Veterans across Canada plot campaign against Conservatives

Veterans across Canada plot campaign against Conservatives

PAUL McLEOD OTTAWA BUREAU
Published August 11, 2014 - 9:31pm

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1228721-veterans-across-canada-plot-campaign-against-conservatives

[img]http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/imagecache/ch_article_main_image/articles/B97354551Z.120140811213058000GUI6A0SM.11.jpg[/img]

A network of veterans across Canada is planning a co-ordinated campaign against the Conservative government during next year's election.

The plan was sparked in January by a disastrous meeting in Ottawa with Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino. In interviews, half a dozen organizers across four provinces say thousands of veterans will take part in the movement.

The plan is similar to the ABC campaign — urging people to vote Anything But Conservative — waged by former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams.

"When the election is called, you're going to see some large fallout, believe me," said Sydney veteran Ron Clarke.

"As soon as the writ is dropped, we are in action."

The two main issues driving the movement are the closure of nine regional Veterans Affairs Canada offices and the government's new veterans charter.

The charter gives veterans who are wounded in combat a lump-sum payment instead of regular payments to support them throughout their lives.

About a dozen regional organizers have been in regular contact through conference calls.

The tactics vary. Newfoundland and Labrador organizer Paul Davis said veterans will be specifically targeting Conservative ridings to tell voters about how they have been mistreated by the government.

One group is even mulling getting a bus to take the cross-country campaign on the road.

Others say their protests will be more informal but nonetheless vocal.

"We have no co-ordinated thing planned, but I know that every veteran in the area is pissed," said John Scott, a former peacekeeper in Cyprus who lives in Prince George, B.C.

The ball started rolling in January when a group of veterans gathered in Ottawa to meet Fantino. The minister was 70 minutes late and things only got worse when he did show up.

Fantino chastised one veteran for pointing his finger, and

the minister walked away, seemingly exasperated, a few minutes later. News cameras caught

the interaction.

Afterwards, several angry veterans who were present started to make plans.

"Up until he screwed up, it would have probably been a fairly quiet thing," said Scott. "But he made the big mistake of mouthing off to the veterans, and a couple of them, of course, didn't take it very well."

Some veterans are also angry that the department spends money on advertising campaigns after cutting the regional offices to save costs.

New tendering documents show the federal government will spend $678,000 this year on "advertising and creative services" to mark Remembrance Day. Target Communications of Halifax, which operates as

Compass Communications, won the contract.

That ad budget is the same or more than the annual costs of running several of the regional front-line offices closed earlier this year. The total costs of running eight regional offices came to $5 million per year (the annual costs of the ninth closed office, in Prince George, are not known.)

Veterans who spoke to The Chronicle Herald said the department has its priorities wrong and has been regularly spending on advertising while cutting front-line services.

But the department said the Remembrance Day campaign is well within its mandate.

"It is part of the mandate of Veterans Affairs to keep the memory of the achievement and sacrifices of veterans alive for all Canadians," said an emailed statement from the department.

"It is important to note (Veterans Affairs) advertising expenditures will not impact the department's budget for veterans' services and benefits."

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

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

New announcement: 1 in 6 Canadian Forces members report mental health or alcohol issues: StatsCan

1 in 6 Canadian Forces members report mental health or alcohol issues: StatsCan

August 11, 2014 10:38 am
By Staff Global News

http://globalnews.ca/news/1502216/1-in-6-canadian-forces-members-report-mental-health-or-alcohol-issues-statscan/

TORONTO – One in six Canadian Armed Forces members have reported suffering symptoms associated with selected mental health or alcohol-related disorders, according to a Statistic Canada study published Monday.

About 6,700 full-time regular members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and 1,500 reservists were interviewed from April to August 2013 to collect information about the mental health status and need for mental health services within the Forces.

The results of the 2013 Canadian Armed Forces Mental Health Survey found that one in six members reported experiencing symptoms associated with at least one of the following mental or alcohol disorders in the previous 12 months: major depressive episode, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, alcohol misuse, and alcohol dependence.

IN-DEPTH: Invisible Wounds – Crisis in the Military

The survey was developed by StatsCan in collaboration with the Department of National Defence (DND).

A look at the most common disorders

According to the CAF website, approximately 15 per cent of regular personnel access mental health services each year. CAF said that although efforts have been made to reduce the time its members wait before seeking care, it remains a problem in the CAF and in the general population.

Depression, or a major depressive episode, was the most common disorder, with eight per cent of full-time regular Forces members meeting the criteria in the 12 months prior to the survey. The disorder is identified "as a period of two weeks or more with persistent depressed mood or loss of interest in normal activities, as well as other symptoms including: decreased energy, changes in sleep and appetite, impaired concentration, feelings of hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts."

Other results of the survey found:

3 per cent of regular Forces members reported symptoms consistent with PTSD.
7 per cent reported symptoms consistent with generalized anxiety disorder.
4 per cent reported symptoms consistent with panic disorder.
5 per cent admitted to alcohol misuse, while 2 per cent of CF members said they're dependent on alcohol.

'Need for mental health support'

In April, Global News spoke with five current and former members of the Canadian Forces, each with post-traumatic stress disorder. Read their stories.

READ MORE: Campaign urges soldiers to connect to fight mental illness stigma, suicide

Veteran advocates have previously spoken out about the urgent need for more mental health and transition support for members of the Canadian Armed Forces and a spate of suicides within the Forces the past year has prompted a lot of public attention on the care and services available to soldiers and their families.

The Canadian Forces Member Assistance Program has a confidential 24/7 toll-free telephone advisory and referral service for all military personnel and their families: 1-800-268-7708. If it is an emergency, call 911.

Earlier this year, more than 200 Canadian military personnel who have suffered a mental health issue and sought care have reportedly come forward to share their stories in a series of online videos for the DND.

– with files from The Canadian Press

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Veterans Affairs’ disability compensation tweet is misleading: critic

Veterans Affairs' disability compensation tweet is misleading: critic

By Murray Brewster The Canadian Press

August 6, 2014 4:36 pm

OTTAWA – The Harper government has taken to social media to make the case that it's being generous to disabled veterans, but critics and the opposition say Conservatives are posting misleading information.

A chart laying out different scenarios of compensation was posted on the Veterans Affairs Facebook and Twitter accounts last week, showing benefits ranging from $6,743 per month to $10,260 per month, depending on a soldier's rank.

The chart compares the "maximum" disability earnings with the pre-release salaries of a private, a sergeant, a captain and a major, and in each case suggests the veterans are coming out ahead.

It also contains a series of caveats – "support varies depending on individual circumstances," for example – but NDP veterans critic Peter Stoffer says the chart is only being published to deceive the public.

Stoffer said the government is throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, into the calculations knowing full well the vast majority of soldiers never collect benefits that get anywhere near those numbers.

A spokeswoman for Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino said the government is simply responding to the demands of ex-soldiers and the country's veterans ombudsman for more details about the kind of support that's out there.

"Veterans have said they want access to clear, easy-to-read information about the range of benefits and supports available to them, like the fact that they are eligible to receive thousands of dollars each month in just financial benefits from the government of Canada," Ashlee Smith said in an email.

But Stoffer said the government is trying to make a case that it has already fulfilled its obligation to those who have served and that no further improvements are needed to the system.

"It is extremely misleading and they are just trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the Canadian people," Stoffer said.

"Many, many veterans come nowhere near those amounts."

READ MORE: Veterans rally in Ottawa over federal government's 'breach of trust'

Ray McInnis, director of the service bureau at the Royal Canadian Legion, said the figures the government is using are accurate, but only in theory.

The calculation, for example, uses a Grade 2 rating for the permanent impairment allowance, when in fact the vast majority of wounded troops fall under the Grade 3 rating.

"I don't have a problem with them getting (veterans) to understand what you could be entitled to," said McInnis.

"Hopefully, the person looking at this is not going to look at that top number and just go across the board without reading the fine print."

Other veterans groups say the information is blatantly misleading, suggesting that it portrays ex-soldiers as greedy in light of a class-action lawsuit that's currently making its way through the courts.

The challenge, launched by veterans of the Afghan war, argues that the new system of lump sum benefits introduced in 2006 is discriminatory when compared with the pension-for-life regime introduced following the Second World War.

Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino cited the $10,000 per month figure last spring in the House of Commons and during an appearance before the veterans committee.

What Fantino didn't say was that only four out of 521 severely wounded veterans in the entire country qualify for that maximum entitlement. The eye-popping figure also includes the monthly Canadian Forces pension, a payment that's made whether a soldier was injured or not.

Invisible Wounds: Less money to help veterans, more to remember them

The figures included in the newly released chart use the same calculation.

Indeed, when Veterans Affairs officials were asked in June to justify the minister's claim, they would only say the figure represented a "scenario" and that precise calculations, given the cross-section of individual benefits, stipends and supplementary payments, was extremely difficult.

At the time, they estimated the average payout as ranging between $4,000 and $6,000 per month.

Stoffer said the chart is also misleading because it doesn't accurately portray the hoops ex-soldiers have to go through in order to qualify for benefits.

Mike Blais, president of Canadian Veterans Advocacy, said he believes the chart is meant to placate Conservative supporters upset by the protests and the lawsuit.

Support for the troops is a core value of the party and the growing unrest has been greeted by dismay among the party's rank and file.

READ MORE: Veterans Affairs Canada spent $100,000 on promoted tweets

© The Canadian Press, 2014

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

Canada's veterans deserve better

Canada's veterans deserve better

Michael Taube, Special to QMI Agency

First posted: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 07:42 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 07:49 PM EDT

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/07/30/canadas-veterans-deserve-better

There's no doubt the federal Tories strongly support Canada's military. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's commitment to our troops, which includes a more robust and confident organization to take the lead in international missions such as Afghanistan, has made many Canadians proud.

When it comes to supporting our military veterans, the government's record has been much, much dicier.

In my view, the problem rests squarely on the shoulders of Julian Fantino, the minister of veterans affairs.

Fantino, as many Canadians know, had an excellent record on the police force. He was well-respected during his tenure as Toronto's chief of police (2000-2005), and as Ontario Provincial Police commissioner (2006-2010).

Alas, his career in federal politics has been anything but. His notoriously crusty demeanor, and poor relations with veterans' groups, has likely caused the PMO's communications department their fair share of grief.

In one notable example, Fantino had a few choice words with some military veterans earlier this year. The minister had arrived late for a meeting to discuss the closing of several veterans' offices, and the language got - shall we say - a bit testy.

While this was a difficult topic to deal with, and frustrating for all those involved, the Tories could have lived without video of this meeting appearing on our TV screens.

Now we have word that two recent Statistics Canada reports show some of the problems our military veterans have had in readjusting to civilian life. Some have faced difficulties in obtaining proper medical services, and suffered from chronic physical and mental health problems. Meanwhile, while a regular force veteran's average income "in the year prior to release was $70,900 (in 2011 constant dollars)," a wounded soldier released for medical reasons could witness a potential 20% drop in overall income.

From my standpoint, there's nothing to discuss.

The Tories must ensure that our brave men and women in uniform are always taken care of - even after they give back those uniforms. They are heroes, and it's the least we can do for all they've done to protect democracy, freedom and our way of life.

Harper and his senior advisers would be fundamentally aware of this. (They should be, anyway.) I would be very surprised if the PMO hadn't already instructed Fantino and his staff to handle this particular issue with the utmost of care and respect for our military veterans.

Closing veterans' offices was a bad political decision, but can at least be attributed to reducing wasteful spending and increasing efficiency. It would be political suicide for the Tories to ignore growing concerns about decreased income levels and inadequate medical services for military veterans.

Unfortunately, a big problem remains for the Tory government. If Fantino handles this new veterans' issue like he previously did with the veterans' offices, I wouldn't want to be Harper's director of communications for all the tea in China.

No, scratch that. If this issue explodes, I wouldn't want to be within earshot or eye level of the PM.

Ottawa, therefore, needs to ensure the Canadian military is behind its efforts in every way, shape and form. This includes our brave active soldiers and our heroic veterans.

Here's what I would suggest. The PM should either shuffle, demote or remove the sore spot, Fantino, from his current cabinet post.

While it won't completely resolve this issue, a fresh new face would show that Ottawa is always willing to listen to the concerns of Canada's military.

* Michael Taube is a Washington Times columnist and a former speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

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

New announcement: Addictions, mental illness pushing veterans onto the street: experts

Addictions, mental illness pushing veterans onto the street: experts

By Annie Bergeron-Oliver | Jul 23, 2014 6:00 am

http://www.ipolitics.ca/2014/07/23/addictions-mental-illness-pushing-veterans-onto-the-street-experts/

It was one of the hardest days of her long career in the military. Just one month before launching a volunteer organization to find and help homeless veterans, Capt. Victoria Ryan learned a former corporal had died on the cold streets of Ottawa.

"This gentlemen, he would have come to me because I was his officer. He knew me pretty well," she said. "It breaks my heart to think that he froze to death right before we started."

The veteran died in the capital in February 2013, as Ryan and a group of volunteers were putting the final touches on Soldiers Helping Soldiers.

Ryan said there was no indication the corporal was in need of help. The last time she saw him, he was doing fine.

"You don't keep track of all your corporals. You give them to another officer, another warrant officer and you move on.

"I had no idea he had ended up on the streets. If I had, I would have found him."

The number of homeless veterans identified by Veterans Affairs Canada has exploded over the last five years, jumping from just 35 in 2009-2010 to 236 last year.

But the true figure could be much higher. Experts suggest there could be thousands of veterans living on the streets yet to be located by government and volunteer groups. A City of Toronto report released last year revealed that 16 per cent of the 447 people sleeping on Toronto's streets identified themselves as veterans.

In Ottawa alone, the non-profit Soldiers Helping Soldiers has identified 110 homeless veterans since March 2013. The volunteer group, which is expected to operate in six Canadian cities by Christmas, has found 75 homeless veterans in Calgary and another 50 in both Valcartier, Que. and Montreal.

"I've been told by a reputable souce that there could be in one year, just in Ottawa alone, over 1,000 homeless veterans," Ryan said.

And the numbers are expected to rise. Canada recently wound up its longest war ever, which saw more than 40,000 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. In the next few decades, experts expect more soldiers to be on the streets.

"We feel that within the next ten years, if we don't get this issue resolved, especially the mental health issues, that it could explode," said Royal Canadian Legion Dominion President Gordon Moore.

But the ways in which the agencies working with the homeless define 'veteran' varies — something which could affect data collection. Soldiers Helping Soldiers considers anyone who ever served a day in the military to be a veteran, even if they served in the military of another country. Veterans Transitional Emergency Services (VETS Canada) — a grassroots group that receives funding from Veterans Affairs Canada — serves only Canadian veterans. They meet approximately 10 to 12 Canadian veterans across the country every day, and have helped approximately 175 veterans in the last year.

'Being able to shoot someone at 600 meters is not necessarily in high demand by civilian companies.'

"For every one veteran we find, we've missed seven," said Barry Yard, national executive director of VETS Canada.

Research suggests veterans end up on the streets because of addiction, transition problems and mental health issues. In her research, Western University School of Nursing Professor Cheryl Forchuk found evidence of a 20-year gap between when individuals leave the military and when they end up on the streets.

Here in Ottawa, most of the veterans Capt. Ryan deals with have some type of mental health issue, generally attributed to their time in the military.

"I would say almost 100 per cent of the homeless veterans have some sort of addiction or mental health issue pertaining to their service," Ryan said, adding that the issues begin affecting the veterans' lives after they leave the military.

While Veterans Affairs does offer those leaving the military various transitional services, Ryan believes one of the hardest hurdles to jump over is simply adjusting to civilian life. Homeless veterans tend to be sergeant rank and below, and many of their combat skills do not translate well into the civilian world, she pointed out.

"They were infantry, they were armoured, they were artillery. Not things that translate well to civilian life," she said. "Being able to shoot someone at 600 meters is not necessarily in high demand by civilian companies."

Many homeless vets miss the familiarity and reassurance of the disciplined military lifestyle, so Soldiers Helping Soldiers operates along military lines. Volunteers wear their uniforms when conducting quarterly searches for homeless veterans, and treat the individuals as members of their squad. Ryan said the veterans wouldn't give her "the time of day" if she weren't in uniform. There's a level of embarrassment and shame, she said, that often stops homeless people from identifying themselves as veterans.

"One of the things that SHS focuses on is reminding them that they were soldiers. And the abilities and the dignity they had performing that job, they can have again," she said.

Of the 110 soldiers that Soldiers Helping Soldiers has helped, less than two dozen have stayed off the street. Capt. Mark Eldridge works with Ryan — conducting foot patrols with soldiers to find homeless veterans — and volunteers at local homeless shelters. He said sometimes veterans don't want help or are unwilling to hand over the personal information required to complete paperwork for Veterans Affairs or the Legion. A big part of the group's job is to inform veterans about the variety of services available to them.

"Sometimes they just want to share a coffee with us. They just want to share a story with us," he said.

Eldridge, who has been working with the organization since its inception, said it's "painful" to find these veterans on the streets. There is no "golden rule" or average length of time needed to get people off the streets. Sometimes, he said, there isn't much anyone can do.

"There is a sadness is that you can see pretty quickly how any one of us, absent a couple supporting factors in our lives, would be one of them," he said.

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Living with Anxiety: How to Move Ahead

Living with Anxiety: How to Move Ahead

Published on Tuesday July 15, 2014

The auditorium at The Royal was packed for our last Conversations lecture of the season – this says a lot about the impact of anxiety disorders on individuals and our community. According to Dr. Jakov Shlik, Clinical Director of the Mood and Anxiety program and the Operational Stress Injuries clinic at The Royal, 1 in 5 people will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

Dr. Shlik started his presentation by going back to the basics of human nature. "We're all born to be afraid in certain situations. This can be helpful and sometimes life-saving," he said.

If we see a bear, we may start to panic and have physical symptoms of anxiety such as sweating and shallow breathing. This is a normal reaction because our body recognizes we are in danger and goes into what's commonly referred to as 'fight or flight' mode where our body prepares to either fight the situation or flee from it. However, anxiety can be problematic when one's body creates an anxious reaction in everyday situations such as being in a crowded room, speaking to a colleague, or riding public transit.

Anxiety disorders are not only extremely uncomfortable but can have devastating effects on work, health, and children. Anxiety exists in our emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and sensations. It causes not only emotional symptoms such as racing thoughts, but physical ones such as a pounding heart, upset stomach or dizziness and shortness of breath. Anxiety is also commonly present in other mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others.

While anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses (Mood Disorders Canada), there are still many barriers to seeking help. Common barriers include self stigma, public stigma, low detection rate, limited access to treatment, and treatment effectiveness. It's important that we know how common they are and that many people live productive, happy lives with an anxiety disorder.

So, what causes an anxiety disorder? In short, Dr. Shlik said, "We don't really know. However, we can identify contributing factors and possible causes." These include genetics, brain chemistry, environmental factors, and certain personality types may be more susceptible.

An anxiety disorder can affect cognitive functioning, self-care, mobility, participation in activities, and interactions with others. Common signs of an anxiety disorder include physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, and avoidance of activities. While anxiety can have a huge affect on quality of life, there is help available for those who need it.

"It's very hard to re-train our minds but it's possible. People do it everyday."
Dr. Jakov Shlik

Dr. Shlik firstly recommends visiting a doctor should you suspect you may have an anxiety disorder. In addition to clinical help, Dr. Shlik also recommends books, apps, websites and support groups for managing anxiety. Click here http://www.theroyal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Resources_Anxiety.pdf to see what made his list.

To get an idea of what living with an anxiety disorder looks like, Lynn Sedgwick shared her personal story. She was diagnosed with chronic panic disorder, depression and also struggled with various addictions. She found help at The Royal with Dr. Shlik and also in the groups offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association. She learned healthy coping skills and fell back in love with art and exercise. She began going for walks and found this therapeutic. So much so, that she created "Lynn's Walk" where she walked 750 kms, encouraging others to join and share their story, and raised $10,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association. "Being silent doesn't help anyone," Lynn says. She's hoping that by sharing her story she can help others. Click here http://www.theroyal.ca/mental-health-centre/mental-health-programs/areas-of-care/anxiety/ for more information on the Anxiety program at The Royal.

View the slides: http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalott/living-with-anxiety-how-to-move-forward

View the video:

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Canadian public concerned not enough being done for veterans, government’s public opinion research

Canadian public concerned not enough being done for veterans, government's public opinion research indicates

Public-opinion research for the federal Finance Department suggests key government policies are out of step with Canadians' priorities, including the Northern Gateway project, according to a Canadian Press news service report.

More from that article:

Members of focus groups consulted prior to the February budget had "little enthusiasm" for the proposed bitumen pipeline to the British Columbia coast — even those who said they support the controversial project.

And among the 12 groups consulted — from Coquitlam, B.C., to Bridgewater, N.S. — the economy itself was not a top-of-mind concern.

Rather, the groups spontaneously raised education, health care, pensions and veterans as their key issues.

The findings of the January focus groups, commissioned from NRG Research Group, suggest the Harper government's central policy themes — trade and the economy, with an emphasis on energy exports — are resonating less with ordinary Canadians.

The focus groups, along with a public-opinion survey of 3,000 people, were carried out in advance of the Feb. 11 budget under a $135,000 contract.

Among the other issues participants raised:

– Canada Pension Plan reform: "This came up more often in Ontario, and the sentiment typically focused on the need to ensure this program is adequately funded."

The government has resisted calls to improve CPP though has endorsed other pension-related reforms. The Ontario government has since promised its own public pension plan.

– Veterans: "Concerns expressed whether enough was being done to help individuals with health/mental issues arising from their military service."

The government faced a barrage of veterans' criticisms over the last year, especially related to military suicides, but says it has improved benefits and care.

– Health care and education "continue to come up regularly in the discussions."

Source: Canadian public concerned not enough being done for veterans, government's public opinion research indicates

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Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.