Mr. Speaker, celebrations were recently held all across Canada and in parts of Europe honouring the thousands of veterans who fought in the second world war.
In my constituency I was privileged to take part in ceremonies held in Markham and Stouffville commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the second world war. It was indeed an honour to meet with these veterans and talk about their many memories of the battles that were fought.
During these conversations an extremely disturbing problem was brought to my attention by a group of veterans. They informed me that the Sunnybrook Medical Centre Veterans' Wing, located in Toronto, has recently raised the monthly in-residence rent by 35 per cent. This is having a major impact on some 300 veterans who reside in this clinic. I was extremely saddened by this news. These veterans gave the ultimate gift to our country and now they seem to be left to fend for themselves.
I urge the government to immediately intervene in the matter. These veterans simply cannot afford such a dramatic increase in their cost of living expenses.