Evidence of meeting #7 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Pepper Pod
With regard to service dogs, absolutely. Yes to that, hands down.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Okay.
I have one more question. I only have a minute, but I'm curious: Why is it called The Pepper Pod?
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Pepper Pod
A pepper pod is a military manouevre. While you're advancing towards the enemy, you cover your buddy, so we call it “pepper podding” or “pepper potting”. It's designed to help your buddy or to cover your buddy to make sure they are safe while you're advancing towards the enemy. I thought that was quite appropriate for our centre, that as we go through changes in our lives we support one another.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
I have 30 seconds left, so I'll just ask this question.
We've had many women come through this committee to talk about things, and obviously these are people with frustrations and bad experiences. Many of them, the majority, have said, “I would never encourage, and, as a matter of fact, I would discourage my daughters from enlisting.”
That's very discouraging and sad.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Pepper Pod
It is very discouraging, and I understand why they would say that. With the women I see going through The Pepper Pod, I would say that close to 70% of them have been abused, from harassment to rape, and so I can see why they would say that.
Personally, I would drive my daughter to the recruiting centre so she could join, but I would arm her with a mentor, some guidelines and some advice. But yes, I would....
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
I appreciate that very much. We definitely need to do far better in that area. Thank you so much.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Ms. Wagantall.
Thank you, Ms. Perron. I now know what the term pepper pod means.
I will now turn the floor over to Mr. Churence Rogers for five minutes.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I too would like to welcome our guests this evening. Thank you for your service and your advocacy on behalf of your fellow members and veterans.
The first question I'd like to put to Ms. Laverdure.
Aside from recent investments, strategies created, and hiring being done to address inequalities and imbalances in the application times, what else can be done to improve confidence in the department and the system at large to ensure that you and other stakeholders know that your needs and concerns are being heard or considered, appreciated and addressed?
As an Individual
To make things easier inside the department, it would first have to meet its commitments. I've looked at the various committees over the last few months and years, and there are always promises being made about hiring staff. A few weeks ago, there was talk of 350 employees in the department. For five years I have been hearing that 350, 400 or 450 francophone or bilingual people will be hired in the department to work on the backlog. These are promises that were made, but we are not seeing any results. When veterans call the call centre to check on the status of their application, the only answer they get is that they are working on their file, that they have reached the point where they are processing the files submitted on such and such a date or in such and such a year, and that their turn will come.
To answer your question, I would say that the government must respect its promises and commitments.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Thank you.
I wonder if Sergeant Usherwood would like to comment on that.
Sgt Nina Charlene Usherwood
I have been involved directly in only two cases: mine and my father's. I haven't really talked to other people to compare wait times.
I'm sorry. I don't have any comparison. However, if there were more staff, maybe they could assign a caseworker to people.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Ms. Perron, your retreat centre for women veterans in Old Chelsea is an inspiring and fantastic idea. I'm sure it makes a huge difference to the many female veterans' lives and for their families.
Can you explain if there are any other retreats or centres like that across Canada, or if this idea would work in other regions of the country?
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Pepper Pod
I don't believe that another centre like ours exists in Canada. There are some for men. There are probably some for men and women, but there is nothing like that just for women. Ours is unique. There is a need for this across the country. Right now, we have retreats at our centre, but I also travel across Canada to deliver the same services from Comox to Gagetown, Halifax, Wainwright and North Bay.
Liberal
Churence Rogers Liberal Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL
Despite the fact there aren't centres, you travel across the country to get that done and get that message out there.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Pepper Pod
I do.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you so much.
The next two speaking turns will be two and a half minutes each.
I invite Mr. Luc Desilets to speak for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Ms. Laverdure.
It seems that some veterans, when they contact the Department of Veterans Affairs, are flatly given the recommendation to submit their application in English. We talked about this earlier. In your case, you did a test. That said, is it true that officials, or some officials, make this recommendation so that files can move forward more quickly?
As an Individual
Yes, Mr. Desilets. On a few occasions in recent years, several veterans have been told by departmental employees to submit their applications in English so that they can be processed more quickly. In Charlottetown, some even say that English-language applications are given priority over French-language ones because there are more anglophone employees at the department. So we have the facts.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
You have provided support to veterans on many occasions. Could you give me an idea of how many veterans you have been able to support in their application process over the last few years?
As an Individual
In the last 12 years, I have helped more than 1,000 veterans with their applications. Most of these veterans were from Quebec and were targeted by the LGBT purge. I worked with Ms. Douglas a few years ago. I think I have helped more than 1,200 veterans from all over Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
To say that officials have told you or others that applications submitted in English are processed more quickly, you are basing that on a significant number of cases, aren't you?
As an Individual
That's right. My spouse and I are veterans, so we also file claims. We've waited sometimes for two or three years. I even still have a claim that [Technical difficulty—Editor]. At one point, I got angry and asked if I should submit my claim in English to be served faster, like anglophones. It's the truth.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Ms. Laverdure.
Thank you, Mr. Desilets.
I'll now give the floor to Ms. Blaney for two and a half minutes.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you again, Mr. Chair. I will be asking my questions of Ms. Douglas.
First of all, I feel like I'm having a bit of a fan girl moment. I'm not going to lie.
I want to thank you so much for what you've done. I cannot imagine the bravery it took to step up and do the work you did, and what it did to impact a whole community of people.
I thank you for that.
You talked a lot about the lack of training of the purge and the impact this has on people from the community who were calling and then having to tell the story again and again. Across the board, this is something I hear from veterans: telling their story, whatever story that is, again and again to case managers, and not having a person you can call.
I understand that there are challenges, but that really worries me.
Can you talk about what type of training would be required and when it would be required? Would there be a need for updates? I also think about the long term. You have the initial training, but does more need to happen?
That would help us.
Executive Director, LGBT Purge Fund
Thank you very much for your kind comments. Certainly I know you've been on this journey for a long time in support of us.
Training is so vital. It's really essential to understand what basic human rights are around LGBTQ2+ equality, and to explain a bit of history to ensure that respect is conveyed whenever you're dealing with an LGBTQ2+ veteran.
The trauma runs so deep. People are already taking a great deal of courage to step in and ask for support and assistance. I've heard in a number of cases when that first initial phone call did not go well. There was doubt, or even mocking in a couple of cases. They never called Veterans Affairs again. They felt so humiliated and ashamed, and it was retraumatizing.
Our experience tells us that this is a particularly vulnerable group of folks who are looking for help. Many have experienced precarious home lives or are experiencing homelessness. There has to be a range of awareness training throughout the life of a caseworker so that there's currency in that training. I do know it's under way, and that's a good thing, but it's certainly not right across the department.