I'll take you back a few years, to 2020, when I first learned the news. My spouse was in the living room. I went over to her, and she was so shocked when she saw my face that she asked me whether I had seen a ghost. She said I was as white as a sheet. I told her what was going to happen to her. It felt as though I had been hit in the head by a two-by-four. I couldn't believe my ears.
If I died tomorrow, my spouse would not be able to stay in the home where we live. She would have to rent a place somewhere, perhaps not low-income housing, but a lower quality place, for sure. That makes me very uncomfortable.
What's really upsetting is that I and all the RCMP veterans here today served our country—in my case, at home and abroad. I came close to death more than once in Haiti. Nevertheless, at the age of 60, we are thanked for our service, and told that our spouses will not be receiving any benefits and that that's okay.