Honouring the Highway of Heroes

By Military Woman

Question:

What is the significance of the Highway of Heroes, and how has it most recently been commemorated?

Answer:

The Highway of Heroes is a moving Canadian symbol of military sacrifice, honouring those who have fallen while in service to their nation. For decades, Canadians associated military sacrifice with World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. After Korea, Canada’s focus on peacekeeping missions led many civilians to believe that military-related deaths were a thing of the past.

That largely held erroneous assumption was shattered during Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan War. Starting in 2002, Canadians witnessed their fallen soldiers returning to 8 Wing, Trenton, Ontario via flag draped coffins to make their final journey along Highway 401 to the Toronto Coroner’s Office. In 2007, this specific stretch of road was officially renamed by the Government of Ontario as Highway of Heroes—in tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces members who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Tree Campaign

One local initiative set up in honour of the Highway of Heroes was the Tree Campaign, led by Mark Cullen, Tony DiGiovanni, and Michael de Pencier. Their initial goal was to plant 117,000 trees along the Highway of Heroes, to represent each of the Canadians lost in military service over the history of the nation.

Initially backed by the Landscape Ontario’s Foundation, the campaign quickly gained momentum. Supporters included Gerry Butts, then Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, and Seamus O’Regan, then Minister of Veterans Affairs. Financial contributions included:

• $2 million from the Ontario Government,

• $3 million from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and

• Several million from individual Canadians, other charities (like Forests Ontario (now Canada), GrandTrees and the Maple Leaves Forever Foundation), and corporations (like GM and SJC Media).

This success led to the development of a new charity, Canadian Trees for Life, with Cullen, DiGiovanni, and de Pencier as its founding board members. Their combined efforts saw the Tree Tribute Campaign surpass its $10 million fundraising goal early.

Presence in Absence: A Tribute and Its Controversy

In 2022, the Tree Tribute Campaign commissioned  Presence in Absence, an installation by well-known Canadian artist Ruth Abernathy. Displayed at the Trenton and Port Hope ONroute stations, the installation served to showcase the names and facial profiles of 67 Canadians who had “paid the ultimate sacrifice”,  including Captain Nichola Goddard.

Unfortunately, the project was marred by several errors. For one example, twelve names on the installation belonged to individuals still living. This oversight has caused deep distress for some of those who had personally attended the ramp ceremonies and witnessed their comrades’ final journeys along the Highway of Heroes. For these Veterans, seeing their names, instead of their fallen comrades', on this art installation evoked feelings of survivor’s guilt, dishonour, and disrespect to their memories.

Lessons for Future Commemoration 

With a federal election expected no later than October 2025, now is a good time for all Canadians to reflect on what Veterans should rightfully expect from their government. Could the $3 million allocated by VAC for this project have been better spent on direct care and support of Veterans? Could it have been better used on research —a pressing issue identified in both the 2019 Women Veteran Forum report and the Invisible No More. The Experience of Canadian Women Veterans report.

Moving forward, commemorative projects funded by VAC require enhanced oversight and quality assurance to better prevent unintentially harming the very Veterans VAC is supposed to honour and serve. Veterans should never be treated as a commodity or product for the use of public or corporate projects.

A Call to Honour the Fallen

The Highway of Heroes serves as a reminder about the true cost of freedom. As Canadians, it’s our shared responsibility, if not duty, to ensure that commemoration efforts reflect real respect and gratitude.

Those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada deserve nothing less.

ACVA HIGHLIGHTS – PART 16 – THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

photo credited to Megan MacKenzie 

By Military Woman

Question:

What was the government’s response to the 42 recommendations in the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) report, Invisible No More. The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans?

Answer:

Before diving into the government’s response,  let’s first thank Member of Parliament (MP) Rachel Blaney and her office for hosting the Second Annual Parliamentary Reception in Honour of Women Veterans on October 28, 2024.

This inspiring event featured speeches from three women Veterans — Carly Arkell, Donna Riguidel, and Louise Siew — all of whom had testified as part of the ACVA study on Women Veterans (see Esprit de Corps, Vol. 30, Issues 5 and 10 for summaries). One speaker described MP Blaney as today’s 'Alexa McDonough' for her outstanding dedication to social justice issues.  Many hope that MP Blaney will stay involved in the Veteran community after she retires from Parliament next election.

The reception had over 70 attendees, including the Minister and Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, and the Defence Team’s Champion for Women LGen Lise Bourgon. Even MPs Blake Richards and James Bezan, both of whom missed the June 12, 2024, celebration of the ACVA report’s release, were also able to attend (see Esprit de Corps, Vol. 31, Issue 6 for more on the June 12th event).

Unfortunately, there was minimal representation from Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Office of Women Veterans and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans, even though the invitation was open to all. The Champion of Women Veterans’ Health was also absent, reinforcing community concerns about the office’s invisibility since it moved from VAC’s ‘Policy’ section to its  ‘Public Affairs’ team in summer 2023.  

Many of us believe that the best way for VAC to honour women Veterans is not through focusing on events, but by equitably supporting us with evidence-based, sex- and gender-informed policies, research, benefits, services, and programs.

The Government’s Response to the ACVA Report on Women Veterans

On October 10, 2024, the government tabled its formal response to the ACVA report’s recommendations. At first glance, the response seems supportive: the government agreed or agreed in principle with 38 of the 42 recommendations, took note of three, and disagreed with only one (Recommendation #18).

Veterans familiar with “government-speak” can often tell when official responses may not lead to real action. Many in the community felt let down by the lack of a clear plan to implement the recommendations that were agreed to (see Esprit de Corps, Vol. 31, Issue 9 for the hoped-for actions). There’s growing frustration with the government’s “say-do” gap, especially among women Veterans. While many VAC programs have improved for Veterans overall, they all too often still overlook inclusion of the challenges unique to women — particularly those related to service-related disabilities tied to women’s biological, physiological, and hormonal factors.

For instance, mental health challenges that can be worsened by pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause remain “invisible” topics in Veteran studies and policies. Naming a strong Women Veterans Council will be an essential step to ensure that women’s voices meaningfully help shape VAC’s programs and services — “Nothing about us, without us.” Additionally, VAC frontline staff and civilian healthcare providers both need more training to better understand women Veteran culture and prevent unnecessary re-traumatizations.

Ultimately, federal budgets reflect a government’s commitment level to change. Next year’s VAC budget will need dedicated funding for long-term research, together with the military, on issues specific to women Veterans for meaningful change to happen.

For full implementation of the ACVA report recommendations, external oversight is likely needed.  As was seen with the Deschamps Report, which led to the naming of an external monitor for implementation of the Arbour Report recommendations. Similar accountability tools used for the Arbour Report like Dr. Megan Mackenzie’s “Report Card” could be adapted by women Veterans to externally track the ACVA report recommendations implementation progress. 

Bottom Line

While the government’s response to the ACVA report on Women Veteran’s Experiences appears positive,  meaningful implementation will likely require external oversight. If you are a woman Veteran, consider adding your voice to the ‘Report Card’ being developed at OpACVA.ca to help ensure real change happens.

Is Parliament Really “Broken”?

By Military Woman

Question:

Is Parliament really as “broken” as some suggest?

Answer:

Not at all! Let’s take a closer look at how collaboration among elected Members of Parliament (MPs) recently helped six Afghan women parliamentarians find safety in Canada.

Until August 2021, Afghan women were making impressive strides toward gender equality, increasing their representation in Afghanistan’s Parliament. This progress was closely monitored by the international community, with Canada specifically supporting programs that encouraged and prepared these women for high-profile political roles.

Afghan Mission Not Yet Complete

After August 2021, these women became prime targets for the Taliban’s campaign of violence and oppression. Many female MPs, fearing for their lives, reached out to Canada for help as they were forced into hiding or exile. A list of about a dozen Afghan women MPs seeking safety in Canada was collected and shared with Canadian parliamentarians.

By summer 2022, the situation for Afghan women had become increasingly dire, as highlighted in the article “Afghan Mission Not Yet Complete” (Esprit de Corps, Volume 29, Issue 6). Meanwhile, these women MPs continued to wait for the painfully slow wheels of Canada’s federal bureaucracy to turn.

Canadian MPs Take Action

By fall 2022, the urgency of the situation prompted MPs Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc Québécois), Elizabeth May (Green Party), Heather McPherson (NDP), Marcus Powlowski (Liberal Party), Leah Taylor Roy (Liberal Party), and Colonel (Retired) Alex Ruff (Conservative Party) to come together. These six MPs chose to collaborate across party lines to achieve a shared mission: ensuring the safety of their fellow MPs.

“It was because of us [that they are now in danger]. We encouraged them [to enter politics],” one of the MPs emphasized, highlighting Canada’s responsibility to assist these high-risk Afghan women.

In January 2023, shockwaves were felt globally when Mursal Nabizada, a well-known MP on the list of those waiting to come to Canada, was shot dead in her home in Kabul.

It’s a Choice to Call Parliament “Broken”
By fall 2024, six Afghan women MPs, along with Nabizada’s surviving family, had finally arrived in Canada—safe at last.

This humanitarian achievement by our elected parliamentarians is a powerful testament to Canada’s ongoing solidarity with Afghan women. In an era where political polarization often dominates the news, it’s heartwarming to see MPs like Ruff willing to “forget about the partizan baloney” and focus instead on “doing the right thing to help.” This situation shows that bureaucratic red tape can be managed when necessary, and that parliamentarians from all parties can work effectively and respectfully together—when they choose to.

Overall this success story challenges the notion that Canada’s Parliament is “broken.” The determination of these parliamentarians to bring Afghan women MPs to safety offers hope—not just for a brighter future for these brave women and their families, but also for Canada to serve as a model of cross-party collaboration for others to respect and emulate.

Gender Apartheid Must Become a Prosecutable Crime

While we celebrate the success of these Canadian MPs in helping six Afghan women MPs and their families immigrate to Canada, the broader crisis in Afghanistan remains dire. Afghan women continue to endure unbearable conditions, and many more women refugees, including members of the  Afghan women’s soccer team, are still waiting for Canada’s promised help.

Canada, along with the international community, must continue fierce advocacy for the reversal of the Taliban’s oppressive policies and the reinstatement of Afghan women’s human rights. As conditions in Afghanistan  deteriorate worse than ever imagined, “gender apartheid” must become a prosecutable crime against humanity by the International Court of Justice.

A Call for Continued Action

Canadians extend their gratitude to MPs Duceppe, May, McPherson, Powlowski, Roy, and Ruff, who embody Margaret Mead’s quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Together, these MPs have shown that Parliament isn’t really “broken” and that collaboration is still possible. That’s important news and a source of hope for the many who know that  Canada's mission in Afghanistan remains not yet complete.

ACVA Highlights – Part 15 – Key Hopes for the Government’s Response

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau & Minister of Veterans Affairs, Ginette Petitpas Taylor

By Military Woman

Question:
What can we hope to see in the government’s response to the “Invisible No More. The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans” study that was tabled by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) on June 12, 2024?

Answer:
Many of us are still digesting this powerful 150-page parliamentary report. The challenge not being the report’s length as much as the gut-kicking testimonials used throughout the report in support of the 42 recommendations. It’s a report best read in small portions to allow for the time required to absorb the full gravity of the information presented.

Besides accepting all the recommendations, a few other key hopes to be part of the government’s response, due no later than October 10, 2024, include:

1.        Clarify the Ministerial Lead.
Over half of the report’s recommendations require collaboration between Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and the Department of National Defence (DND). Hopefully, the Minister of Veterans Affairs takes clear charge for the recommendation’s implementation plan and uses this opportunity to formalise her already standing, but undefined, role as Associate Minister of National Defence. Using these dual roles is likely to be crucial for the successful navigation and collaboration required between VAC and CAF/DND.  

Hopefully, the experiences and lessons learned from this report will be openly shared by VAC with CAF/DND (and RCMP) to prevent similar Veteran experiences for those women still serving.

Collaboration also with both the Minister of Mental Health and Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) would also be valuable, particularly in developing and formalising training practices for frontline workers that interact with trauma and violence-exposed Veterans (Recommendations 30-31).

2.        Assign Department Leads.
It will be likewise crucial for department leads to also be able to freely liaise both within and outside of  CAF/DND/RCMP/VAC. Christine McDowell, the new Associate Deputy Minister at VAC, seems like a natural fit for this role, supported by LGen Lise Bourgon, CAF’s Champion for Women and Chief of Military Personnel. Together, they can ensure all work through the women’s subcommittee of the CAF/VAC Joint Steering Committee is well coordinated. (Recommendation 37).

3.        Define “Successful Implementation”.
A key takeaway from the infamous Deschamps report is the importance of seeking the input from those most affected before declaring any recommendation as being “successfully implemented”.  It is hoped that the new “Women Veterans Council” or ministerial advisory group will ensure that impacted women Veterans agree before the government lists any recommendation as being “implemented”. (Recommendation 36).

4.        Ensure Implementation Plan Resources are Available.
It is essential that resources needed for recommendation implementation are identified and included within next year’s budget and all parties’ election platforms. Occupational and environmental hazard related issues in particular will likely require new resources.  Despite this topic being on the Prime Minister’s Mandate Letter for the MND since 2021, to date, it has largely been ignored. (Recommendations 1,16, 17,20 and 22).

5.        Enhanced Government Accountability to Veterans and Canadians.

Sadly, many parliamentary reports end up gathering dust, with their recommendations often left systemically unaddressed. To prevent this ACVA report from suffering the same fate, it is hoped that a special committee combining National Defence (NDDN) and ACVA together is established to ensure the cross-departmental recommendations in the report remain on government’s radar.

Canadians need to hold their parliamentarians and public servants accountable for following through on the report’s recommendations. It is hoped that advocacy groups representing CAF, RCMP and Veteran members, including the soon to be announced “Women Veterans Council”, will prioritize the report’s recommendations.

When the fall 2024 parliamentary session begins again, it is hoped that all parliamentarians take a moment to reflect on their individual and collective responsibilities to provide civilian oversight of the military. Ensuring the health and well-being of military and RCMP Veterans is an entrusted sacred duty to the Members of Parliament by those that elected them. 

Let’s work together to get these ACVA report recommendations implemented !

MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE

LGen Lise Bourgon, Chief of Military Personnel and Defence Team Women’s Champion

By Military Woman

Question:

Can we discuss the experience of ing menopause while serving in the military?

Answer:

Absolutely!

Have you ever found yourself uncomfortably hot while outside during the summer? Now, imagine that same feeling of “overheating” happening unexpectedly at any time and place – whether you’re resting, sleeping, or working in the office. This can be a common experience for military members undergoing menopause – read on to learn more.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is defined as having gone without a period (menstruation) for one year. Most people experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, averaging 51. “Early menopause” can still happen naturally despite occurring between the ages of 40 and 45. Whereas, “premature menopause” is usually linked to medical treatments or  external environmental hazard exposures causing symptoms to occur before the age of 40, unnaturally.

What Are the Symptoms of Menopause?

In the context of the workplace, it is often “perimenopause” rather than menopause itself that presents the challenges. Perimenopause refers to the transition period leading up to menopause, typically starting in a person’s early to mid-40s and lasting up to eight years.

Perimenopause is a highly individual experience that can range from being completely asymptomatic to profoundly disabling. The most commonly recognized perimenopausal symptoms are vasomotor related  “hot flashes”. However, about 20% of women never experience hot flashes but may instead experience a variety of  alternative symptoms.

Why Does Menopause Matter to the Military?  

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) only started opening up all military trades to women in 1989. Consequently, it is only recently that the military is seeing a significant number of still-serving members that are also experiencing perimenopause and postmenopausal changes.

Historically, the CAF has not specifically addressed or researched menopausal women’s needs.

Greater institutional awareness on how to minimize menopausal-related quality of life and work performance challenges could result in improved retention rates for military women.

What Can the Military Do to Better Support Menopause-Related Issues?

·      Increase Awareness: Ensure all military members are informed about issues related to menopause  and are able to discuss accommodations for a perimenopausal-related workplace request without bias or stigma. For those still serving, explore the “Women’s and Diversity Health” intranet links on menopause and other related topics.

·      Prepare Leaders: Equip military leaders to address concerns related to common perimenopausal symptoms, such as “brain fog”, and physical training challenges, including those resulting from new onset urinary incontinence or pelvic floor prolapses.

·      Educate Healthcare Providers: Enable military healthcare providers to confidently address  perimenopause-related symptoms, and offer counseling on menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT)  – formerly known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – before considering other medications or diagnoses, such as for anxiety or depression.

·      Update Policies: Ensure all policy updates, including those for healthcare, are inclusive of normal lifecycle issues, including around menopause.

·      Support Research: Mandate that all federally funded research include all lifecycle stages of military and Veteran members, including pre- and post-menopause.

·      Learn from Others: Collaborate with the UK, which is a leader in addressing these issues in both the military and civilian workplaces.

What Can Military Members Do to Better Support Themselves Through Menopause?

Military members, especially leaders, can work towards normalizing menopause. More open dialogue about menopausal-related symptoms and the many ways available to help mitigate the workplace impacts of those symptoms is required. We can all help to normalize the symptoms such as hot flashes, disrupted sleep patterns, and brain fog, which so many members experience during their 40s and 50s. Increasing our own awareness of menopause as a normal life stage can help foster a supportive and inclusive workplace for all.  

What About Male Menopause?  

Yes, this is a real thing. Medically it is commonly referred to as “andropause.” However,  the symptoms of andropause are less likely to cause the workplace-related challenges commonly associated with menopause.  

In Summary: When We Know Better, We Can Do Better

The CAF is responsible for providing all of its members, at every stage of life, with the knowledge and support needed to succeed and thrive at work. Supporting CAF members through menopause, and other lifecycle changes, is a concrete example of the ongoing culture evolution to put its “people first.”

Musing for the Summer of 2024

By Military Woman

Question:

During the summer of 2022, there was a “Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” Military Woman column about various things to think about, discuss, and even debate with friends and family. Is there a similar list of musings for the summer of 2024?

Answer:

Sure! In the same spirit as the August 2022 column (Volume 29 Issue 7), here are some questions to ponder while sitting around the campfire.

Should the defence world be expecting the possibility of some major paradigm shifts in our near future? It certainly feels like important society level changes are happening around the world, Canada included. Especially for some of the defence related decisions to be made in the next year or two they seem likely to impact Canada’s place in the world for decades to come.

Is it time for Canadians to formally redefine how much is “too much” for injured and ill Veterans to ask for? It will soon be the appropriate timing to sunset legacy programs originally created for the Veterans of the Great Wars, that have since become very complex and piecemealed programs when applied to other Veterans. With a federal election happening on or before October 2025, it is an opportune time to challenge political parties to hold an Inquiry (or Royal Commission) into the best way forward, if elected, to ensure a more sustainable and effective approach to supporting Veterans.  Together, we could re-imagine a  more transparent, accountable, cost-effective, simpler, equitable and coordinated support system for all Veterans. If not, especially with Canada’s ongoing  military recruitment and retention struggles, the alternative discussion might need to be about  mandatory national service, also known as conscription.

When will the federal government move beyond the men-only occupational hazard research of the 1970s to obtain updated research, inclusive of women workers and workplace reproductive hazard considerations? Government related policy decisions, including claim adjudications for Veterans, that are based on research that did not include women cannot be assumed as fair or evidence-based to then apply to women. More research, in specific on women in the military workplace, is required.

Is it time for the Department of National Defence to update its approach to assessing the human health hazard risks related to  federally contaminated sites on military bases? The lessons learned from CFB Gagetown and Agent Orange, and a growing number of other base-related environmental contamination concerns, have yet to be optimally collected and publicly communicated for the common good of all those who have worked and lived on these sites.

Could all three levels of government work together to ensure at least one flexible-hour daycare option was always available to support operational and essential workers (i.e. ambulance, fire, police, dispatchers, medical staff and military members)?

Given the shortage of family doctors, could the federal government do more to ensure continuity of medical care after military release? Could the federal government  fund a new billing code to allow family doctors to meet for an hour or two, instead of 15 minutes, with newly released military members so as to ensure Veterans a more seamless transfer from federal to provincial health care responsibilities?

With almost a third of Canadian women Veterans living alone,  is “Veterans and their family” an inclusive phrase? Is it time to follow the US example of  “Veterans and their family, friends and caregivers?”

Could the federal government automatically provide all military (and RCMP) members  with mental health benefit supports for two years after release? Why does VAC only offer mental health benefits to Veterans after they submit a claim for a diagnosed chronic mental health condition? Why instead couldn’t VAC treat mental and physical health as two sides of the same coin, and also offer mental health benefit coverage for those with physical condition claims, such as chronic pain? Better yet, why wouldn’t government provide mental health benefit supports to any Veteran that asks for such help? Why not proactively support all Veterans that self-identify as suffering from things like moral injury,  military sexual trauma, grieving, burnout, compassion fatigue, institutional betrayal, combat-related stress reactions, and life transition stresses?

Can women Veterans (military and RCMP) come together to help government prioritise which recommendations from the recent “Invisible No More. Experience of Canadian Women Veterans” study to implement first ? Nothing About Us, Without Us

What are your summer musings?

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ACVA – PART 14 – JUNE 12, 2024

By Military Woman

Question:  The report “Invisible No More. The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans” was released by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) on June 12, 2024. How did it go?

Answer: The June 12, 2024, release of the ACVA study’s 156-page report on the “Experience of Women Veterans”, elicited a range of emotions from those involved. 

Most felt relief that the report was successfully published before Parliament’s summer recess. Anyone familiar with the parliamentary process knows that completing a study does not guarantee achieving a final report. For instance, the UK’s snap election resulted in its inaugural “Women Veteran Strategy” report not being tabled as planned this June.

Many participants of the various June 12th events expressed pride that their experiences as military and RCMP members had been formally acknowledged by all parties in Parliament and were now part of a permanent Canadian record. Veterans hoped that by sharing their experiences others could benefit from their lessons learned, especially the future generations of military and RCMP women. A summary document highlighting the testimonies of the many Veterans who appeared on this study is available on the “Transforming Military Cultures (TMC) DND MINDS Collaborative Network” website under the tabs for “Outputs” and then “Resources.”  The document includes a compilation of all past “Experience of Women Veterans” ACVA study - related Esprit de Corps “Military Woman” magazine columns.

The release of the ACVA report also fostered a sense of camaraderie. The event attendees included dozens of military and RCMP Veterans and their supporters including, but not limited to, representatives from the Senate, Provincial Parliament of Ontario, Veterans Ombud’s Office, Royal Canadian Legion, RCMP Veterans’ Association, National Association of Federal Retirees, Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre, Respect Canada, Servicewomen’s Salute, Survivor Perspectives, True Patriot Love, Pepper Pod, Women Peace and Security Network - Canada, Federation of Medical Women of Canada and the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans.

Others attending felt a mix of emotions, including the kind of healing that only happens when together in community, rather than sitting alone in a psychologist’s office. Many who testified were unable to attend Parliament in person for the June 12th report tabling, so they spontaneously organized virtual watch parties to share in the experience and support each other. Healing comes from being with similarly wounded peers and together feeling heard, believed and seen by an institution previously felt to have betrayed your loyalty to it.

Some attendees were eager to get working on a woman Veteran-led implementation plan for the report’s 42 recommendations. We hope to explore this topic further in a future column.

Unfortunately, not all of the June 12th experiences were positive. During Member of Parliament (MP) Rachel Blaney’s recognition of the many Veterans in the gallery, some well-known supporters of the military, including MP James Bezan, did not participate in the standing ovation. This lack of acknowledgement from the Shadow Minister of National Defence exemplifying why women Veterans so often still feel their sacrifice and service are “invisible”, even when wearing multi-tour racks of medals, including from Afghanistan.

Additionally, during Question Period, Veterans felt unseen once again when the Minister of Veterans Affairs discussed affordable housing needs in front of a gallery full of Veterans without once referencing the specific housing challenges faced by Veterans.

The report’s tabling by ACVA Chair MP Emmanuel Dubourg was powerful and emotional.

A press conference followed, largely held in French but it can be watched on CPAC in the language of your choice. Despite all ACVA committee members being in Parliament that day, only three parties were represented at the all-party press conference. It was indeed a surprise to many Veterans (and MPs) that MP Blake Richards, Shadow Minister of Veterans Affairs and ACVA Vice Chair, neither presented his party’s supplementary report nor attended the press conference for this important study.

Moving forward,  a final thank you to ACVA Chair MP Dubourg for his consistent efforts to keep the study focused on Veterans versus the all too often attempts of partisan-related exploitation of those Veterans.

With this historic and precedent setting #InvisibleNoMore study on the experiences of Canadian women Veterans being tabled on  June 12 we also join, by chance, with our US Veteran community in acknowledging this as a special day for women Veterans.

Highlights From the ACVA – Part 13 – Report Release Date: June 12, 2024

By Military Woman

Question: What’s next for the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: On May 6, 2024, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)) completed a comprehensive study, resulting in a report exceeding 100 pages. The report includes over 50 recommendations, drawn from the input of 93 witnesses and 10 submitted briefs. The next phase  involves officially tabling the report in the House of Commons prior to its public release scheduled for June 12, 2024.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs is presently creating a “Women Veteran Council” (WVC) to advise her on matters such as how to best prioritize and execute the recommendations from this and other parliamentary reports. It is anticipated that the WVC will be functional by September 2024.

ACVA’s next study is “Transition to Civilian Life.” As part of this study, several women Veterans testified, including Vicky-Lynn Cox, on February 26, 2024. She highlighted some of the difficulties women can face when transitioning from the military, particularly concerning the reporting and recovering from sexual misconduct related events. She recommended dedicated personnel should exist within the workplace transition process to address sexual violence prevention and care. Additionally, she emphasised the importance of automatic access to peer and mental health support for sexual misconduct victims and their families, similar to the supports made automatically available for individuals with operational stress injuries. She underscored how sexual misconduct can also affect the partners and children of women Veterans.  While expressing gratitude for programs like “Camp Maple Leaf” and “COPE” (Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday) from Wounded Warriors Canada, she also noted negative experiences with other programs. To ensure the well-being of all Veterans, she stressed the need for better oversight mechanisms, especially for women Veteran focused programs, including those funded by the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund and the Sexual Misconduct Support and Response Centre (SMSRC).

Vicky-Lynn Cox also reinforced the previous ACVA testimony of Marie-Eve Doucet. Both are previous airframe technicians, calling for increased government research on the impact of workplace reproductive chemical hazards on military/Veteran women and their unborn children.

Stephanie Hayward’s testimony on April 29, 2024, provided further insights to the Transition study. She called for fairer compensation, benefits, and support for reproductive system-specific service-related injuries, highlighting deficiencies in current policies and guidelines. She specifically referenced the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Table of Disabilities and Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines for minimizing the life-altering impact service-related injuries and illnesses can have with respect to fertility, pregnancy, birthing and offspring health complications.

For women Veterans facing intimate partner violence, financial insecurity, housing instability, lack of childcare access, and reproductive health issues -  she called for a more comprehensively support approach by VAC. More government efforts on reproductive health-related research and services, such as pelvic floor physiotherapy are also required. Improved childcare support programs would allow mothers access to their own medical care in private, without having to expose their young children to sensitive discussion topics and examinations.

Many others also contributed to the study on “Transition to Civilian Life”, including Carolyn Hughes, Paula McDonald, Rosemary Park, Sandra Perron and Donna Riguidel.  Some noted the positive progress being made, while others encouraged work on women Veterans’ rights, including their human rights, medical rights, and employment rights to persist.

Addressing knowledge and data gaps about the full impact of military service on women and their families health is essential and should be a priority. Neglecting the specific needs unique to women Veterans not only negatively impacts their quality of life but can also have long -lasting intergenerational effects.  The establishment of  military/Veteran women’s health as a standing agenda item on the Joint Steering Committee between VAC and the military is a positive step towards ensuring inter-departmental collaboration on these critical issues.

History will be made in the House of Commons on June 12, 2024, when the first-ever comprehensive report on the experience of women Veterans is tabled. It is hoped this report will serve as a catalyst for positive change for all those women who have served – past and present.

Highlights From the ACVA – Part 12 – The Final Testimonies

By Military Woman

Question: What’s next for the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: The final testimonies for this historic study by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) were heard on February 7, 2024. This study is historic for both its length, with a total of 23 meetings, and its topic: Women Veterans.

Paula MacDonald, a retired military social worker, testified that despite the successful 2019 military sexual misconduct class action lawsuit, many systemic obstacles remain. The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has not yet implemented effective workplace mechanisms for sexual violence prevention or perpetrator accountability. The sex- and gender-based analysis used by CAF and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) should be further improved to better identify the diverse needs of those impacted by sexual misconduct. VAC continues to unnecessarily demand bureaucratic and complex documentation before those with military sexual trauma-related injuries and illnesses can access supports and care. These, and other, systemic obstacles impede Veterans from healing.

Kristina Sharp, a member of the Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit, provided the final testimony for this ACVA study. She explained in detail the many ways in which her service dog, Stoker, has helped her heal from her service-related injuries. She called on the government to provide Veterans in need with barrier-free access to safely and appropriately trained service dogs, acknowledging the concurrent need for government-developed standards. The importance of accessing safe options of peer support for all Veterans was also emphasized. She challenged the government to develop standards for all federally funded peer support groups, especially for women Veterans.

Now that the testimonies are complete, what's next?

Firstly, gratitude is in order. Thank you to the NDP and Bloc ACVA committee members for moving the motion that created this study. Thank you to all ACVA committee members for then agreeing to making this into a longitudinal study spanning over 20 meetings. Thank you to Library of Parliament’s analyst, Jean-Rodrigue Paré, for writing the draft report and recommendations and to the many ACVA clerks that rotated through this study.

Appreciation extends to the over 90 witnesses but especially to the over 60 courageous serving and Veteran CAF and RCMP women who provided personal testimony and/or written briefs. Special thanks go to all the women Veterans who presented for the first time to a parliamentary committee including, but not limited to:

• Vivienne Stewart, who spoke on the Merlo-Davidson RCMP class action clawbacks.

• Stephanie Hayward, who spoke about service-related reproductive injuries.

• Nicole Langlois, who shared some of her military-to-Veteran transition challenges.

• Marie-Ève Doucet, whose service-related hazard exposures occurred in Canada. 

• Louise Siew, who reminded us that the “era served” for women Veterans matters.

 • Lisa Nilsson, who called on VAC for more research, especially on Navy injuries.

• Lisa Cyr, who advocated for more Veteran entrepreneur and fibromyalgia supports.

• Joanne Seviour, who urged for more sexual misconduct impact awareness.

• Jessica Miller, who encouraged more peer support options for women Veterans.

 • Jennifer Smith,  who challenged VAC to give better support to people that are single.

• Caleigh Wong, who highlighted the impacts of racism and sexism when combined.

• Anna-Lisa Rovak, who delivered arguably the most memorable women Veteran statement of the study after feeling disrespected and objectified during an interaction with the ACVA Vice Chair:

“I am not someone else’s platform. I am not someone else’s cash cow. I am not someone else’s product. I am a human being, I am a veteran and I am strong in that.”

All these testimonies and more, including that of defence researcher Chris Edwards, can still be watched on the ACVA “Experience of Women Veterans” webpage. Also, Rachel Blaney’s YouTube channel offers a playlist of meeting highlight clips.

The next step for this study is to see the finished report and its recommendations published. Before that is possible, the Chair of the ACVA committee must formally table the finalized study report in the House of Commons. 

Since this study first began, back in March 2023, many Veterans have come together to both laugh and cry. Hopefully our bonds will continue to grow and organize. Together, we can help to ensure the “Experience of Women Veterans” study report gets published before end of this session of Parliament - June 21, 2024.

Highlights From the ACVA – Part 11

By Military Woman

Question: How did the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) study on the “Experience of Women Veterans” end the 2023 year?

Answer: Caleigh Wong, a reservist with five years of service including a tour in Latvia, testified at the twenty-first meeting, held on December 5, 2023. She shared a number of personal experiences of racial and sexual discrimination. Often feeling more like a tolerated guest, instead of a valued team member, she wasn’t made comfortable to speak up against the sexual misconduct and misogyny happening to and around her, especially with so few precedents of institutional justice for those that do speak out.

She also observed that those complaining the most about the ‘never-ending’ discussions on these topics, were all too often the same people tolerating and normalizing inappropriate behaviours in the military workplace. 

She emphasized the need for more than an “add women and stir” cultural and attitudinal shift within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), calling for more internal and external champions, including the ACVA members themselves. She challenged a reconfiguration of what it means to be a  “good soldier” . For example, a “good soldier” by definition does not rape. Anyone. Ever. 

Stephanie Hayward shared her harrowing 2009 experience of sexual violence during her basic training course.  Despite her documented service-related trauma, her Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) disability claims were repeatedly denied, leading her into homelessness.

Only after an intervention by a social worker during a 2020 PTSD-related hospitalization, were her VAC disability claims, including for Critical Injury Benefit, finally accepted. However, VAC still forced her to continue the fight to access the  Veterans Independence Program (VIP) and coverage for pelvic floor therapy. As a single mother, she also noted that social assistance provided better supports for her children then what they have now through VAC’s coverage of her service-related injuries.

This situation underscores why VAC’s Table of Disabilities must be further updated to address women’s and sexual assault survivor’s health issues and streamline their access to needed benefits more equitably.

The Members of Parliament Blaney and Bennett both highlighted government’s apparent inability to link sexual trauma with poor pregnancy labour outcomes, postpartum and/or  perinatal mental health issues. MP Bennett noting “…the data isn't there even while people are serving, so VAC doesn't seem to know that this should be compensable. We're hearing a lot that there should be a presumptive approach in terms of compensation.”

At the twenty-second meeting on December 7th, 2023, VAC representatives acknowledged women Veterans as their fastest growing group of new clients. In support of the approximately 75,000 women Veterans, VAC recently organized women’s roundtables on employment, homelessness and the establishment of an advisory council. The Joint CAF-VAC Steering Committee recently added military/Veteran women issues as a standing agenda item to improve on issue coordination between the two departments. VAC acknowledged ongoing research gaps for women Veterans, especially regarding reproductive health, but did not share (yet) what its plan is to address this longstanding source of data inequity.

VAC’s Chief Medical Officer, herself a Veteran, clarified her previous ACVA comments of May 4, 2023, regarding women being able to send their  health-related complaints to a 1-800-Cyd-Courchesne number. There is, in fact, unlike in the US, no dedicated contact or support phoneline for women Veterans.  VAC has however introduced a new women Veteran’s section to its monthly e-newsletter, “Salute!”

A representative from the CAF Transition Group explained his mandate to support the ill and injured members and their families, including through the Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) program. With approximately 150 staff and volunteers, OSISS completes around 2,000 peer support contacts per month, primarily to Veterans and their families. OSISS supports all those with operational stress Injuries (OSI), i.e. persistent psychological difficulty from military operations, training, domestic or international operations, or burnout from military life stressors. The CAF Transition Group member acknowledged that military sexual trauma (MST) can result in an OSI.

Representatives from the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) outlined their programs, including a 24/7/365 support phone line available at 1-844-750-1648. VAC again acknowledged for themselves, and Atlas, that SMSRC is the “lead for all matters of military sexual trauma.”

All groups, VAC and Veterans alike, eagerly await the final recommendations from this important “Experience of Women Veterans” ACVA study to be released in 2024.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 10

By Military Woman

Question: What else has been happening at the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) study on the “Experience of Women Veterans”? 

Answer: Jane Hall, from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Veteran Women's Council, was first to testify on the nineteen meeting of this study, held on November 28, 2023. She shared that 2024 would mark the 50th anniversary of RCMP women and thanked all those that had helped to pave the, sometimes rocky, pathway to that achievement.  

She shared some long-standing statistics of higher attrition rates for RCMP women versus men. She cited one of the causes for this differential being the ongoing presence, in some locations, of an unhealthy workplace culture.  She reminded the committee that the Council’s “Addressing a Crisis in Leadership” 2014 report provided, yet unimplemented, recommendations on how to address these issues.

Hall further explained the differences in attrition rates as being related to inadequate systemic supports to optimize female-sex specific needs for uniforms, equipment and physical and psychological illnesses and injuries. She urged Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to provide more research and supports for female RCMP Veterans, especially related to psychological and reproductive health needs. She also urged the government to focus on the action recommendations to come from this ACVA study, as organizational and systemic changes for uniformed women are already long overdue.

Jessica Miller, a retired military medic who now runs the Veteran Farm Project, was next to testify. She named it as a failure of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) senior leadership not to have better recognized and supported military sexual trauma (MST) impacted members. This collective leadership inaction around prevention of CAF members’ sexual misconduct related workplace injuries and illnesses served to create and sustain a culture of silence around the issue.  The institutional silencing around MST topics has resulted in deepening and furthering of the harms caused by CAF to its own people. This culture of silence around MST then follows and impedes many MST impacted members’ ability to optimally transition to a life outside of the military.

The Veteran Farm Project was started to give women Veterans a safe space to heal from their service-related traumas and rebuild their lives through connection with nature, community and peers. Miller called for more VAC research and supports for grassroot organizations, like hers, to help empower and foster MST impacted women Veterans’ long-term well-being. She urged VAC to do more research into the effectiveness of the programs it funds. She knows first-hand that programs like the Farm Project work and that similar project to hers could be reproduced elsewhere - if given the chance.

Veterans Transition Network (VTN) testimony encouraged VAC to ensure its research and programming better included the unique challenges and experiences of women Veterans especially around social isolation and family care responsibilities. VTN also challenged government to more robustly recognize and address members’ sanctuary traumas caused from the institution’s response/non-response to various events.

The twentieth meeting of this study was held on November 30, 2023, and began with the testimony of Nina Charlene Usherwood, a 42-year military Veteran. She shared some of her military struggles, including discrimination, that she believes contributed to, if not caused, her physical health issues, including diabetes.

She recommended government prioritize an update to the Employment Equity Act, further empowerment of the Defence Advisory Groups (DAGs), and improved data collection processes, including specifically for those identifying as transgender.

Vivienne Stewart, RCMP Veteran Women's Council Co-Chair, shared her personal disappointment in how many years it was after her resignation from the RCMP before she learned that she was a Veteran, eligible for VAC programs and services.

She criticized VAC for not having better information dissemination methods and operating too much like an insurance company, instead of a service provider. She also questioned past VAC interpretations of the Merlo-Davidson Class Action Settlement which, to her as a lawyer herself, unnecessarily negatively impacted many RCMP Veteran women, including former RCMP Constable Krista Carlé. RIP.

More robust RCMP (and CAF) exit interviews and VAC intake interviews were also recommended. Indeed, if government captured and actioned more lived experience feedback, Veterans may start to feel more respected, understood and supported.

ACVA Highlights – Part 9

By Military Woman

Question: What else has been happening at the “Experience of Women Veterans” study? 

Answer: The seventeenth meeting of this Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) study was held on November 7, 2023. Serving RCMP, including the Commanding Officers of B Division, Jennifer Ebert, and J Division, DeAnna Hill, reinforced the positive impacts made by applying Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus to federally funded projects. For example, GBA Plus helped during the recent RCMP pistol modernization project to identify the benefits of offering more pistol grip options for those with smaller hand sizes.

The study’s eighteenth meeting, held on November 9, 2023, included particularly poignant and personal accounts from two former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.

Marie-Ève Doucet, worked on and around the CF-18 Hornet Jet for over twenty years – first as an Aviation Systems Technician and then as a Non Destructive Testing Technician. She outlined to the committee her extensive exposure to radiation and multiple carcinogens, including ultrafine air particles. Diagnosed with a pineal gland brain cancer in her late thirties, which has since spread into her spinal cord, she was dismayed at the swiftness with which Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) denied her disability benefit claim. In the denial, VAC cited the lack of available research to prove a service relationship to her rare medical condition.

She notes that not only is there scant workplace hazard surveillance documentation in her military records but what government research studies that are available, are largely male only studies. This ongoing bias in government research actively discriminates against military women, especially for health conditions where women may present with different symptoms and disease patterns then found in men. 

Compounding her concerns, is VAC's apparent expectation that it is the impacted Veteran themselves that should be held responsible for the lack of military specific research available to support Veterans’ disability claims. Why would it not be the Government of Canada, their employer, with the responsibility to ensure and prove workplace safety? This apparent catch-22, no win possible, situation feels like an institutional betrayal.

She therefore hopes that ACVA supports her recommendation for presumptive VAC claim approvals for military women with known occupational hazard exposures and potentially related health conditions at least until the formal establishment and implementation of a CAF-VAC military women’s research plan. Such a longitudinal surveillance research plan must also include the review of female-sex specific reproductive workplace hazards and their potential for epigenetic and other health related impacts on military women’s offspring.

Jennifer Smith testified to truly horrendous experiences on naval bases and at sea during the early days of CAF gender integration. She explained how her military experiences continue to negatively impact her today in all domains of her wellbeing - physically, mentally, socially, housing security, employment, financially and sense of life purpose. 

She provided specific examples of ongoing unmet needs from VAC to address her specific situation. She underscored that many of her challenges with VAC seem to be specifically because of her status as a woman, who is single, and with largely invisible injuries. Despite marital and family status being a mandated Canadian Human Rights Act equity consideration for all VAC benefits, programs, services and research – the many inequities that result from VAC’s ongoing privileging and prioritizing of supports for married Veterans over single Veterans remains stark.

Smith called on VAC to modernize its disability benefit adjudication process, benefits, programs and services and case manager training to better support women's health issues and needs. She would also like to see VAC accept, without questioning, civilian health care practitioner’s recommendations and prescriptions. Lastly, she calls on more investments in women Veteran specific research and for VAC to stop its unstated assumption that all Veterans will have a co-located, caregiving capable, spouse in place to provide the injured/ill Veteran with their first line of supports.

VAC clearly has room for improvements, especially to better address the unique challenges faced by women Veterans. Hopefully this ACVA study’s final report, due out in early 2024, will provide the Minister of Veterans Affairs with a roadmap of how to rapidly evolve her department into a more fair and inclusive experience better able to meet the needs of ALL injured and ill Veterans, women included.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 8

By Military Woman

Question: What else has happened on the “Experience of Women Veterans” parliamentary study?

Answer: Three women Veterans testified October 26th, 2023, for the fifteenth study meeting of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA).  

Nicole Langlois served from 1990-1997 in the combat arms. Her career highlights included being a frontline peacekeeper and achieving her M113 tracked vehicle operator certification. She shared with the committee, several service-related physical and mental challenges she faced as both a woman and a single parent.

After retiring, she felt like she “disappeared.” She found it hard to translate her army skills into meaningful civilian jobs. She tried a number of diverse jobs including as school bus operator, sports coach, security guard, custodian, and teacher.

After struggling to find her post-military life’s purpose for almost two decades,  she admitted needing help. When she first shared the ongoing impact of her military experiences with her civilian health care providers, unfamiliar with Veterans, they misdiagnosed her. It was only after, as a last resort, she turned to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) that she finally received a correct medical diagnosis and treatment plan.

She recommended the committee read the 2022 British study entitled, “Exploring Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in the Female Veteran Population: A Qualitative Study.” She also recommended for women Veterans to get more education about mental health stereotypes, including reluctance to seek medical help and any women-specific VAC services, including support groups.

Alice Aiken served first in the Naval Reserves as a MARS officer and then in the Regular Force as a Physiotherapist. She is also the founder of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). She focused her testimony on her experience to date with the Restorative Engagement component of the 2019 CAF-DND Sexual Misconduct Class Action Lawsuit. “I became part of the suit because I wanted to tell my story, and I keep getting notes saying, “Well, we have to talk to 20,000 of you, and they’re on number 438.””

“I’m not sure why the military would have started this process if it wasn’t ready with, I don’t know, thousands of counsellors on hand to take people’s stories. It just seems to me to be really bad planning… There seemed to be lots of money but very little support.”

She concluded with a plea for committee members to not “underestimate the seriousness of the suffering of some of my sisters in arms. This is important work you're doing; it's not political. Please take it seriously.”

Brigitte Laverdure testified that although her sexual assault occurred over 40 years ago during basic training, she still relives it today. She remained silent after the event initially to ensure her military career continued. She experienced several other traumatic events in the military but was never offered psychological supports. After almost 20 years of service, she was medically released in a manner that left her feeling miserable and alone.

Today she volunteers with the Veterans Ombud Advisory Council and enjoys helping Veterans with their VAC claims. She is shocked at how often Veterans still do not know what they are entitled to. She also notes, that in her lived experience, some federally funded support groups, like Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) still do not fully “support the LGBTQ people.”

She recommended government offer psychological support to all, especially after traumatic workplace events, more proactively. She also recommended higher experience levels for those working in military-Veteran transition areas and for more Veterans, especially women, to be hired to work at VAC.

The sixteenth ACVA study meeting, held October 31, 2023, saw three non-Veterans testifying. They represented the Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) Canada, the Canadian War Museum, and a researcher calling for more female sex-specific combat-related equipment design and procurement.

To everyone that has participated in the  ACVA study to date - we share with you Member of Parliament Rachel Blaney’s words “…thank you for being here to help us try to make the path safer for other veterans who are women and for other serving women members in the future.”   

At the end of the day, is that not what we are all here to do - Make it better for the next generation?

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 7

By Military Woman

Question: What happened at the October 24, 2023, meeting of the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) began this study’s fourteenth meeting with its first witness to date from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).  In 1974, Beverley Ann Busson joined the first class of regular member RCMP women. In 2006, she became the RCMP’s first female commissioner. In 2018, she was named to the Senate.  

True Patriot Love Foundation representative Eleanor Taylor also spoke. She shared with us her deep personal connection and pride in the fund named after her friend, Nichola Goddard. Since 2018, the Captain Nichola Goddard Fund has financially enabled many community programs that support servicewomen, women Veterans, and their families.

Despite the importance of both these testimonies  - this meeting belonged to Anna-Lisa Rovak. Her testimony was riveting. Her opening statement was raw and direct; starting off with a poem she wrote on February 20, 2022, just after her second suicide attempt.

To Serve

Identity stripped to a bare soul
Twisted and pressed to fit a single mold
Told how to think and what to wear
Punished for any individuality
Mind and body pushed to the brink of insanity
Soul is empty of pride and self worth
Praised only when obedience is met
Rewarded when orders are fulfilled in silence

Tossed aside when worth is expended
Ignored, belittled by those who still serve
Unless the heart remains a slave
And traditions are followed with no thought
Today, I'm
Searching for identity
Searching for the original me
Searching for a new beginning
Trying to fill the void
Disappear or Reinvent
Sometimes they are the same

After such a heartbreakingly vulnerable testimony, the first Member of Parliament (MP) to speak to her was the Conservative Party of Canada’s Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs – Blake Richards.

For reasons only known or understood by him and his political party, a party that self-identifies as honouring and respecting the nation’s military and all those that have served, MP Richards chose to prioritize matters unrelated to this study and committee over discussing the testimony of the Veteran sitting directly in front of him.

Granted, the Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, was within his parliamentary rights to do what he did. However, given the limited committee time available to develop recommendations to improve the health and wellbeing of Veterans, it was not the Veteran-centric thing to do.

When next given a chance to speak, Anna-Lisa’s response to this situation included the following:

“I do need to say one thing first, if I may, and it is that there was a prime example of exactly how women Veterans are dealt with on a daily basis, an hourly basis, in what we saw here earlier today. I got up from the table on purpose. I didn't get up because I hurt. I didn't get up because I was triggered. I got up because I was being ignored; I was being treated with disrespect; my story was not acknowledged, and someone was using me as their platform. That is part of the problem here.

I am not someone else's platform. I am not someone else's cash cow. I am not someone else's product. I am a human being; I am a veteran, and I am strong in that.

She went on to describe many other personal challenges dealing with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). She noted that cumulatively, VAC had caused her more trauma than all her time in the military had, rapes included.

She challenged VAC to improve its trauma-aware and -informed support and care to Veterans through:

·      Better handovers of care plans between case managers and contractors.

·      Less requirement to retell past traumatic events to new VAC contact points.

·      More trauma-aware treatment programs that don’t intermix or pre-assume co-existing addiction issues.

·      More Veteran-VAC partnership in therapy and program decision making.

·      More support for Veteran autonomy to do whatever is needed for them to feel safe, including leaving, when at VAC funded programs and services.

·      More female-sex only programs like the “Women’s Program” offered at the Davidson Institute (OperationalStressRecovery.com).

·      More VAC employees with “the right attitude” to enable more Veterans access to “the right care options” for their healing journeys. 

·      Allowing Veterans their human dignity. Don’t force Veterans to “beggar”.

No Veteran, of any sex or gender, should ever feel a loss of their dignity, freedom, self-control and sense of self as the price required to be paid in exchange for accessing the VAC benefits, programs or services they need and are entitled to.

No Veteran should ever feel negated or that they are being used as a cash cow or product for someone else’s platform.

VAC (and some MPs) can, and must, do better.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 6

By Military Woman

Question: What has been happening on the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: In this continuing series, we share with you some of the highlights of the testimony from the first ever Parliamentary study on women Veterans, sponsored by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA).

The study’s twelfth meeting was held on June 12, 2023. This meeting focused on long-term disability insurance programs and Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC)

Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines (EEG) and Table of Disabilities (TOD). 

The study’s thirteenth and last meeting before Parliament’s summer break was held on June 15, 2023. This was a powerhouse meeting. There were many “drop mike” moments and important calls for change made by Carly Arkell, Lisa Cyr, Lisa Nilsson, Nadine Schultz-Nielsen and Louise Siew.  Please consider watching this meeting’s video recording or reading its online transcript.

Louise Siew spoke about the power of government reports to act as important catalysts for change. She gave the historical example of the 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada Report. Before that Report, most military women were released at the rank of private after an average of 18 months of service. As a result of that Report, married women were finally allowed to enroll, to serve after having children and to qualify for military career pensions.

By the mid 1970s, military women’s presence was often experienced in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as “begrudgingly tolerated”. Workplace conditions at that time were often ripe for abuse — physical, mental and sexual. Military women courageous enough to speak up were often dismissed, mistreated, humiliated, silenced and even hurt. This period of time in military women’s history is often referred to as “gender assimilation” but in retrospect, “otherism” might be the more accurate descriptor.

While significant equity and inclusion progress has been made in the CAF over the last 50 years, more still needs to be done.

Witnesses called on the ACVA to use their upcoming study report to hold the CAF more accountable to document the many types of injuries and illnesses specific to women. Ideally, CAF would “step up” and better medically document the wide variations in conditions of service by decades and deployments. Each decade experiencing different levels of evidence-based military women specific research, policies, equipment, programs, training, benefits, supports, and care. In particular, CAF still needs more foundational level research and documentation on the impact of occupational and environmental exposures, including reproductive hazards, on military women’s long term health and wellbeing.

All this type of military specific background information about military women's historic occupational exposures must then be knowledge transferred to VAC.

This type of military specific information is a pre-requisite requirement for VAC to fairly and equitably adjudicate women Veteran’s claims.

It is no longer acceptable for VAC to deny women Veteran’s claims simply because their illness and injury patterns are different from the male-assumed and established EEG and TOD standards.

Therefore, until such time that CAF has collected and shared military women specific hazard research information with VAC – military women’s hazard exposure related VAC claims should be presumptively approved.

Military women should not be left alone to fight these systemic bias battles with VAC to individually have to prove their service-related hazard exposure injuries and illnesses.

Although many things are the same between the biological sexes, many military hazard exposures will affect women’s health differently from men’s. Women Veterans shouldn’t have the burden to both experience these health challenges personally and then also be expected by VAC to find their own research to prove to VAC what their lived reality in the military was. 

The employer, government, needs to step up, be accountable to support military women  - especially those of this first generation of operationally active “career” service women.  

Military Women hope this “Experience of Women Veterans” ACVA study report to become the same agent of change of this generation that the Royal Commission was in the 1970s.

We have to do better.  We must do better.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 5

By Military Woman

Question: What has been happening at the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: First – a reminder that the final day to submit your comments and recommendations for this Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) study is September 30, 2023.

In continuation of past columns, the study’s tenth meeting on the “Experience of Women Veterans” was held on June 1, 2023. Four serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members gave testimony, including the Acting Chief of Military Personnel and Defence Champion for Women, Lise Bourgon, and the National Practice Leader for Psychiatry, Andrea Tuka.

Information was shared about a new military women’s health initiative which includes important sex-specific occupational hazard research that will hopefully assist with injury and illness prevention and ensure more evidence-based and standardized medical care.

CAF also committed to “give voice to our women Veterans to come back and say that this is their experience, so that we can listen to them.” Hopefully, by listening to women Veteran’s lessons learned, women’s recruitment and retention rates can be raised and medical release rates lowered.

The study’s eleventh meeting was held on June 5, 2023. Three women Veterans with over 110 years of combined service provided courageous examples of lived experience feedback.  

Kathleen Mary Ryan reflected that it has been over 50 years since she first marched on Parliament Hill for women’s rights and over 40 years since she joined the military, yet here she was again—still advocating for equality.

Joanne Seviour encouraged everyone “to nip any misogynistic comments in the bud and to raise our women to speak up.”   She also noted that participating in the CAF-DND Sexual Misconduct Class Action Settlement opened up a “Pandora’s box” for her. She found Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to be unprepared to understand the many ways military women can be impacted by multiple, versus single, service-related traumas perpetrated over years, if not decades.

Jacqueline Wojcichowsky stated outright her sense of broken trust with VAC. Her lived experience was that a disconnect still exists “between the military and Veterans Affairs with respect to the trauma of injury and illness in women currently serving and those who are veterans.” She felt some VAC staff  “undervalue the trauma female soldiers have endured” and how the “constant stress of trying to fit in as a woman in a male's world can have long-lasting psychological effects.” She called for more programs, resources and groups specific for women Veterans. She also gave the specific example of the VIP (Veterans Independence Program) still being denied for women with mental versus physical health claims.

Attending the committee for his first time as substitute for NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Rachel Blaney, MP Blake Desjarlais opened his committee question time with a heartfelt statement to the women Veterans testifying.

He said:  “…No matter if this report goes the way it needs to and no matter if these things are not implemented, you're doing something that's going to help people no matter what, even if governments, whether this one or the next, don't do those things. I want you to know that your story will live on in my heart, and hopefully the hearts of every member of this committee, to help us know that we have far more work to do. ... As a matter of fact, this is a true failure. You're talking about a failure of our governments, not just the sitting government but governments. We've heard the testimony from members who are with us and who have served for so long, and to hear that this is continuous, and that your experience validates that it's continuing, brings me great sadness, especially coming from a tradition of matriarchy. … To hear of women being treated this way, especially women who are warriors, pains me a lot. I know how much more you're worth than this system has allowed you. … This isn't just an issue of VAC. It's not just an issue of the Canadian Armed Forces. This is an issue of our culture, of how we prop up hatred in this place and across our country and how it has devastating results. It devastates our sisters, our mothers and our grandmothers. It demeans all Canadians when we allow for this kind of treatment to continue. I want to thank you for that.”

No, MP Desjarlais—we thank you. To you, women Veterans are not invisible women. You saw us. Your words give us hope and validation.

You remind us, that women Veterans have many allies. Maybe together—political and apolitical, military and civilian - we can help everyone see our individual differences as a collective strength, and not a weakness. 

If you want to join us to be part of that change, register at RachelBlaney.NDP.ca to attend a Parliamentary Reception in honour of women Veterans on October 16, 2023.  There’s more work to be done. Together.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 4

Question: What else has been happening at the “Experience of Women Veterans” study?

Answer: Glad you asked! 

The Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) held its ninth meeting on the “Experience of Women Veterans” on May 18, 2023. There were five witnesses  - two civilian mental health clinicians and three Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (CPCoE) representatives, including Veteran Hélène Le Scelleur. Since her release from the military, Hélène has become both a CPCoE funded postgraduate researcher and a Co-Chair for their Advisory Council for Veterans.

In case you are not already aware, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) established the not-for-profit CPCoE in 2020. According to the CPCoE’s 2022-2023 Annual Report it spends around 70% of its $4.5 million budget on research and 30% on overhead. The need for the Centre is obvious with 50% of women Veterans and 40% of men Veterans suffering from chronic pain (compared to 20% of non-Veterans).

Hélène’s testimony included experiences from her personal military journey that were not always easy for the audience to listen to. However, many of her examples will undoubtably resonate deeply with other women Veterans as shared in common experiences.

Hélène spoke of having to work “harder than any man just to be treated as their equal”. She also spoke about the institutional expectations to “accept boots that were too big” and “equipment that was inadequate” for her size and then suffer “in silence in order to perform”. She also spoke about feeling it necessary to shed her “femininity to make room for the identity of being a soldier”.  All the while, considering herself “lucky I am not one of those who was raped”. She summarized with the observation that “it is impossible to address chronic pain without exploring the underlying suffering that is experienced in a career as a woman in the forces”. 

Current medical thinking is that stress and other mental health related challenges can, and do, cause physical health problems and vice versa. The CPCoE’s medical director describes the relationship between a Veteran’s physical and mental health as being “two sides of the same coin”.  This framework helps to explain why most Veterans with chronic pain also have mental health challenges and vice versa.

Thanks to the ever-growing understanding of the clinical inter-relationship between the body, mind and spirit, a “bio-psycho-social” model of care is now considered best practice for supporting Veterans. Holistic, wraparound, integrated, multi-disciplinary team care is accepted as the  best approach to optimize Veteran wellbeing.

Other important recommendations made by the witnesses at this ACVA meeting included enabling more Veteran:  

·      psycho-social transition supports.

o   Tools to help re-define one’s identity when no longer a “soldier”.

o   Healthy social and peer support systems for women Veterans.

o   Barrier-free access to supports for psychological distress (no medical diagnosis required).

·      federally funded research.

o   Mandate the collection and reporting of sex and gender.

o   Mandate collaboration with lived experience Veterans throughout projects resulting in the Veteran as co-author on any publications.

o   Support more research on francophone Veterans.

o   Determine if women, especially those voicing complaints against the institution, are mis- and over-diagnosed as having personality disorders versus PTSD

o   Identify and share best practices for Veteran support and care.

·      recognition.

o   Improve Canadians’ knowledge of women Veterans.

o   Offer a “Vétérane” version of Quebec’s Veteran license plates

·      VAC data and policy transparency.  

o   Determine if women are declined claims, and other support requests, at a higher rate than men and if so, why.

o   Make VAC’s sex and gender-based analysis of their disability benefits adjudication research available to the public.

o   Require all Lifemark-Partners in Canadian Veterans Rehabilitation Services (PCVRS) contract providers to have meaningful military cultural training that includes women Veteran specific topics.

To review the highlights from the earlier ACVA meetings, please go to Esprit de Corps Vol 30 Issues 4,  5 , 6 and 7. 

If you, or anyone you know, wants to input into this “Experience of Women Veterans” study, please contact the Committee’s Clerk at ACVA@parl.gc.ca or 613-995-4915.

Highlights from the ACVA – Part 3

By Military Woman

Question: What has been happening at the “Experience of Women Veterans” Parliamentary study?

Answer: In continuation of the last two Military Women columns (Vol 30 Issues 5 and 6), we resume our look at some of the testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) study on the “Experience of Women Veterans. 

The study’s seventh meeting, held on May 4, 2023, highlighted two Veterans who are also Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) employees. Acting Director General, Centralized Operations Division, Trudie MacKinnon, announced that the update of VAC’s Table of Disabilities, which goes hand in hand with VAC’s Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines, should be published no later than March 2024. She also noted that since 2020, VAC has processed over 3,400 military sexual trauma related claims, with 28% of those claims being submitted by men.

Rachel Blaney, a NDP Member of Parliament (MP), asked “When a new injury is approved and a benefit is attached to that injury—for example, a service-related case of female infertility”, how does that type of new information get disseminated?

VAC’s Chief Medical Officer, Cyd Courschesne, responded, that VAC uses several different mechanisms to disseminate new information. She stated the expectation that new information of this nature would be shared with all the staff who receive that type of application, case managers and veteran service agents. She also stated that such new information would be put out on VAC’s social media platforms and on "My VAC” accounts.

The MP then asked in follow-up “if there’s a complaint or somebody feels like that has not happened, who do they complain to?”

To which VAC’s Chief Medical Officer replied, “it’s 1-800-Cyd-Courchesne.”

Unfortunately, that phone number is non-functioning. A better (and functioning) phone number that Veterans could use to complain about VAC related issues is 1-877-330-4343 (the Office of the Veterans Ombud).

The study’s eighth meeting, held on May 8, 2023, saw three Veterans testifying. First was Dawn McIlmoyle, who many may still remember as one of the 1988 Maclean’s magazine cover stories on military sexual misconduct. One of her many powerful statements was “if the military is serious about recruiting more women, Veterans Affairs has to start understanding that there are different needs for women, especially if a woman was abused and has isolated herself for any period of time.”

Next to testify was Sandra Perron, whose military experiences are well described both online and in her book (soon to be a movie) - “Out Standing in the Field”. She now works as CEO of the “Pepper Pod” - a VAC supported women Veteran retreat centre in Gatineau. She also presently serves as the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel for Le Régiment de Hull. She had a spirited exchange with the ACVA chair on the importance of precise terminology in French. Shortly thereafter, the ACVA did update its French terminology to match VAC’s lead and now also uses the term “Vétéranes” instead of “femme Vétérans”.

The third Veteran to speak was Carolyn Hughes, now Director Veterans Services, Royal Canadian Legion. She challenged VAC to update its policies more quickly after precedent-setting Veterans Review and Appeal Board decisions are made. She also noted that she is seeing more women Veterans successfully filing VAC disability claims for musculoskeletal injuries related to ill-fitting equipment and for various sexual dysfunction issues including anorgasmia. She encouraged VAC to continue its ongoing integration of gender-based analysis in all that it does. “One size fits all” approaches simply does not work well for all Veterans. It is better to consider “the unique needs of every veteran, whether they're women, men or LGBTQ2.” In summary, she stated “the CAF and VAC have an opportunity right now to demonstrate leadership by strategically planning on how best to enable and optimize the well-being of women veterans. For those who serve and who have served honourably and proudly, this is the least we can do.“

If you, or anyone you know, have topics or recommendations for this ongoing Parliamentary study on Women Veterans - please contact the ACVA’s clerk at ACVA@parl.gc.ca

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ACVA – 2

By Military Woman

Question: What has been happening at the Parliamentary study on the “Experience of Women Veterans”?

Answer: In continuation from last month’s column (Vol 30 Issue 5), we resume our look at the military related women testifying at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA ) study on the  

“Experience of Women Veterans”.

The study’s fifth meeting, held on April 27, 2023, heard from three powerhouse women with over 100 years of combined military service. First up was Rebecca Patterson – a retired Rear Admiral Nursing Officer who is now the only sitting  Senator with a military background. She was followed by Karen McCrimmon – a retired Air Navigator and the past Member of Parliament for Kanata-Carleton. Last up was Lee-Anne Quinn – a retired Nurse Practioner who is now the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment’s Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel. All three spoke to the many improvements in military women’s service conditions observed over their respective careers. The ongoing importance of women’s representation throughout the military, but especially at the higher ranks was also highlighted. A hope was then shared that this government-wide increased representation of women at the senior decision-making levels would soon become more visible at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).

The study’s sixth meeting, held on May 1, 2023, saw two serving Colonels testifying -  Helen Wright, Director of Women and Diversity Health Strategy and Lisa Noonan, Director of Transition Services and Policies Group. Both women spoke to the $144.3 million over five years allocated to defence in the 2022 federal budget to develop more responsive health strategies for women. The health strategies are still being finalized but for now have four distinct lines of effort - 1) Prevention 2) Care 3) Quality Performance and 4) Research and Engagement. Once completed, it is hoped that these health strategies will serve to enable women to stay both healthy and active throughout their military careers.

Some health specific initiatives are already underway. Soon, each military medical clinic will have a dedicated Nurse Practitioner to help ensure timely access to sex and gender specific primary health care needs. Obstetrician-gynecologists are being hired to help review and update medically policies. New epidemiologists are being hired to increase the Surgeon General’s capacity for sex and gender specific research. An updated periodic health assessment “Part 1” questionnaire will be available shortly to better screen for female sex-specific health issues such as dysfunctional uterine bleeding, urinary incontinence, and sexual reproductive needs.

Some transition specific initiatives already underway include workshops targeting women’s employment issues. One transition program in particular hopes to help women learn to better translate their military professional networks into civilian community contacts and leads. Work also continues to ensure equity between the peer support programs being offered for those impacted by Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and Operational Stress Injuries (OSI). It was also noted that women prefer to find new health care providers that are open to holistic mind-body integrated care approaches; assuming of course they can find a civilian family doctor at all! Not easy !

Although all these new initiatives for women are welcomed and necessary improvements, more can be done. The ideal military health strategy has to be the optimization of a member’s health and wellbeing for life, not just until their release/retirement from the military. To fully understand the long-term health and wellbeing impacts of military service - National Defence researchers must work closer together with VAC researchers to develop lifelong or longitudinal studies. Furthermore, ideally all defence related health researchers will evolve towards enabling participatory research. Only with research that is co-created with lived experience representatives from the community being studied can true accountability in research be achieved. Nothing about us, without us!  

If you, or anyone you know, has recommendations on how to further improve on the experiences unique to women Veterans - please contact the ACVA’s clerk at ACVA@parl.gc.ca. This study on the “Experience of Women Veterans” is expected to continue until mid-fall 2023.

See you next month!

In the mean time  - remember - the ACVA wants to hear from you! !

Highlights from the ACVA

By Military Woman

Question: What has happened so far at the Parliamentary study on the “Experience of Women Veterans”  ?

Answer: The House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) started their first ever study on women Veterans on March 30, 2023. In case you have not had the chance yet to follow these meetings personally - here are some women Veteran specific highlights from the first four meetings.

The study commenced with the testimony of Veterans Ombud Nishika Jardine. You can read her opening remarks in last month’s Esprit de Corps magazine (Vol 30 Issue 4). She also encouraged us all to hear the voices of women Veterans “as a distinct group”. The second half of the meeting focused on the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Research Directorate.  It was during this testimony that VAC confirmed it still has no women Veteran’s research strategy, only generalized “research priorities”, despite years of promises for a formal strategy to be “coming soon”.  

The study’s second meeting, held on April 17, 2023, saw four dynamic Veterans each speak truth to power. Heartfelt kudus go out to Donna Riguidel, Rosemary Park, Michelle Douglas and Christine Wood who all courageously shared their individual lived experiences and aspirations for positive change moving forward. This two-hour meeting covered a wide range of topics from the type of training programs needed to better address military sexual trauma, to gaps in the meaningful commemoration of Canadian servicewomen, to reminders about the ongoing impacts from the LGBT Purge. Other topics discussed included an ongoing need for a top-down gender-based analysis plus published review of all of VAC’s programs, services and benefits and for VAC to identify and feedback to the military relevant information from VAC claims related to potentially preventable women-specific health issues.  Examples include harm resulting from forcing women to use ill-fitting boots designed for men during basic training, and military service-related pelvic floor injuries that can result in stress incontinence problems. Several Members of Parliament appeared to be caught unprepared for the intensity of this session. Indeed, despite the trigger warning offered before the start of each of these meetings, this meeting was particularly raw and real.

 You can learn more about some of the issues discussed by Christine Wood, in particular by reviewing her input to the November 9, 2022 recording of “The Walrus Talks at Home: Veteran Identities”  and the February 9, 2023 recording of VAC’s “Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Forum.”

The study’s third meeting, held on April 20, 2023, saw the three co-chairs of the “Women Veterans Research and Engagement Network” (WREN) offer the Committee a strategic framework for approaching these often complex and confusing topic areas. One point particularly emphasised to the Committee Members, was their responsibility to hold VAC accountable to meaningfully address the issues being raised. A further challenge was made to the Committee Members by Karen Breeck to prioritise working collaboratively, versus by party lines, for Veteran health and wellbeing issues. The ongoing lack of research specifically in the area of the military workplace’s influence on women’s reproductive health was also highlighted.

The study’s fourth meeting, held on April 24, 2023, saw the Committee bring back many of the same groups who had recently appeared as part of the “National Strategy for Veterans Employment After Service” study. This time, however, each Veteran Employment related group brought along with them a female Veteran. Congratulations to Elena Vazquez, Cora Saunders, Patricia Henry and Kristin Topping for sharing with us all their powerful lived experiences with “Coding for Veterans”, “Helmets to Hardhats”,  “National Association of Career Colleges” and “Prince's Trust Canada” , respectively.  

Stay tuned for more “Experiences of Women Veterans” meeting highlights next month! Until then, a reminder that everyone is welcome to watch these meetings online or in person. Anyone wishing to participate in this study is invited to submit a written brief or a request to testify before September 30, 2023.

Please consider adding your voice to this discussion or encouraging someone you know to do so. Now is the time to speak up!