To touch on a bit of Mr. Stoffer's question as well, I've been in the VAC ombudsman's office a couple of times, actually several times, and I didn't see any information there. There could be general information displayed saying that Veterans Affairs does offer this service to members of the RCMP as well as retired members of the RCMP.
I've also gone on their website and I googled OSISS, or googled different portions in their website with the words “RCMP” in it, and there's nothing. They talk about veterans and serving military members, but there's nothing in there that says RCMP members. If you go on their website and look up in the top corner, there is a very little picture of a Mountie dressed in red serge, but you'd have to actually, physically, go to that site. We're requesting that Veterans Affairs actually promote the services they offer.
With regard to the transition interviews, those members retiring still communicate through the vets to the serving members within the communities that they live in, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on. It's a word of mouth as well as documentation, pamphlets, posters, etc.—anything that would be visible that would encourage members.
There are 41 of us in the staff relations program. There are about 250 total, with a part-time sub-rep. They do it off the side of their desks. For us to go out and visit with people and inform them of this service, with 250 to deal with 26,000, it's hard to get through. Some members don't pay attention until it's too late; there's that type of thing as well. I'm not saying it's just veterans; it's also within the organizations.