Government Operations Committee on Sept. 22nd, 2026

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you very much. Through you, Chair, I'd like to redirect the conversation to housing, which is what we're here to talk about.

Also, it's wonderful being a new member at OGGO. I remember substituting here a couple of times during one of our previous sessions.

I'd like to start with you, Mr. Freeman, very quickly, in regard to planning and strategy. I'd also like to highlight that I'm a member from Nova Scotia, similar to my colleague—it's her motion—who's from Nova Scotia. I'd like to highlight the fact that, in Nova Scotia, we punch above our weight in terms of the number of veterans we have: 7.2% of our total population in Nova Scotia are veterans, versus a national population of 2.7%, making it extremely important to have wraparound services, as my colleague across the way was talking about, that are close to housing.

My first question for you, Mr. Freeman, is this: How is Veterans Affairs identifying opportunities to use some of these underutilized, or surplus, federal properties to address veterans housing? What do you feel some of the biggest barriers are to making these properties available?

[Mitch Freeman]

Thank you so much for the question.

I'd like to start by highlighting your first point around some of the data and information we have as a result of census 2021. This was the first time since 1971 that a census question was asked about military service. That, of course, has been repeated in 2026. We look forward to receiving that data in the coming months and years, as well as the analysis that occurs.

As for your point, Nova Scotia has the highest veteran population per capita, and it's very important that the services are offered in a way that.... We have heard from veterans about telling their story once and not making them repeat the trauma or the issues they have. Certainly, to the committee, it would offer the opportunity to reflect on how best to make recommendations on those types of properties.

We also hear from veterans that the majority of interactions with the Department of Veterans Affairs come in two steps. One is case management. By far the most important is case management, in which a veteran will sit down and speak to a Veterans Affairs employee around their needs analysis. They'll walk through a transition process. They'll identify the needs.

That case manager, as the convenor of services, will then work with the veteran to put the right services in place. Some of those services may come from us. Some of those services may come from community providers. It will be important for the committee to reflect on how these properties can then be used in and where veterans live, in order to resolve their needs.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

What do you feel is one of the barriers to that right now?

[Mitch Freeman]

Nathalie, do you have any thoughts on that?

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I'm coming to you next, Ms. Pham. Yes, let's roll into that.

[Nathalie Pham, Director General, Field Operations, Department of Veterans Affairs]

Do you mean specifically to Nova Scotia or as a barrier to...?

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

I mean in general. We're representing all Canadians with the committee.

[Nathalie Pham]

As I think Mr. Freeman said, the role of our frontline staff is to support our veterans and to link them with the community resources, with the province and with service providers to help them. That is one of our greatest missions, and we're proud of doing that.

Of course, it's not always an easy piece. First of all, veterans come forward, but are they ready to access all the resources available to them? It takes time and engagement to help the veteran move forward to that.

When you ask me what the obstacles are, I would say that trust and the building of relationships with veterans are not as easy as we think. It's not as though we have a veteran who comes forward and we put the service in place. We need to build that trusting relationship. This may take months or, sometimes, years.

I would say that with our homeless veterans, that is a bigger challenge. They don't engage with you right away. It may take time. Also, as you know, homeless veterans have a different shape. We don't always see the classic homeless veterans. A lot of our homeless veterans do what we may call “couch surfing”, and they may not be completely homeless when we first meet with them. We realize when we start working with our veterans that some of them are potentially in a situation of becoming homeless. Trying to be proactive is really critical, then, for the people who are in the steps to become homeless. That's when we want to react, act and support them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

We are out of time for you.

Madame Gaudreau, please go ahead.

Before you start, though, it will be Madame Gaudreau and then Mr. Bragdon. Then we'll finish with Mr. Gasparro. We have a couple of extra minutes to spare, and we'll do three and a half or four, six and six. I'm just adding a minute to each.

Please go ahead.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

You're right, Ms. Pham. The study we did at the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs showed that a veteran commits suicide every week. My colleagues don't know this, but it's important. Some people don't know me yet, but I speak French. I was saying that 50% of veterans are more likely to commit suicide. So, yes, being proactive is essential.

This morning, we had the opportunity to get an overview of Veterans Affairs Canada. We understand that Public Services and Procurement Canada is in charge of the land, but we want to know specifically what's available for veterans through this program. What are the services provided? What's the plan? That's all I want to know today.

[Nathalie Pham]

You're asking what the plan is for homeless veterans. Is that correct?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Yes. I'm talking about vulnerable veterans and home ownership.

[Nathalie Pham]

In terms of service delivery, we're more focused on the risk factors we can address with our veterans so they have access to the services that are in place. If they need mental health services, regardless of where the veterans are, we need to give them access to those services. As you know, veterans reside everywhere across the country. Our number one mission is to put them in contact with service providers, provinces and territories. That's important for us.

Of course, we look at every angle, including how the person functions.

Housing is one of the concerns: We have to look at what works for them. We collaborate a lot with community resources. They're really our eyes on the ground; they can be there day and night. They work a lot with other resources in the community. So our role is to contact community resources and work with them. Moreover, very often, it is the community resources that send veterans our way. Again, it's about building trust; a homeless veteran won't come knocking on our door. That's what we want, but we need to work with community resources to create that trust so they send the veterans our way for us to help them.

We believe it's about providing them with the services they are entitled to and helping them meet their needs, no matter what they are.

I know we're talking about housing, but we have to find the type of housing or the way of doing things that suits them. There isn't a one-size-fits-all for veterans; it's specific to each one.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I would like to have more details about the plan, how it will take shape and what the implementation process will look like. Will it be implemented everywhere at once, or are there priority areas? I would like for the committee to receive that information. People are asking us questions, so we want to be able to give them answers.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Is there anything that you're looking for in writing from them in a response?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I didn't hear that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm sorry. Is there anything that you're looking for from them in writing to respond to your last commentary about a plan?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

My question is really about the implementation of the plan across the country.

Ms. Pham, since you represent the regions, I would like to know how the plan is divided up and carried out in the regions.

[Nathalie Pham]

We can share our plan and how we work with the various resources to support vulnerable veterans.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

That's great. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

That's fantastic. Thanks very much.

As a reminder, this committee has passed a motion that any requested documents have to come to us within 21 days.

We will now go to Mr. Bragdon, and then we'll finish with Mr. Gasparro and Ms. Fancy.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.

Motion 16 recognizes that Canada's growing armed forces could lead to an increasing number of veterans over the coming decades and, of course, over the coming years. Has Veterans Affairs undertaken any planning to determine how the demand on veterans services and facilities could change as a result? Are there particular communities and regions where you anticipate significant increases in demand?

[Mitch Freeman]

It's a question that is relevant to the time in which we live. There's certainly work being done by the two organizations, ours and the Canadian Armed Forces, to try to forecast and understand that growth in recruitment and retention in the military and then what the future forecast is for that departure to Veterans Affairs. Undoubtedly, there will be an increase in the number of veterans in the country over the course of the next years and decades.

I want us to come back to some of the analysis in that regard. First and foremost, I want the committee to have confidence that the Veterans Affairs benefits—that is, our disability benefit program, our rehabilitation income replacement benefits, etc., as I mentioned earlier—are quasi-statutory in nature, which means that they grow with the demand. From a purely financial point of view, the number of veterans who apply for benefits is the number of veterans who receive those benefits.

The second component is processing and capacity. We are thankful that budget 2025 included $184.9 million to stabilize the disability processing workforce in order to ensure that processing keeps pace. It also invested in a program called service modernization, which will see technology around efficiency and effectiveness of that program moving forward. The delivery of that particular benefit is virtual in nature, so infrastructure and physical location are not consequential inputs to that conversation, because the workforce is virtual across the country today, and the service modernization to enhance the veterans' journey will be the first step in meeting the increasing demand in the years and decades to come.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

I think what many veterans would want to know and, of course, what Canadians as a whole want to know, is that the response from the department and from the government is matching the urgency of the moment and the need.

All of us in this room can reflect and perhaps know of or have encountered or met with veterans who are transitioning across very difficult terrain and are navigating, along with their families, the consequences of their service and the after-effects of that. Then we have those who are severely impacted and find themselves in conditions we can't even begin to imagine.

It behooves the government, as well as the department, to answer with compassion, sensitivity and urgency to make sure priority is being put on ensuring the proper use of the facilities that are there, and if there are surplus federal buildings that match a need, they are being identified now and are repurposed to align with those emerging needs.

There is one area that I was made aware of this morning, in fact, when I received a note. There is a chapel that's part of the Canadian Armed Forces base in Gagetown called St. Luke's Chapel. It has long served the military families and the veterans of our region. Was Veterans Affairs consulted on the decision to repurpose and basically deconsecrate the chapel and convert it to a multi-purpose facility?

I know many veterans and their families rely on chaplaincy services. That aspect of their lives is so important, especially in times of crisis and need. Is Veterans Affairs aware of this decision, and were you consulted?

[Mitch Freeman]

I have a couple of comments.

I'd like to draw us back to the beginning of the statement to make sure that all the committee members know that, if you know of a veteran who is struggling and needs assistance, you can talk to the veteran and make sure we are aware so that we and our teams can reach out and make sure the veteran has access to any services and supports that they may need.

I would also like to highlight to the committee members and any veteran who is watching today that the number one priority of the department is to ensure that services are in place for veterans and that the transition process goes as well as it can. This is why the department, over the last decade, has evolved the transition process in collaboration with our colleagues at the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure that there can be sit-down interviews with veterans and their families, should the veteran be so inclined.