New veterans watchdog says she has ‘solid mandate,’ working ‘flat out’ in first weeks on the job
Canada’s new veterans watchdog Nishika Jardine says her office has a “solid” mandate and will not be “hampered in any way” by the reporting structure to a cabinet minister rather than Parliament, as her predecessor has suggested. The former Army officer officially started the five-year appointment on Nov. 23, less than two weeks after the […]
Graduates of trauma support centre for military, vets, first responders, warn of more suicides if PTSD program can’t find funding
A treatment program for military personnel, veterans, and first responders suffering from post traumatic stress disorder is struggling to find funding, and graduates of the program warn that lives could be on the line if the program is forced to downsize. Project Trauma Support is a six-day program run on a rural property near Perth, […]
The civilizing effect (touch wood) of lockdown on social media
For all the incalculable personal tragedy and economic disruption the COVID-19 pandemic has produced, there have been, if not entirely countervailing positives, at least unintended consequences of the rare, uplifting variety. One of them is that social media seems to have become less toxic in lockdown. I have nothing beyond anecdotal evidence for this assertion, […]
The Hill to honour Remembrance Day in minimalist ceremony with vintage flyover
As the National Remembrance Day Ceremony will be scaled down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, onlookers will be gazing up to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. To mark the milestone, three vintage aircraft will fly over the Hill at the end of the ceremony. The flyover will include the […]
Veterans Affairs’ backlog and wait-times ‘a perfect storm’
OTTAWA—The National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (NCVA) continues to call for dramatic and innovative steps to be taken by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to address the current unacceptable backlog and turnaround times experienced with respect to veterans’ disability claims. As Veterans Affairs Deputy Minister Walt Natynczyk stated before the House Veterans Affairs Committee […]
Scaled-down Remembrance Day Ceremony to mark 75th anniversary of end of Second World War
In a typical year, thousands of Canadians gather near the National War Monument to mark Remembrance Day. But 2020 isn’t a typical year. While the Royal Canadian Legion will still hold a ceremony, it will do so with a maximum of 100 people present, as spectators are being discouraged from attending. There will be no […]
Liberal MP Kamal Khera joins nursing ranks after COVID-19 recovery
The only MP to have publicly revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently recovered has joined the front lines pitching in at a long-term care home in Brampton, Ont. Liberal MP Kamal Khera, who is a registered nurse, announced she was joining the front lines of the health crisis in March, but before she […]
Ottawa’s legal costs: from bad secrets to better government
OTTAWA—During the last week in January, Parliament worked a little better for Canadians, uncovering what Ottawa has been increasingly hiding. I am talking about the ritual of responses to Members’ written questions known as Questions on the Order Paper. Some questions were answered with a brief sentence, others with boxes of documents. But both sides of […]
Senate should be ‘very careful’ of widespread rule changes and ‘unintended consequences,’ says retiring Sen. Day
After nearly two decades in the Upper Chamber, Joseph Day, the outgoing Senate Liberal-turned-Progressive Senate Group leader, said he feels he still has unfinished business. “There’s a lot of things that you want to make sure [to] get in place so that you’re confident that the decisions taken will be in the best interest of […]
Christmas in Ortona was ‘just another day’
OTTAWA—At this time of year, one of my favourite songs is about the “Christmas Truce” of the First World War. Called Christmas in the Trenches, one of the most evocative versions is by Canadian singer John McDermott. In December 1914, there was a pause in the fighting, and the English and German soldiers approached one […]
