Veterans Affairs Committee on March 1st, 2022

[Steven Clark]

Absolutely. You know, I have to go back to a point that was made earlier about youth connecting with veterans on site at a memorial and learning and understanding. That is a key component to developing this awareness and this education, starting with making that connection. I think that if that can be encouraged...and this is one of the reasons the Legion does not support Remembrance Day as a national holiday. It is because we want students to be able to attend these ceremonies with veterans to understand. The veterans explaining what the memorial means and stands for is paramount.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Ms. Blaney, and thank you, Mr. Clark.

We're going to have two other interventions for five minutes each, and we're going to start with MP Fraser Tolmie.

Please go ahead, MP Tolmie.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Clark, for joining us today.

As a past service member to another service member, we always think about that thing that's placed in our memory, which is our service number, K62209053.

I want to say thank you very much for your passion and your commitment to being part of remembering those who have gone before us, those who have served. Not everybody in our military is engaged in combat, but they do serve with the understanding that they are putting their lives on the line.

Over the last couple of weeks, as we have been hearing witnesses and testimonies, we know that there has been a history of desecrations and you brought that up in your role. You have witnessed that numerous times. Am I correct?

[Steven Clark]

Absolutely, yes. Fortunately, I have not witnessed that numerous times, but I'm aware of numerous incidents.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Am I correct in saying this is not just isolated to one area, but it is across Canada?

[Steven Clark]

Yes, you are correct.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

One thing that needs to be highlighted here is that there seem to be different motives or different reasons that these desecrations happen across Canada. Would you agree with me on that?

[Steven Clark]

There would be different reasons. Whether it's simply an act of wilful vandalism or an accident, there is still desecration. It doesn't diminish the act of disrespecting the monument.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Yes, I agree with you 100%. Desecration is desecration. What I'm sad to hear, as we sit in these discussions, is that this is an ongoing issue that is happening across our country. It is very disappointing.

Some of the comments that have been brought forward by my fellow colleagues, within my party and across the table, are about education. You mentioned freedom and you spoke about what freedom means to you. Would you say that is the only definition of freedom or that others have a different meaning of freedom?

[Steven Clark]

I would say people have their own interpretation of what freedom is and how they have experienced it and felt it, some people perhaps to a lesser extent than others. Everyone, in essence, is free, but how you express that freedom or how you feel about that freedom will vary between individuals.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

That brings me to the education component of not just on Remembrance Day going to a cenotaph and listening, but the education process of what people went through, what their sacrifices were, what they encountered, how that impacted them and what a new lease on life.

I think about my grandfather when he came back. He was in the British Army. He was part of the British Expeditionary Force. He went over to Europe, with the constant combat, the loss of friends, to come back and have a new lease on life. It's so important for people to hear that, and at an early age. Would you agree with me on that?

[Steven Clark]

Absolutely yes, but that transition is difficult for some. For those who make a successful transition, it's wonderful to see, but there are others who are challenged and it's not so easy for them. However, it's important that they do transition back to civilian life and continue on in society.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

I just want to go back to one comment you made, about a repeat offender. I am a repeat offender with speeding tickets and parking tickets, but when I went through my driver's education I was told not to speed.

Even though we want to educate our people, our children, our future, we're human. People just go off the rails sometimes. I just think that is something that's important we have. Would you agree with that statement, sir?

[Steven Clark]

Absolutely, it's an ongoing process.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you so much.

Now, for five minutes, we have MP Wilson Miao. Please, go ahead.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to my colleagues.

Thank you, Mr. Clark, for joining us today on this important study. I have great respect for all veterans, especially in my riding. We have a cenotaph in my riding.

You spoke about the virtual poppy drop projection, which I saw for the first time last November. It was projected onto the Centre Block. It's a very stunning and solemn reminder of all the sacrifices our veterans have made for Canada.

Could you see this idea working anywhere else in Canada? Do you have any exciting plans for similar types of ceremonies that can engage with Canadians of all backgrounds and ages, like this projection on Parliament Hill?

[Steven Clark]

We have been very fortunate to partner with some wonderful organizations, sporting clubs and activities across the country. In Winnipeg, for example, during hockey games in the remembrance period, they project a variation of the poppy drop around the rink, around the arena, on the ice before the players skate. Rinks across the country are doing the same thing.

There is such an appetite for remembrance across the country, especially during the remembrance period. People and organizations are so willing to undertake that. It's something that we feel is important.

Also important is reaching out to youth. We have been very successful during the last number of years in engaging with the Fortnite digital gaming platform to provide an interactive remembrance non-violent activity for youth so that they can learn. We're taking remembrance to where they are. In the last couple of years, we have done this at 11 p.m. as opposed to 11 a.m., because that's when gamers are online.

We're always cognizant of our audience, this new, younger generation, and we want to make sure that we take every opportunity we can to promote the remembrance theme.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Clark. I really like the idea of getting more youth engaged, especially creating more awareness and allowing them to understand what really happened in our history and show the respect that we should.

I see that the Legion is working in tandem with our war and veterans memorials as being the strongest way we have to remember our fallen and to better serve those veterans who did come home. What can we do better to support our Legions across Canada? How has our government worked with local Legions and the Royal Canadian Legion's main office to better advance the needs of Legions and veterans?

[Steven Clark]

On a grand scale, it's simply taking care of veterans. Again, Veterans Affairs Canada has been very good at providing supports, benefits and assistance to those who require it. That's something we continually advocate for, making sure of the availability of resources and assistance for veterans when they need it.

Most recently, the government announced the additional $140 million to keep 595 temporary workers so that disability claims can be continued. The backlog of pending applications will be reduced. That is the best way a government can assist veterans, by taking care of them.

The Legion will be there. It will help. Government also needs to provide that assistance and I'm very happy to see it.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Clark, for sharing that. It is good news for all veterans across Canada, what we have been doing as a government.

Do you see any other plans where we can engage more with the newer generation or newcomers to Canada, to allow them to engage with our veterans in the future?

[Steven Clark]

A lot of it turns back to awareness. We have heard from individuals, new Canadians who have come to the country, that they didn't understand what the poppy was. We are taking opportunities, every chance we get, to talk about the meaning of the poppy and the various remembrance initiatives and representations we have. It again speaks to that education.

I look back to 2015, when Ipsos did a poll about John McCrae and In Flanders Fields on the 100th anniversary of the writing of the poem. Only 61% of the respondents were able to identify that McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields. Also 24% of the people didn't know it was a Canadian who wrote the poem and it was written during the First World War. We can do better.

[Wilson Miao, Liberal, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Miao.

The question period is now over.

On behalf of the members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, I would like to thank Mr. Steven Clark, national executive director of The Royal Canadian Legion, for his testimony.

Like all the other members who have spoken, I too want to pay my respects and thank you for your service and all the sacrifices you have made.

I would add, also, that you are very eloquent when you speak. Thank you so much for your participation in our study.

[Steven Clark]

Thank you. The pleasure has been mine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

Members of the committee, we will suspend the meeting for about five minutes or, at most, 10 minutes. I invite you to click on the other link, as we will move on to the business of the committee.

[The meeting continued in camera.]