Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 25th, 2020

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

That's where I wanted to go, because our Saskatchewan Legion's director who came and talked about his service officers said that.... I mean, your funding is important, but the first thing they go for is that treatment. You have to have your treatments. You talked about physio and that your body doesn't relax on its own. How has COVID impacted your ability to get those treatments?

[Max Gaboriault]

If we go with the first lockdown, I was unable to access treatments, other than my psychologist because the sessions moved to being over the phone, which isn't great, by the way, but it's better than nothing. I couldn't go to the chiropractor. I couldn't go to see my acupuncturist. Those are very specific-purpose treatments. I don't remember the last time I went to physiotherapy, and when they reopen, I'm required to wear a mask.

I'm working out, as low intensity as it might be. I don't breathe like you do. My brain controls differently, so having said that, I abstain from going to get treatment to reinforce my shoulders, which I injured in the past. That's how it really impacted me, because my body gets tighter and tighter, and I rely more and more on medication to try to relax. Obviously I'm also using a lot of holistic techniques that are not part of my traditional treatment.

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

You're doing what you can, Max. I just want to bring up the fact that you're not getting out to those treatments, and it's impacting your health. You look good, you know what I mean? Yet really, you're very limited in many ways.

[Max Gaboriault]

That's my problem; I look good, but many guys like me look good.

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

I know it impacts you personally, plus your wife and your family. You say you're home right now. What is your wife's role in the midst of this?

[Max Gaboriault]

My wife is my caregiver. She has been my caregiver ever since I met her, to be honest, because I got diagnosed in 2010 and I met my wife in 2008. I got diagnosed in Comox when I got posted there. I was shelved because I was damaged goods for the army. That's the ugly truth.

COVID has impacted me in the sense that it affects my behaviour in certain ways.

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

Your wife plays a role in that.

[Max Gaboriault]

Yes, I've been advocating for four years.

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

Your wife plays a role in your care for what?

[Max Gaboriault]

Because I have no memory.

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

What are you advocating for? What are you advocating for your wife?

[Max Gaboriault]

The caregiver allowance, because it is discriminatory against guys like me who have cognitive injuries.

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

Because you look like you're well, you can dress yourself and do basic care, but it really requires her intervention for you to be able to function.

[Max Gaboriault]

Essentially, just to save time for other members who might wonder, I can feed myself, dress myself and bathe myself, which are the base criteria for the caregiver allowance. However, I've been denied three times, I think, so far, maybe four. I can't remember anymore. The fact is that my wife has to remind me to eat. I haven't had breakfast. I realized that when I sat down in front of the camera. I totally forgot; I had other things on my mind. My living situation can be dicey from day to day. I can't necessarily focus on an essential task that I need to do. My wife reminds me to get dressed, to eat and to bathe.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much, sir.

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

Thank you so much, Max.

Thank you for your patience, Chair. I appreciate it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

It's not a problem.

Up next we have MP Amos for five minutes, please.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses for being here today.

Mr. Gaboriault, thank you for your testimony and I salute your courage. We are very grateful to you for appearing before us.

There is no doubt that it is important for Canadians to understand the challenges you face. I think it's important that you're here today. Congratulations.

I have questions that I would like to direct to the organizations that are here today, because I want to try, for the sake of enabling the evidentiary record of this study, to take a look both backward and forward and just get a broader sense, in the context of the support that's being provided in COVID times, of what the financial trajectories of your organizations are, setting aside COVID.

I wonder if each of the organizations could give us a sense here of what kind of revenue trajectories your organizations have been on in the past 10 years or so. Are they stable? The same? Have they gone down over the past 10 years or have they gone up and, if so, by what kind of percentage? I'm looking for really short answers here because I have more follow-ups based on that information.

Thank you to each of you.

Perhaps we can start with Mrs. Brimson.

[Linda Brimson]

The 427 Wing, I would say, has had decreasing membership among veterans. We are trying to get younger membership and a more diverse base.

There have been some years that were more successful than others. We've had a pretty good analysis done through switching to QuickBooks in our accounting. It says that we need to do two or three larger events that make money. We can't always depend on raffles and licences.

The other thing is that we're interested in this aviation hub, and we're interested in forming business partnerships and working with other aviation groups such as the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. We have similar members in both.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you, Mrs. Brimson. From that, I'm taking that there is an overall decline in membership—

[Linda Brimson]

Yes.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

—and an overall decline in revenues, notwithstanding COVID.

[Linda Brimson]

Yes, and on rentals and whatnot, because our building is so unique it has an appeal as people step back in time, but we have had to offer a different type of event. We realize that you need to spin and innovate to maintain.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Okay.

Perhaps we will go over to Mr. Gimblett.

[Mike Gimblett]

I've been the chair of our organization for the last two years. Before that, I was kind of on and off the executive but very active in the wing.

Ten years ago, our membership was probably 135 people. Right now, I think we're sitting at 115. We launched a very early and aggressive campaign to renew memberships this year, which came in very well. Quite a few members gave us donations in addition to their memberships. That definitely helped us.

All service clubs are faced with new challenges. The new generation just doesn't want to commit to anything. I can't even get my kids to tell me if they're coming for supper until they know that they don't have a better offer.

That being said, through our community outreach and our fundraising efforts, we're making efforts to involve the community, to get them in. In terms of our building there, we are part of No. 20 Elementary Air Training School of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. We inhabit building No. 10 from it.

I also recognize the historical significance of our building, and therefore we've been a driving force behind the historical conservation district encompassing the three remaining buildings and Airmen's Park.

In our fundraising efforts, we've gotten very aggressive over the last couple of years. I'd say our revenues probably increased about 7% or 8% from 2018 to 2019. Obviously this year, we're down 80%.