Veterans Affairs Committee on May 3rd, 2021

[Paul Thomson]

Their participation is important, especially given their role in more recent conflicts. It is up to us to ensure that their contribution is commemorated.

[Rick Christopher]

I must mention that our department has liaison officers who are RCMP members. So that collaboration continues.

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

Mr. Christopher or Mr. Thompson, could you give me some concrete examples? I'm having a hard time seeing, imagining how that could be done.

[Paul Thomson]

First, in our consultations on the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan, the RCMP was a key stakeholder. They participated in our consultations. As we begin to develop the commemorative content for younger veterans and for other conflicts, we need to consult with the RCMP even more. They are definitely on our radar.

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

Thank you very much.

That's all, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

Before we go to Rachel, I will need to suspend just briefly in order to do her sound check.

We're ready to go.

Ms. Blaney, you have two and a half minutes.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, everyone. I apologize for missing your presentation.

I heard Mr. Casey's question and I really couldn't agree more. We're hearing and seeing a lot more interaction in community events.

I know COVID has changed it, but this past Remembrance Day we had a small event and I was absolutely amazed to see how many of our veterans came, from the Second World War and the Korean War. Some of them were very elderly, but they were still there. It was hard for our cadets to not be able to go and help them walk closer. I appreciate how these opportunities for us to remember are really challenged during this time.

At the last committee meeting, we heard from Caitlin Bailey, the executive director of the Vimy Foundation. She talked about the concern she had around overseas commemorations—that mentality of “if it's out of sight, it's out of mind”—and making sure Canada is proactive in providing sustainable funding for the maintenance of memorials.

I wonder if you could give us a bit of an update and tell us if VAC is committed to ensuring that sustainable funding is there for the maintenance and upkeep of overseas commemorations, which I know we all agree are so important for us in our international reputation.

I will leave it to you to decide who should answer.

[Rick Christopher]

Mr. Chair, I can start.

I absolutely agree, and as you can imagine, there are a number of challenges with having sites overseas. We have 14 sites. Two of them are national historic sites.

There are a number of organizations that we work with on a regular basis. Some of them do approach us on an ongoing basis for additional funding, whether that be for maintenance or interpretation. Some of these are ad hoc and some of them are more ongoing. For instance, if we look at the Juno Beach Centre, which is run by a non-governmental organization, we have an ongoing relationship in terms of funding for them.

For some of the others, though, such as if you're talking about the Vimy Foundation, we partner with them and provide funding, really to enhance the experience for people who are either interested in Vimy or visiting Vimy.

Maybe Paul can talk a bit about some of the ongoing projects we have with them.

[Paul Thomson]

Very quickly, yes, the Juno Beach Centre and Vimy Foundation are very key and important partners for us in the work we do. We are working on a policy around third parties and how to deal with that ongoing asset management issue that we have, but we are working very well with both of them.

Even on the content development side, we've done some wonderful things with the Vimy Foundation recently that they're working on in terms of exhibits and content for Vimy, and the same with the Juno Beach Centre. They're very much aligned with our strategic plan and looking for opportunities for their own respective organizations to work with that.

I know that's not part of your question, but I want to flag that the relationship is good with both of those key groups and that we are working on a third party policy to put some parameters around how that ongoing asset management issue is going to look and feel going forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much, sir.

On that note, that brings us to a close on our first hour. I thank all of you for participating today, and I will allow you to jump off the call as I introduce Mr. Clark.

Sir, the next five minutes are all yours to make your opening remarks. Go ahead.

[Steven Clark, National Executive Director, The Royal Canadian Legion]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you for the invitation to the Legion to appear before you today.

I am Steven Clark, national executive director. I have also served as the director of Canada's national Remembrance Day ceremony for 10 years, and have conceived and developed such initiatives as the virtual poppy drop projection on Centre Block and the virtual wall of honour and remembrance.

Commemoration of service and sacrifice is a mainstay of the Legion. Remembrance initiatives, whether they be large-scale events or quiet moments of personal reflection, all contribute to the collective reminiscence of a grateful nation.

While technological advances and societal trends and expectations have formed and transformed how we remember, the important who and why we remember remains forever constant.

From that first Armistice Day ceremony in the Commonwealth in 1919, people have continued to gather every year to pay their respects and thanks to the fallen. In 1921, 100 years ago this July, the Great War Veterans Association, the predecessor of the Royal Canadian Legion, adopted the poppy as the symbol of remembrance in Canada. Community cenotaph ceremonies and wearing the lapel poppy are important components of the visible expression of how we remember, and these will continue unabated.

As technology becomes more integrated into our lives, however, how we remember has seen an evolution, which complements but does not replace more traditional practices. In recent years, we have seen virtual ceremonies, albeit sometimes, of late, out of necessity.

In 2018, the Legion introduced the digital poppy for display on personal digital devices, social media platforms and e-communications. The highly successful tap-enabled “pay tribute” poppy boxes, trialled last year, will be expanded to 2,000 locations for the 2021 poppy campaign, and will complement the traditional method of poppy distribution and donation collection. Both the digital poppy and the pay tribute boxes provide a response to the trend of a cashless society, as these donations to support Canada’s veterans are made using a credit card or cellphone.

Innovation and a desire to bring remembrance to a younger demographic in an environment to which they are accustomed, led the Legion, in 2019, to partner with Fortnite, an online gaming platform, to develop and offer a virtual remembrance island. On that island, players experience First World War trenches, D-Day beaches, a Canadian military cemetery and the Vimy Ridge memorial. There is absolutely no fighting, and no weaponry or destruction, only the opportunity for a journey of remembrance.

In 2020, the island became a sequel and was expanded to include more Second World War locations and experiences, like the Dieppe Raid and Hill 70. Available only on November 11, players were encouraged to pause for two minutes of silence at 11 p.m., another way to connect with the gaming community on their terms. On that one day, in each of 2019 and 2020, over 15 million individuals visited remembrance island.

That connection with youth remains paramount. The Legion National Foundation’s poster and literary contest sees 100,000 students nationwide every year show what remembrance means to them, through their artistic expression and literary composition. That contest has evolved over its decades-long existence to include a video component in some locations.

Community engagement is also essential. We have seen a renewed interest by corporate Canada in sharing the remembrance message. Already, for the 2021 poppy campaign, the Legion has almost 100 corporate partners who have committed to work nationally or with their local branches to promote remembrance to their employees and customers.

That community engagement can be in various forms. For the 2020 remembrance period, the Legion engaged national landmark locations across Canada to create a visual display of remembrance on a grand scale. Iconic places like the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, city of Ottawa and Toronto signs, the Calgary Tower, the Olympic cauldron in Vancouver, the Canada Place Sails of Light, the Vancouver Science World dome and others were illuminated in red, representing the poppy, creating yet another reminder of our pledge to never forget.

It has been said that human memory is adaptive, and that what we learn and remember is goal-oriented. Our goal is to ensure that society’s memories are tuned to remembrance and the importance of remembering our fallen.

We need to continue to engage Canada’s current and next generations as well as communities throughout all reaches of the country. We need to continue to develop innovative ways to weave the remembrance experience into existing behaviours while still respecting the traditions of the past, but whatever initiatives evolve, remembering the service and sacrifice of the fallen remains sacrosanct.

Mr. Chair, the Legion thanks you for the opportunity to participate in this study.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much, Mr. Clark.

As the father of a 14-year-old boy, I want to say that the Remembrance Day event on Fortnite was a big hit in the May household. I know people can't see the other side of my screen, but I share this space with the rec room in my home, and my son is playing Fortnite. That's in the background of what I'm seeing right now. That was a very well-done initiative.

Moving on to questions, up next for five minutes is MP Brassard, please.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What's Fortnite? I'm only kidding.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

I'll talk to you after, John.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Okay.

Steve, it's good to see you again, and thanks for coming to committee on an extremely important study, not just for now but also for the future as well.

I know we're speaking about commemoration, but one of the issues you have spoken about in front of committee is the issue of the state of the Legions across the country as a result of COVID. The emergency funding helped. I know it wasn't the exact amount that you were looking for. I'm wondering if you can briefly give me the state of the Legions across the country right now as a result of COVID, and what you're hearing on the ground from your Legions.

[Steven Clark]

Currently only six per cent of our branches nationwide are fully open; 77% of our branches are completely closed or are accessible only by telephone or email. The money that was made available though the VOESF was extremely helpful and much appreciated, and the third disbursement will be going out this Friday.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Thanks, Steve. I just wanted to get a sense from you where things were at.

I assume you've been engaged in the strategic planning process with Veterans Affairs—the 10-year strategic plan for commemoration. I'm just wondering from your standpoint about some of the things you like in what you see and some of the things that you're thinking maybe should be going in a different direction. I'd like to get your opinion on where you see the 10-year strategic plan and your assessment on it.

[Steven Clark]

What we have to do is continue to maintain our focus on education. Veterans Affairs has an excellent education program, engaging schools right across the country. The Legion is very happy to be part of that. I think that's where a focus really has to be maintained.

There's nothing territorial or jurisdictional about remembrance, and the fact that the Legion is one organization that's able to participate with Veterans Affairs in developing a strategic plan is very helpful. We have a great footprint across the country, almost 1,400 locations, and we need to do whatever we can collaboratively to make sure remembrance receives the focus it needs.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

The previous panel talked about the movement, obviously because of COVID, toward virtual ceremonies. You mentioned that in your opening remarks as well. How concerned are you, once we get back to some sense of normalcy—which we all hope will be soon—about possibly maintaining a virtual presence as opposed to that in-person presence? I think the in-person presence—and I hope you'll agree with me—is far more impactful, but maybe there's an opportunity to combine the best of both worlds. We heard as well that outreach can increase as a result of that virtual presence. What are some of the things that you think might be important going forward?

[Steven Clark]

I think it's important that we maintain both. As I said, for over 100 years, people have gathered at cenotaphs, and the reason they do that is that it's very much a sense of community and a sense of unity, and once the pandemic restrictions ease, people will come back to those memorials, because they want to stand shoulder to shoulder with others in the community to show that they remember.

However, we also have to recognize that there are those who are just unable to go to a local ceremony or memorial, or perhaps there isn't one in their location. Because of that, we have to continue to provide an option. It can't be one way or the other; we have to do both, and that's what I see going forward. For example, the national Remembrance Day ceremony is broadcast, yes, and 4.2 million people see it on an annual basis, but we also, through the Legion, show it on our Facebook site so any of our followers will be able to see it. You have to continue to provide these opportunities.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

On passing commemoration on to the next generation—obviously many of the older veterans are passing, unfortunately—tell me a bit about what the Legion is doing to engage young people in this country to commemorate and remember going forward?

[Steven Clark]

One of the greatest ways is through the poster and literary contests. As I noted, 100,000 young people from kindergarten through to grade 12 participate in that contest every year. It's absolutely incredible.

Another thing is that the Legion National Foundation has a biennial pilgrimage of remembrance to Europe. It's very limited in terms of the number of people who can attend, but the intent with that pilgrimage is that those who participate and experience the triumphs and tragedy of Canada's military heritage in Europe will then come back to engage youth in their communities, whether it's talking to a cadet group or to Scouts or Guides, and pass on the information they saw first-hand. We have to continue to engage individuals, especially youth, in remembrance.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you, Mr. Brassard.

Up next, we have MP Samson, please.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you, Chair.

It's nice to see you again, Steven. Thank you for your presentation. It is extremely important.

Earlier in the hour, we had the department sharing some information. Something that hit me really hard and that one should know—when you hear the numbers, it's scary—is that 94% of the people being served today are modern-day veterans. I know the World War I, World War II and Korean War veterans are dying off, but it's so hard to listen to that and to see numbers so big.

Steven, I can't say enough for the work that Legion members do, and the Legion itself does to help veterans and their families, and to help communities. They're out there all the time, supporting and finding ways.... It's as simple as helping someone fill in an application or whatnot. It's just outstanding.

One area I notice, and many Legion members will share with me, is that it's difficult to bring in more modern-day veterans to the Legion.

Maybe you could talk about that a little. The vision plan that we've brought forward talks about how we bring in Afghan veterans and recognize them. How do we bring in more recognition of women's participation, LGBTQ2 members and indigenous peoples?

What could you share with us about how we can do that? What are we doing, what are you doing, and what can we do to continue that recognition?

[Steven Clark]

In 2014, the Legion undertook a review that indicated that although a number of Canadians would like to participate or become members of the Legion, especially younger veterans, they felt they didn't have time. They had family responsibilities and weren't of the stage in either their career or their personal life that they would be able to commit time. However, that doesn't stop the Legion from reaching out.

When the war in Afghanistan ended in 2015, we held a welcome home campaign. Every Legion branch across the country reached out to veterans of the war in Afghanistan to welcome them to the community, to welcome them to the branch. We had, over that one-week period, 9,000 veterans from the war in Afghanistan come out to the Legion to see what the Legion could offer. If you have a need, you don't have to be a Legion member to receive the assistance that the Legion can provide.

We have to continue to engage and to do outreach to individuals, as I said, in areas that they are familiar with. We have to take remembrance to them. We have to take the message to them, to hopefully draw them in to provide the recognition and support they need.