satisfied with the health benefits offered by Veteran Affair. Between half and two in five were unfamiliar with the programs and services offered including employment and career transition services (48%), affordable housing (44%), rehabilitation and treatment programs (39%) and health benefits (27%). Two in five (38%) were satisfied with the rehabilitation and treatment programs, and one in three (34%) were satisfied with the employment and career transition services. Most (63%) had not used the services of veterans' organisations, such as Veterans Affairs Canada (19% had used their assistance) and The Royal Canadian Legion (10% had used their assistance).

Ipsos Reid was commissioned by the Legion Magazine to conduct a survey among Canadians aged 18 and over regarding their attitudes towards the services offered to Canada's veterans as a part of the Canadian Household Online Omnibus. The survey was conducted between October 28th and November 4th, 2013 among a base of n=1067 Canadians. This included a sample of n=123 veterans and family members caring for veterans.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Mike Colledge
President, Canadian Public Affairs
Ipsos Reid
613.241.5802
mike.colledge@ipsos.com

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 85 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,789 billion (2.300 billion USD) in 2012.

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=12885.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: SickKids research may lead to faster diagnosis of PTSD in Canadian soldiers

SickKids research may lead to faster diagnosis of PTSD in Canadian soldiers

http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Newsroom/Past-News/2014/faster-diagnosis-of-PTSD.html

February 18, 2014
SickKids research may lead to faster diagnosis of PTSD in Canadian soldiers

In hopes of better understanding the growing issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among soldiers, the Canadian Armed Forces approached researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Known for their expertise in a type of neuroimaging called MEG, magnetoencephalography, SickKids researchers used MEG to examine brain responses to a variety of cognitive tasks in soldiers with and without PTSD and civilians with and without mTBI.

"While the two disorders are often confused because of similar behavioural symptoms, the data shows that they are very distinct," says Dr. Margot Taylor, co-investigator of the research and Director of Functional Neuroimaging and Senior Scientist at SickKids. "This research could lead to faster diagnosis based on an objective measure rather than having a soldier self-identify, which according to Canadian Forces Health Services is an ongoing challenge."

Currently PTSD and mTBI are diagnosed clinically based on emotional and psychological symptoms. The symptoms of these two conditions show considerable overlap, and particularly in the military setting, are often both present and difficult to distinguish.

The tasks used in this study were based on the cognitive difficulties commonly associated with these two conditions, and included tests of memory, inhibition, mental flexibility, emotional processing, as well as recordings of brain activity in a resting-state.

The team led by Dr. Taylor and Dr. Elizabeth Pang, who is Neurophysiologist and Associate Scientist at SickKids, studied not only soldiers with PTSD and civilians with mTBI but also had a control group of soldiers with similar military experience who did not have PTSD or mTBI. The difference in brain activity was remarkable in both groups. While all groups demonstrated significant brain responses to the cognitive tests, the soldiers without PTSD could return to a rested state while those with PTSD remained highly activated even in a rested state.

"The ultimate goal of providing objective diagnostic testing for PTSD and mTBI is to not only better understand the conditions and make fast, accurate diagnoses, but also to be able to test the individual to determine if he or she gotten better and can safely return to service," says Taylor.

Taylor adds that this work also helps to advance our understanding of PTSD and traumatic brain injury in children and the general population.

This research was conducted in partnership with Defense Research and Development Canada and by Canadian Forces Health Services. It was presented at the symposium "Mental Health Research Magnetoencephalography & Neuroimaging in PTSD and mTBI" hosted by SickKids at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning on February 14, 2014.

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http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=12884.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Good public apologies are rare events (The Best and worse)

Good public apologies are rare events

Some apologies are effective, others make matters worse. Here's a list of the best and worst apologies by public figures within the past year.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/03/30/good_public_apologies_are_rare_events.html

When Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino had to apologize to veterans in January 2014, it was flat, insincere and read from cue cards in the House of Commons, writes R. Michael Warren.

By: R. Michael Warren Published on Sun Mar 30 2014

We live in an age of public apologies. Some are effective. Many make matters worse.

The latest comes from Hydro One CEO Carmine Marcello. If you receive a hydro bill, you've seen Marcello take personal responsibility for Hydro's recent billing and customer service problems. He says he'll make customers whole again.

As apologies go this one gets a passing grade — as long as Marcello transforms the utility's customer service culture as promised.

Over the last year we have been subjected to a steady diet of apologies that failed in multiple ways.

Apologies that resonate have several basic characteristics. They begin with a clear statement of what went wrong. They take responsibility for the failure and do so promptly, without being pushed.

Part of taking responsibility is saying sorry for offensive behaviour or inconvenience — with no "buts" or "ifs." A meaningful apology usually involves some form of reparation speedily rendered. Finally, an expression of gratitude for the support of customers, voters or whatever group was harmed.

Using these criteria, here are some of the best and worst political apologies of the last year:

Parti Québécois candidate Louise Mailloux has maintained that baptism and circumcision amount to rape, and kosher products are part of a scam that helps fund "religious wars." She "absolutely" stands by her comments. But they weren't intended to offend. But if they did, "I very sincerely apologize." Mailloux sets the record for the most "buts" and "ifs" in a single apology.

A bungled apology has New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, fighting for his political future.

He claims no knowledge of a payback scheme involving epic traffic jams on a bridge to an opponent's city.

Christie spent an astonishing 108 minutes — 20,000 words — apologizing, maintaining his innocence and blaming his staff. He holds the record for the longest apology.

Former staffers now claim the governor knew all about the lane closures. A legislative panel reviewing the issue seems to agree.

The record for the most meaningless apologies goes to Mayor Rob Ford. You'd think after so many attempts he would be getting good at it.

During Ford's fall "contrition phase" he said sorry multiple times. He made a "super" apology to council. He apologized to Star reporter Daniel Dale. He also accepted responsibility for his graphic language about prostitutes and his wife.

Ford maintained in interviews with Peter Mansbridge and Conrad Black that he'd "quit drinking" and was "finished with alcohol." This was followed by a series of drinking incidents. He excuses himself saying, "I'm only human."

The contrition stage is long gone and now Ford makes no apology for any of his childish, celebrity-seeking behaviour.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority apologized twice in an effort to placate passengers stranded by the closure of the airport during the January cold snap.

First, GTAA president Howard Eng apologized for the inconvenience and promised an "internal review." Days later GTAA board chair Vijay Kanwar apologized again and promised to release the results of the review within 90 days.

Eng should have made one comprehensive apology and moved on. Kanwar's apology along with his promise to release the review of his CEO's decision further weakened confidence in GTAA's management.

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino didn't fare well after his belligerent slanging match with veterans over the closure of offices across the country. When the veterans' plight gained public traction, Fantino headed to the House. There he delivered a flat, insincere apology read from cue cards.

He said the standoff was caused by the behind-the-scenes influence of big unions on the vets. Blaming the standoff on others and offering no remedy has further undermined the government's relationship with veterans.

This newspaper chased Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra for two days to get an explanation for the weeks-long delivery delays in December. Chopra said Canada Post was so overwhelmed by the impact of the ice storm it "forgot to notify customers."

When officials have to be pressured to acknowledge long-standing mistakes, the value of the apology is diminished.

One of the reasons leaders hesitate to apologize, or do so reluctantly, is the fear of appearing weak. The opposite is often true. If the apology acknowledges responsibility, shows remorse and results in constructive change, the public is usually prepared to forgive and forget.

A sincere apology can be seen as a sign of courage, maturity and strength. Could that be why Stephen Harper never apologizes?

R. Michael Warren is a former corporate director, Ontario deputy minister, TTC chef general manager and Canada Post CEO. r.michael.warren@gmail.com

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

Canadian soldier suicides poorly tracked, veterans groups say

Canadian soldier suicides poorly tracked, veterans groups say

Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans Affairs do not not track suicides by retired soldiers

By Andre Mayer, CBC News Posted: Mar 24, 2014 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 24, 2014 5:00 AM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-soldier-suicides-poorly-tracked-veterans-groups-say-1.2580500

The recent deaths of two Canadian soldiers who fought in Afghanistan have renewed public debate about how to deal with military suicides. But veterans advocates say that the data collected by the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada on how many active and retired army personnel have committed suicide is incomplete, and makes it difficult to help soldiers who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"If you don't have all the data, then how are you able to determine the causes and address some of the trends?" says Bruce Poulin, communications manager for Dominion Command of the Royal Canadian Legion in Ottawa.

Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) has confirmed that two soldiers died in the past week.

Corporal Alain Lacasse, 43, of Valcartier, Que., was found dead in his home on March 17. Police said it was a suicide.

Master Cpl. Tyson Washburn, 37, of Pembroke, Ont., was found dead on March 15. Officials aren't releasing details about his death, but CBC News has learned Washburn appears to have taken his own life.

There has been a spate of soldier suicides in recent months, including three in the span of three days in November.

Three more soldiers died in January. On Jan. 3, Cpl. Adam Eckhardt, a native of Trenton, Ont. who was based with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry at CFB Suffield in Alberta, was found dead.

On Jan. 8, Cpl. Camilo Sanhueza-Martinez, a member of The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment based in Kingston, Ont., who had fought in Afghanistan, was found dead.

On Jan. 16, Lt.-Col. Stephane Beauchemin, a 22-year veteran who had been deployed to Haiti and Bosnia, died in Limoges, Ont, a small town east of Ottawa.

The deaths of Master Cpl. Washburn and Cpl. Lacasse bring the number of confirmed suicides of Canadian soldiers in 2014 to five.

The difficulty of getting accurate numbers

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has published figures on soldier suicides up to and including 2012. The numbers show there were 10 suicides in 2012, 21 in 2011 and 12 in 2010.

Poulin says the figures published by the CAF are incomplete, because they only look at men currently serving in the forces and do not include army reservists, those who have retired from the military, or women.

According to the CAF website, "the low number of suicides amongst female CAF members makes the statistical analysis of female rates unreliable."

The CAF has not published numbers for 2013, but according to Nicole Meszaros, a senior public affairs officer for the Canadian Armed Forces, "in the calendar year 2013, the CAF lost nine members to suicide and another four members whose deaths are under investigation but remain to be officially confirmed as suicide."

Of the nine confirmed suicides in 2013 cited by Meszaros, one was a woman and three were reservists. Those numbers do not include veterans no longer serving in the military.

A 'disingenuous' comparison

The published CAF figures show that over the period of 2005-2009, the suicide rate was 18 deaths per 100,000. This rate is comparable to that for males in the civilian population. According to Statistics Canada figures from 2009, the suicide rate for Canadian males was 17.3.

Poulin says that historically, the official suicide rate for serving soldiers is about 20 for every 100,000 but adds that it's not a complete picture of what's happening.

"By not counting women, reservists and those that leave the military, you're still looking at 20," says Poulin. "The question then becomes, OK, but is that an accurate reflection of PTSD and the situation that we are facing right now?"

A 2013 report published by the Department of National Defence found that suicide rates in the CAF have not increased over time, and after age standardization, were lower than those in the Canadian civilian population.

That comparison is "disingenuous," says Michael Blais, CEO and director of Canadian Veterans Advocacy.

"These men and women are not like those in the [civilian] population," says Blais. He points out that soldiers are recruited for their mental toughness, and that anything that might trigger a suicide was "not a pre-existing condition – it's a wound."

"To compare a wound that was sustained in a military environment to the [psychological difficulties of someone in the] civilian population, that doesn't cut it," he says.

'Veterans Affairs has an obligation'

While he takes issue with the suicide figures presented by CAF, Blais says it's equally concerning that there is no data on the number of veterans who commit suicide after leaving the military.

"We have people who are getting out [of service], and within a year, committing suicide," says Blais. "So many times, you find out about a suicide literally months after it's happened."

The Canadian Armed Forces does not keep track of suicides by retired soldiers, and Blais says neither does Veterans Affairs. CBC made several interview requests to Veterans Affairs, but did not receive a comment.

Blais says that the lack of documentation of suicide among retired veterans hinders efforts to get a proper handle on the scope of PTSD.

"Veterans Affairs has an obligation – we can't fix this unless we know what's wrong," he says.

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

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