Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 4th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I now call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 20 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Before continuing, I just want to make sure that you have all received the correspondence that was sent in both official languages by Minister McKnight.

I see you nodding. Great.

Pursuant to the motion adopted on September 18, 2025, the committee is meeting on its study of barriers to entrepreneurship among veterans.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders.

Before we continue, I would ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines written on the cards on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent audio and feedback incidents and to protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters. You will also notice a QR code on the card that links to a short awareness video.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of our witnesses and members.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For those on Zoom, at the bottom of your screen, you can select the appropriate channel for interpretation, floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel. All comments should be addressed through the chair.

For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. I don't think any members are participating today using the Zoom application.

I would now like to welcome our witnesses for this first hour.

From Dog House Brewing Company Limited, we have Mr. Richard McNish, co-owner, who's here in person.

We have, by video conference, from Green Army Coffee, Mr. Jody Mitic, founder.

It's really a pleasure to welcome both of you. Thank you for joining us today.

Each of you will have five minutes to give your opening remarks, and I say five minutes, please. We will then proceed to a series of questions with the members of the committee. Just to be very candid, sometimes our members like to extend their time, and I have to interrupt. I'm also the clock keeper. I apologize in advance if I interrupt you. Members know their allocated time.

Mr. McNish, the floor is yours for five minutes, please.

[Richard McNish, Co-Owner, Dog House Brewing Company Ltd.]

Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee, I thank you for this opportunity to appear before you as part of the study.

My name is Richard McNish. I appear before you as a veteran with nearly 32 years of distinguished service in the Canadian Armed Forces. Over that time, I served in multiple trades and leadership roles, including operational deployments and command-level responsibilities, and I was entrusted with the management of significant public resources and large publicly funded budgets.

I raise that not to provide a résumé but to establish context. Veterans are trained in financial stewardship, accountability and disciplined risk management. Those skills are not theoretical; they are applied under scrutiny, with real consequences, over long careers.

I now speak from lived experience in transitioning in the Ottawa Valley, including in my town of Petawawa, one of Canada's most military-connected communities. In regions like ours, the effectiveness of Veterans Affairs Canada policy is not abstract: It directly affects veterans, families and local economies.

For many veterans, entrepreneurship is not an alternative to transition—it is the transition.

Veterans bring leadership, planning discipline, regulatory compliance experience and risk controls developed through service. These competencies align directly with business ownership. However, VAC's current framework remains primarily oriented towards traditional wage-based employment. As a result, veterans pursuing entrepreneurship often encounter systemic barriers rather than structured support.

First, through employment-centric program design, VAC continues to define successful transition largely through employment outcomes. Entrepreneurship is often treated as higher risk or less suitable, rather than as a legitimate and frequently therapeutic pathway. Veterans proposing self-employment are often required to justify their choice in ways not expected of those pursuing conventional employment. This approach does not reflect the diversity of post-service careers, nor does it fully leverage the skills veterans bring with them.

A second barrier is funding and benefit misalignment.

Entrepreneurship requires upfront investment and timely decision-making. VAC funding models, generally reimbursement-based and procedurally slow, are misaligned with start-up realities, such as leasing property, purchasing equipment and meeting regulatory requirements.

Veterans also face uncertainty around how early-stage business income interacts with income replacement benefits. The lack of clear, consistent guidance creates risk aversion and discourages veterans from pursuing otherwise viable enterprises.

A third barrier is inconsistent decision-making capacity.

VAC case managers do essential work under significant pressures. However, evaluating entrepreneurship requires specific expertise that is not uniformly available. Veterans consistently report different outcomes, depending on individual familiarity with business concepts, creating uncertainty, delays and loss of confidence in the system.

From lived experience in Petawawa and the Ottawa Valley, I know that our veteran-owned brewery and small businesses alike illustrate both the opportunity and the challenge. These enterprises are capital intensive, highly regulated and deeply community focused. They create local employment, contribute to municipal tax bases and serve as informal hubs for veteran connection and peer support, yet these broader social and economic benefits are not reflected in current VAC assessment models.

Veterans with service-related physical or mental health conditions face additional barriers, as entrepreneurship timelines rarely align with VAC's time-limited transition supports.

Finally, the administrative burden of managing a start-up alongside VAC compliance requirements can be overwhelming, particularly for veterans living with operational stress injuries. Based on lived experience, command-level responsibilities and financial stewardship, I respectfully offer five recommendations for the committee to consider.

First, formally recognize entrepreneurship as a legitimate and equal transition and rehabilitation outcome within VAC policy.

Second, establish a dedicated veteran entrepreneurship program, including start-up appropriate funding, clear income-benefit interaction guidance and access to veteran-specific mentorship.

Third, enhance entrepreneurship literacy within VAC through targeted training or the integration of external business expertise into decision-making.

Fourth, provide greater flexibility in transition timelines, particularly for veterans with service-related disabilities.

Finally, reduce administrative burden by aligning VAC processes with the operational realities of small businesses.

Veteran entrepreneurship represents an opportunity, not a liability. In communities like Petawawa, veterans are already contributing as employers, innovators and community leaders, often despite the system, not because of it.

With modernized policy and targeted support, VAC can enable these outcomes while maintaining accountability and responsible stewardship of public funds.

I thank you for your consideration and I welcome your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Mr. McNish.

Now we will have Mr. Mitic for five minutes.

[Jody Mitic, Founder, Green Army Coffee]

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. It's good to see you again. It's been a while.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Jody Mitic.

I'd like to start by thanking everyone for this opportunity to speak today and give a special thank you to Eric Glavin for his help in making sure I appeared today, despite some communication issues.

I'm also proud to realize my own MP, Marie-France Lalonde, is chair of the committee, so I'll give a hearty hello to her.

To all committee members, thank you for your time today.

I will say a last hello to MP Blake Richards, whom I've met several times. I last saw him in the summer, when I received the King's coronation medal from Bob Zimmer for my work in advocating for veterans.

My story begins in 1994, when I enlisted in the reserves as a member of the Lorne Scots Regiment in Brampton, Ontario, as an infanteer.

I transferred to the regular army and joined the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment in 1997. My regular army career didn't have the best start, due to some poor decisions on my part, but once I got the hang of regular army life, I did well and I enjoyed it.

I deployed first to Kosovo in 1999 as a section light machine gunner in a 60 millimetre mortar crew. My next tour was to Kabul in 2003, as close protection and driver for the officers in our headquarters and signals company, located at the Kabul airport. Between Kosovo and Kabul, I was able to complete my signals recon, or recce, qualifications, and on 9/11, the terrorist attack happened while I was doing my basic sniper course in September 2001.

After Kabul, I continued training and achieved my sniper det commander qualification and master sniper qualification. This led to my deployment as a sniper detachment commander in 2006 with 1 RCR in Kandahar.

On January 11, 2007, I was unlucky enough to step on an IED, which cost me both feet below the knee, but I was lucky enough that none of my team were hurt and I managed to survive, although I left some meat, blood and bone in the Afghan soil forever.

Since then, I've had many adventures, including but not limited to having two amazing daughters, Aylah and Kierah, 17 and 14.

I managed to appear on season one of The Amazing Race, but I placed second. I ran successfully for Ottawa city council in 2014 and served proudly as the Innes Ward councillor, ward 2. I had to step away in 2018 due to personal circumstances. Marie-France, at the time, was my MPP.

I also released two books: Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper, which is an autobiography, and Everyday Heroes, a collection of war stories between now and World War II.

I also worked briefly at Veterans Affairs while General Natynczyk was the second in command there during the pandemic.

Between 2018 and 2022, I focused on my health and my kids and on looking for a way to make a living and occupy myself for the next 25 years. I decided, after a few false starts in other areas, to focus on developing my own brand and founded Green Army Coffee in the summer of 2022.

Green Army Coffee, or just Green Army, is focused on representing anyone who wears green for a living. I don't care what unit you're with or what qualifications you have or don't have; if you're a green collar, as I like to say, Green Army Coffee is your brand. I like to say that if you're overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, Green Army Coffee is here for you. Our mission is to provide a culturally appropriate and safe setting for those in uniform, veterans and their families, and supporters, using the best coffee available and a positive attitude, with emphasis on rugged self-reliance, accountability, teamwork and shared social values.

I had always planned to start my own business after my career was over. I had always assumed that I'd do at least 25 years and retire with a half-decent pension. Getting wounded ruined and destroyed all those plans.

Unfortunately, and personally enraging, Parliament implemented the extremely flawed and short-sighted new veterans charter on May 5, 2005, under former prime minister Martin, effectively reducing financial compensation for my types of injuries from roughly $3.4 million-plus over a lifetime to a simple one-time payment of $250,000. That was outrageous and, in my opinion, a massive insult to anyone who goes into combat for a living.

I don't say these things lightly or for shock effect; I'm simply telling you my personal feelings and opinion about the circumstances I find myself in.

Lastly, I would put the current process and procedures I've encountered with Veterans Affairs Canada in regard to veterans seeking employment or entrepreneurship as puzzling and counterintuitive. I don't recall what it's called, but it's placing what amounts to be a roughly $20,000 tax on anyone seeking to improve their income or start a personal business.

With that, I'd like to close and thank you for my time to address you. I'd be happy to take any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much, Mr. Mitic. It's a pleasure to see you again too.

We will begin our first round. Each member will have six minutes.

We will start with Mr. Richards.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Thank you.

Thank you to both of you, first of all, obviously, for your service to our country, and also for the contributions today and the examples you set for your fellow veterans.

Mr. McNish, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't bring us any samples. I do want to ask you some questions about your business and some of the barriers you might face.

Before I do that, I actually want to turn to you, Mr. Mitic.

At the very end of your opening remarks, you mentioned what you called essentially a $20,000 tax on veterans looking to earn an income or start a business. I know what you're talking about here, but I want to give you an opportunity to explain that a little bit more just for others' benefit. Personally, when this report is written, I think this needs to be included in it. I'd like to give you an opportunity to explain that more in your own words so that it's clear to everybody what you're referring to here.

[Jody Mitic]

Thank you, Mr. Richards.

Again, I'm not 100% on all the terms. They've changed a lot over the last 20 years. I believe it's the income replacement benefit. The benefit part is weird to me. It's a compensation, not a benefit.

Last year I spent roughly 12 months not receiving my IRB. While talking to my case manager, I mentioned that I had these books, that I had podcasts and that I had started the Green Army brand. I mentioned it to my case manager. As well, my personal finances, my taxes and my administration were still quite jumbled. I let them know. It's not like I'm making any money on the company. At this point, I think I've only lost about $500 this year.

All of that is to say that this $20,000 limit seemed to be all the system cared about. For lack of a piece of paper from the CRA saying that Jody made only this, or he didn't make that, the administrative side of Veterans Affairs decided that it was better to cut me off and seek these administrative forms after they'd cut me off. Of course, they warned me, but I assumed that because I was talking to them, it wouldn't happen. It happened.

I resisted quite a bit—I think I chatted with you about it briefly—simply because, in my opinion, this shouldn't ever happen to anyone in my position. First of all, it's $20,000 that I'm relying on. The confusion is that if I'm reporting that I'm making any money, the concern of Veterans Affairs, or this part of Veterans Affairs, is about whether I am making too much money, in their opinion. I'm not sure where this came from. I'm not sure who decided it was a good idea.

It was incredibly frustrating. It was incredibly disappointing. It caused a massive rift in my trust with Veterans Affairs and the outcomes that the system is seeking. Nowhere in my life did this help. This type of thing doesn't help.

Just as an aside, whenever I speak with anyone in the veterans community, this $20,000 thing comes up all the time as a reason to stay where they are or not seek any improvement. They worry, because $20,000 is significant. Even if I'm making an extra amount of money, I'm relying on this income for now.

I understand that there are all kinds of arbitrary definitions within there about why you can have certain amounts and why you cannot, but this particular process is probably the biggest barrier I've encountered. I can't speak for Richard or anyone else, but to me it seemed to be massive overreach and completely unnecessary. As I said, it's counter to the outcomes VAC claims it wants for me.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Exactly. I think that last point is really the important one. This is a benefit that you and other veterans have earned through your service to the country. The last thing the government should be doing is discouraging you from trying to contribute to your country in other ways now that you're a private citizen, whether that's starting a business or gaining employment income. The last thing we should be doing is discouraging that by taking something away from you that you've earned, frankly. Thank you for highlighting that.

I have a very brief period of time left to ask you both this question. I'll start with you, Mr. McNish, because you haven't had a chance yet, and then I'll go to Mr. Mitic, if there's time.

Can you tell us what your experience has been with Veterans Affairs in terms of your benefits, starting a business or any issues you've encountered personally that you'd like to share with this committee?

[Richard McNish]

Very briefly, I was lucky. I started my business before I actually released. I released on my own terms. I wasn't medically released. However, as Mr. Mitic just stated, once I got into the Veterans Affairs system, I was very open and very forward about the fact that I had a business with my family, my son, who's a current serving member. I didn't have the same frictions Jody had. However, when it came to the rehabilitation part and all the rest of it, the fact that I had a business already and wanted to focus on that was secondary to me going to university in Ottawa for four years to become an engineer in my mid-fifties.

That made absolutely zero sense. It sorted itself out, but where was the logic?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Why are you being discouraged—

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I'm so sorry, Mr. Richards. I have to interrupt you.

As I mentioned, I am the clock keeper.

I apologize, Mr. McNish.

Mr. Mitic, we'll come back to you. I'm very certain of that.

I would like to go now to Mr. Casey for six minutes.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to thank both our guests for being with us today and for their service.

I'll start with you, Mr. McNish. We're just in the second meeting of this study, but there are already some recurring themes emerging. We heard quite a bit at the last meeting about challenges in accessing capital. Another thing that struck me from what we heard at the last meeting and which I found quite interesting was the difference between the veteran population and everyone else when it comes to appetite for risk. I want to start with that second one.

You outlined in your opening remarks that your experience in the armed forces taught you about risk management. That was one thing you specifically referenced. The context in which we heard about the appetite for risk was that when you take someone who has made a conscious decision and spent a good part of their life in an unlimited liability situation, they're okay with risk. They get it.

I'd be interested in your perspectives and your comments around veterans distinguishing themselves from the rest of society in terms of appetite for risk and ability to manage it.

[Richard McNish]

Personally, I believe the Canadian Armed Forces does a very good job of teaching risk management, how to be able to analyze, identify and project what the potential risks are, and then, through that assessment, how to mitigate them. For the average citizen, something may look overwhelming, but for a well-trained, skilled military member or former member, it's not as daunting or as fearful in general. We've faced it within our own country, overseas, with the eye of the enemy or whatever it is. It's something that you've experienced and can fall back on.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Let's talk about access to capital for a minute. You indicated that you started your business in 2020, I believe.

[Richard McNish]

It was 2019.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Shortly after that, the pandemic hit, which was a really good time to be in the beer business.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Would you disagree with that?

[Richard McNish]

It had its pros and cons.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

No, no, I didn't mean it to be a joke. I know that at least a couple of sectors really benefited during the pandemic. Alcohol was one. Video games was another. I'm sure there's a longer list than that.

My question for you is around access to capital. Did you have challenges accessing capital for what you call a nanobrewery? Do you feel that any of those challenges, if they existed, were connected or were distinguishable because of your status as someone reinventing themselves after so many years in the military?

[Richard McNish]

Well, my son and I bootstrapped everything from the beginning. As I said, I was still earning a paycheque twice a month, at that point. There was our own capital invested. We got a small line of credit from a credit union, which we were able to access based on our own personal finances.

There is no identifiable system out there that says, “We'll give to veterans”, or “This is a veteran funding program”, which kind of burns my soul. On the Veterans Affairs website currently, there are three programs listed for funding or for entrepreneurship—women, indigenous and Black. They're all valuable. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to undervalue them at all, but—I hate to use this term—what about me? I served as well. I served for 32 years. I served my country honourably. I don't have the same access to those special programs that other demographics do.

I think that is wrong. For whatever reason, we are leaving out some very reputable talent from doing something very special.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you, Mr. McNish.

Mr. Mitic, on the same issue of access to capital, your business is certainly distinguishable from Mr. McNish's in that it's exclusively an online operation. It being an online operation and you having an interesting and varied career, did you face challenges with respect to access to capital that you felt were associated with your service?

[Jody Mitic]

When I first started, I asked about access to loans as a veteran and a new business owner and was told there was none. I even asked at the Business Development Bank of Canada. They said they didn't have anything like that. I didn't even realize that, as Richard pointed out, there was funding available on the VAC website.

Thus far, I've used all my own money. We are planning to go bricks and mortar this year—again, all under our own funding. I'm hoping that one day I will run into someone somewhere who will be able to say, “This is how you can access capital if you need it”, and they will help me get there. I think I may have, but in terms of veteran-centric funding or capital available, thus far I haven't found any either.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I'm sorry, Mr. Mitic. I have the clock in front of me and I need to interrupt you. I sincerely apologize.

Madam Gaudreau is next. She will be addressing you in French.

Ms. Gaudreau, you have the floor for six minutes.