Evidence of meeting #106 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was homeless.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you.
In a lot of this, services from Veterans Affairs are very important. You mentioned that two of your case managers had served for at least 20 years. Where were they in your nine-case-manager line? Were they at the beginning or in the middle?
As an Individual
My first case manager was amazing. She ran the western Manitoba office.
Conservative
As an Individual
Prior to my initial release, she helped me to do some navigation. She helped me up until my release in 2016. After that, the case managers were all three-month contract hires, until about one year ago when I moved to the Comox Valley. The case manager there used to run the Brandon, Manitoba office before it was closed by Veterans Affairs. Now she's retired.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
I had no idea we had case managers on three-month contracts to handle the most difficult scenarios. Are you absolutely sure of that?
As an Individual
Yes, I'm absolutely positive. If you look at my file, each one of my case managers were short-term, three-month contract hires out of the Victoria office.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Okay.
Could you talk to me a little more about the service dogs and the regulations around them and what we need to see in Canada to make this... Not every veteran needs or can handle a service dog. We're not saying that every veteran in Canada should receive one. What needs to be done to make this service available in the way that it should be available to veterans?
As an Individual
In British Columbia, the provincial government only recognizes one organization, and that's an American organization that self accredits.
Because my dog was trained out of Winnipeg, I as a person with a disability am required to pay a fee to do a test to certify my dog. A veteran with exactly the same disability who has a dog from this American organization isn't required to do the test or pay a fee—they get a pass.
We're not getting any assistance in B.C. Right now with my service dog, I am denied public access to any provincial offices. In the last couple of weeks, I've been denied access or removed from BC ferries. I'm not allowed to travel on BC ferries because my dog does not belong to this organization that's recognized by the provincial government.
We can't get any traction with the provincial government; they don't want to hear it.
When our constitutional and our human rights are being violated, I can't get accommodation because the province doesn't recognize my service dog. They've given the exclusive rights to one American organization, and the Veterans Affairs study, along with the Canadian General Standards Board proposal to do a national standard went off the rails—and I've got the information—because the former speaker of the House in B.C. had a direct impact on both those studies. The former speaker is a member of Assistance Dogs International, and so were two other MLAs. That issue has caused problems not only for me, but also for four other veterans in my local area and 300 veterans who have service dogs from outside Assistance Dogs International.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Thank you all for your presentations.
We have a variety of views and approaches, and of course Sergeant Webb, we're very much touched and appreciative of your being present here. I know you wonder, sometimes we all wonder, what the good outcome is going to be, but I can assure you that your testimony here today is very important, and we're glad that you're here.
Of course, thank you for your service.
I'm trying to go backwards. Would you have signed on about 1992? When did you join the military?
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
How long was your career in the military—20 years?
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Was there a point during your service when you started to consider life after the military, if ever? I'm not sure whether you're a medical release or what, so how did that go for you?
As an Individual
At that time, I was married and had two young boys at CFB Shilo. We always planned a life after the military. However, I didn't foresee suffering an injury during my tour, and coming home with no support from my commanding officer or from my force commander, General Leslie, or the former Chief of the Land Staff General Devlin who said they would support me if I was injured. That didn't happen. I was moved and shuffled off into a corner and then released against my will.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Regarding the information you gave us on your trying to access benefits, we've heard that a lot from veterans. Part of it is simply the mental strain of having a life change and having to fill out scads of documents where, if you made one mistake somewhere, the whole thing is thrown out and you have start all over again. That leads to the kind of frustration that we've heard.
One of the things recently has been the My VAC Account. Are you familiar with that as well?
As an Individual
Yes, I'm familiar with the My VAC Account. Most of the veterans whom I work with find it extremely cumbersome to log in through the partner program. It can become frustrating for me at times. Emails are typically replied to within 72 hours. I could get a call back, if I'm lucky, from P.E.I. within 48 hours.
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
When you've been in these situations of homelessness, or living as you told us, do you have devices to communicate, a cellphone and so on, or do you have to go someplace, a library or something?
Liberal
Liberal
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
What relationship do you have with your former comrades, if at all?
As an Individual
Very little to none. My home unit is in Manitoba. I live in B.C. The association is set up, and it's an officers' association. There isn't an NCOs' or a senior NCOs' association, so that's lacking on the military side.
