Veterans Affairs committee  The military is actually trying to change its culture, as identified by Madame Deschamps in her report and in subsequent reports. It's trying to change it. However, like anything in the government, there's a shortage of resources. There's a shortage of time and money. That's part of the problem.

Veterans Affairs committee  The same as parents and family, they didn't understand it, but they were willing to accept what I told them. I think that's the biggest thing. I know my immediate supervisor was very puzzled about some of the decisions I would make as time went by and did not really understand it.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, at the time I was in the primary reserves in Comox, and the specific other places were army units associated with Kingston, Edmonton and Gagetown.

Veterans Affairs committee  I generally experienced open-mindedness. There was a reluctance from some of the people who I felt did not agree with what was happening to actually voice it at the time, but I know that was not the case, as I said, in other units and in the experience of other trans people. Definitely, in other places sometimes I actually thought, felt, listening to what happened....

Veterans Affairs committee  To be honest, partly it was my own career position. I was working with a very small number of people. I was not on a large crew. I was working directly for one supervisor. I trusted that person more than anything else. I was aware of the changes that were happening, but I was also in contact with other trans people in the forces.

Veterans Affairs committee  I'm sorry. I'm not receiving the English translation of that question.

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good day. I am Nina Usherwood, a 42-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. I served from 1979 until 2022, when I was medically released. Veterans Affairs Canada does not recognize that my service experience is different from the service experience of male members because, as a woman, I faced discrimination throughout my career.

Veterans Affairs committee  I have had no interaction with them. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until a few months ago, because of lack of information. Veterans Affairs, frankly, doesn't advertise very well.

Veterans Affairs committee  I would be interested in mentioning that I have a chronic health condition as a result of my service, and specifically about the way that I had to protect myself so I could continue to serve in the forces. Thirty years of trauma gives you a chronic health condition. I don't know how to put it more bluntly than that.

Veterans Affairs committee  In reference to SHARP training, I've been in for 40 years and it seems that every 10 years we call it something different, because we just haven't changed what is the culture of the military. It's still pretty macho, so we end up going through the same thing over and over. I am somewhat optimistic that this time we finally have the process and we're finally seeing a change.

Veterans Affairs committee  Gender is part of why I have a claim that has gone to Veterans Affairs. Removing it.... Maybe it doesn't need to be on what we in the forces call the “boilerplate”—the thing at the top—but my gender is very important to me and erasing it is.... My gender, who I am, is why I have a claim.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. That would be a great idea. There could be someone who says to them, “You're going to be getting this case. This is the brief on it.” Then, when they do reach out, if there's no direct contact with a transfer, at least they could have the brief that tells them what's going on.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, thank you for the question. I would say it's about not being assigned a caseworker and needing to explain yourself each time. If I weren't so angry at the lack of acknowledgement of my service, I probably would have given up. I did give up initially, when I first applied.

Veterans Affairs committee  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.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, to start with, it would have cut months off my application, because I had to keep going through this over and over again. I live beside a large base, but the nearest veterans centre to go to is in Victoria, which is a three-hour drive away. It's not having anybody you could go to, to meet face to face, that makes it very hard, and also, every time I phone in, it's a different individual.