Veterans Affairs Committee on May 3rd, 2021

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

That was my question.

[Paul Thomson]

They will be able to look at the concepts and provide their feedback. Then we'll open it up to the public for the same. That's a key upcoming phase that we are getting into in terms of consultation.

Once that happens, we will select the jury. Based on all the feedback, we'll select a winner.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

How many years down the road is this? You must have a sense.

[Paul Thomson]

In terms of picking a winner, this is all going to happen within the next three to four months—in early fall. Once the winning design architect is chosen, they'll go away and work on their actual design and the actual monument. That's going to take some time.

It's slated now for a November 2024 unveiling. Times could shift in light of the situation we're in.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I have another question I would like to ask really quickly.

With this regional approach and this annual revolving calendar, I assume that's mostly around the whole digital concept. What veterans groups were engaged in the research on that decision to go with that regional approach?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

That's your time, unfortunately, but I will allow for a quick answer please.

[Paul Thomson]

We've consulted with our commemoration advisory group, which includes groups like the Royal Canadian Legion and other veterans organizations, along with seeking feedback from key stakeholders, including youth, women's groups—

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Are actual veterans groups considered within that stakeholder group?

[Paul Thomson]

Absolutely. Key veterans groups make up part of our commemoration advisory group.

We are going to be consulting on our plan using the new Let's Talk Veterans platform very shortly as well. We're broadening that engagement but focusing absolutely on making sure we have feedback from veterans groups.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

MP Casey, you have five minutes, please.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Welcome to our witnesses. I heard Mr. Christopher say he was coming to us today from the traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq. I know where that is.

I want to make sure Mr. Pearson gets a chance to get into Hansard here.

Are you coming to us from Ottawa or New Brunswick, Mr. Pearson?

[Colonel, Retired) Michael Pearson (Director, Commemorations Operations, Department of Veterans Affairs]

I'm in New Brunswick, sir.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Welcome. It's nice to have you here.

[Col (Ret'd) Michael Pearson]

Thank you very much.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Christopher and Mr. Thomson, I can see you're at the national headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs. I'm going to put in a little plug for the folks downtown who very much look forward to seeing your full teams back in the headquarters there at the Daniel J. MacDonald Building or the Jean Canfield or one of the other spaces you occupy. The provincial government seems to have figured out how they're able to work in downtown Charlottetown, and the business community looks very much forward to you folks doing the same.

I want to start with a phenomenon that is certainly very evident in Prince Edward Island. I expect you're going to tell me it goes much broader than that.

We really have seen a dramatic increase in recent years of attendance at commemoration events, domestically. If you've gone to the Charlottetown cenotaph in the last five years, the crowd seems to get bigger every year.

Surely you've recognized this phenomenon. How do you explain it?

[Rick Christopher]

I've certainly recognized it. I am forever invited to go to Mount Stewart, not far from town here, to attend their ceremony and represent the department. I've noticed that the crowds are getting bigger.

As much as I would like to take the credit for the department, there are a number of very strong grassroots organizations that are hosting these events. Although we support them—depending on the event, we provide financial and other support—they deserve a lot of the credit for getting people out. Some of it is awareness. Some of it is the veteran community. I'm not just talking about pre-Korea. I think a lot of younger veterans are very much active in the veteran community in getting the word out.

For some reason, Canadians are just much more aware and more interested.

Paul, do you have any theories?

[Paul Thomson]

No. I will ask my colleague Michael to weigh in, but I think it's the ongoing work we do with the Royal Canadian Legion across the country on some of those commemorative activities, especially, obviously, during Remembrance Day. I think Mr. Clark will say the same, that as an organization we work well with them and they work with us to make sure we're putting on good commemorative ceremonies and other innovative activities as well, as part of Veterans' Week .

Michael, I don't know if you have anything else to add on that.

[Col (Ret'd) Michael Pearson]

I have a personal experience.

I left the uniform in 2014, and in the last 10 years of my career, you're right, the interest from the Canadian public was growing. We could feel it on the bases. We could feel it in the streets. You could experience it. I only joined Veterans Affairs a couple of years ago, but there is a real sense that it is a meaningful and important experience. I'd like to think that the program work that Paul and Rick and others are responsible for has only magnified it.

Thank you.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you.

Another phenomenon that we see in Prince Edward Island, which I know isn't unique across the country, is the changing face of our community and the impact that immigration has had. Part of your mandate, as I understand it, is to figure out ways to involve new Canadians. Can you expand on that a bit?

[Rick Christopher]

Sure. Before I hand it over to Paul, I was reading a stat the other day that 21% of Canadians were not born in Canada, so what you're saying is absolutely true. The profile of Canadians has changed dramatically, and certainly in little old P.E.I. we are seeing this as well. Part of our challenge, of course, is how we engage this cohort of Canadians.

Paul.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Reply very briefly, please.

[Paul Thomson]

Thank you.

We continue to engage with that community to ensure that, because they come from other countries where their war experience is different from ours, we seek their feedback and try to make sure what we're doing is resonating with new Canadians. We're trying, and we're learning as we go, as I said, based on consultations. Storytelling and personal profiles—those kinds of things resonate with new Canadians. Involving them in some of those activities and making sure we continue to target them, if you will, with key messages is important.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you.

MP Desilets, you have two and a half minutes, please.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Christopher, I would like you to answer my question. I often have the impression that RCMP veterans are forgotten in everything that we might say or do. When we talk about commemoration, I don't see how they can be included, given their work.

Is anything done for them? Are there any commemorative activities, or is something being explored, for our friends in the RCMP?

[Rick Christopher]

Mr. Chair, that is certainly a good point.

The RCMP members put themselves in harm's way like everyone else, and they are considered veterans. They are even involved in some of the overseas conflicts. We need to keep this in mind when planning our commemorative strategies or events. They should even be included in the consultation.

Mr. Thomson, do you have any comments?