Evidence of meeting #78 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was care.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
May 1st, 2013 / 5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Chris Alexander Conservative Ajax—Pickering, ON
Thanks, Chair.
Thanks to you both for your testimony and for the work of the organization.
I think it's a particularly powerful example of the response of Canadian society because of your beginnings in 2006 when we were, for the first time in decades, in serious, large-scale combat in Kandahar. We were doing that on behalf of Canadians but in the context of a NATO mission where the NATO forces had never been in combat as NATO forces, and we needed a response from Canadian society above and beyond the response from the government.
Everyone has been changed by this experience—I totally agree with that assessment—and in some respects for the better. Experience is always a great school. But clearly with the clients you're dealing with, who are close to our hearts for the purposes of this report, they have been changed in ways that have generated suffering and need, to which you have responded.
Thank you for describing the evolution.
Give us a sense of what your vision is for Wounded Warriors in the next four or five years.
Also, to what extent do you formally or informally try to ensure that roles and responsibilities with regard to those in need across Canada are more and more coherently shared among the many organizations that are out there, some of them very small scale, and some of them very local, and some of them absolutely national? Do you have a formal process of consultation?
I know that we all see each other—True Patriot Love, Soldier On, yourselves, and many other organizations—but how comfortable are you that a serious discussion about roles and priorities is taking place within that community?
5:05 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
Thank you for that.
Four to five years out is a long time, but the flippant answer would be that I hope we're out of business. The reality is that we won't be.
In terms of interacting with other charities, with other organizations, there is some of that already taking place. When there is a large-scale project that needs to be done, there is only so much that any one particular charity can do. If we all have a similar mandate then there is the opportunity to work together. With respect to the question earlier about the competitive aspect of it, I'd like to think that we're not competitive. If there is a need, we will answer the need. If the need is such that it's beyond our scope and scale, then by all means we will engage other charities to work together with.
In terms of our longer-term objective, certainly the example of the $400,000 commitment is a 10-year commitment to the scholarship program. That's a $40,000 per year commitment for students to study PTSD in their post-grad. One of the big reasons we did that was the harsh reality that as a nation, going as far back as the Boer War, we have never entered into a conflict with full, complete preparation. It's not to suggest that we never will, but we need to take steps as a nation so that we enter conflicts, which will happen in the future, having as much knowledge and ability in all aspects as we can.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Chris Alexander Conservative Ajax—Pickering, ON
Certainly some of us around this table think healthy competition is a good thing in areas like this. Probably the word that is even more appropriate is “redundancy”. If one case gets missed here, if there are several organizations who feel responsible then it may be picked up there.
Tell us, with a bit more specificity, about your programs for the homeless. Do you have a sense of numbers, either in the urban areas, I presume, where you're most concentrated, the GTA, elsewhere, and/or nationally?
Secondly, on stigma, we've heard good things from many witnesses about Canada's efforts to reduce the obstacle that stigma represents to treatment of mental health. Do reservists face an additional obstacle there? Is it harder? Do we need to do more to make sure that stigma isn't holding back the care they need when they move outside the military family?
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
I can speak to the stigma part.
My background is that I'm a volunteer in this organization. My business is in the financial services sector. Employers in Canada are very cognizant of mental health issues, far more than some people may realize.
It is safe to say that a reservist who comes forward in any organization, as any employee would be, is nervous about their future. I think that's a general comment about a societal issue. We may accept the problem of the individual, but as far as the individual's ability to perform in advance within an organization, it is naturally put into question. I think that's a rather anecdotal response, but a fair response.
As far as the homeless funding, we funded, British Columbia funded homelessness this past winter. I'll let Phil speak a bit further with regard to that, but we have done that on numerous occasions.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
5:10 p.m.
Padre and Program Director, Regimental Chaplain, 32 Combat Regiment, Toronto, Wounded Warriors Canada
We don't have a homeless program ourselves, but we have funded them.
We've helped to keep the veterans homeless shelter in Vancouver that was in danger of closing. We had a presentation with Veterans Affairs on that. We've done one or two others. We have a van that we donated to Montreal to do street outreach, and that was also in cooperation with Veterans Affairs Canada. There's the cooperation, as you said.
We will cooperate to get the job done. It's not about us. It's about the soldiers.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Jean-François Larose NDP Repentigny, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I thank our witnesses for being here today.
First of all, how much is the organization's annual budget?
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
Our annual budget?
This year our expectation of revenue is in the $750,000 range.
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
The composition of the funding?
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
It comes from a $25 cheque from the grandmother in Kelowna, B.C., all the way through to an organization called Tough Mudder, if you're familiar with that, where we have raised over $100,000 in the past two years.
We've had a number of corporate sponsors, as well, that have provided substantial donations.
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
No, sir.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Jean-François Larose NDP Repentigny, QC
You're one of the few organizations that's actually doing it on your own.
5:10 p.m.
Board Vice-Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Wounded Warriors Canada
No. We don't—
5:10 p.m.
Padre and Program Director, Regimental Chaplain, 32 Combat Regiment, Toronto, Wounded Warriors Canada
We are proudly independent.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Jean-François Larose NDP Repentigny, QC
Excellent.
Among other things, you look to see if there are any gaps affecting soldiers. Can you tell us what some of the situations are and indicate if any of them are currently getting worse?
5:10 p.m.
Padre and Program Director, Regimental Chaplain, 32 Combat Regiment, Toronto, Wounded Warriors Canada
If you look at our mandate as described—you can look it up on our website—60% of our program and funding is targeted toward mental health issues. That is going to be the greatest need going forward. Obviously once you know the scope of the physical wounds, there are the things that take place there. They are pretty well...you can categorize them and you can look at them. But obviously all the issues falling out from any mental health issues....
We are proud that we are the one organization in Canada that has a particular focus on primary reserves. That shouldn't surprise you, since I am one. I know the very real challenges of the soldiers who come in my door, even just getting to a clinic.
My regiment is in Toronto, so there is a clinic there. But guess what? It's open from eight o'clock to three o'clock. The regular force guys come in and out, and the class B guys come in and out. The guy who's on the job, oh boy, he's having a hard time. Never mind if you're in Flin Flon, Manitoba or you're with the Regina Rifles or whatever unit, or you're up in Thunder Bay—it's getting to the service.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Jean-François Larose NDP Repentigny, QC
We can assume there's hype going on. There's more and more demand for it.
5:15 p.m.
Padre and Program Director, Regimental Chaplain, 32 Combat Regiment, Toronto, Wounded Warriors Canada
Yes. I would guess that there will be a significant spike in mental health issues in the next five years.
