Training service dogs a passion for Tatamagouche woman
There is no mistaking Rhonda Langille's passion in life. The 53-year-old Tatamagouche resident gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night thinking about therapeutic medical alert service dogs.
"My hope is to one day train and work full-time with service dogs," said Langille. "My hope is for a miracle and to eventually have a location to work fro.......
1,462
Awards/Medals
05-01-2013
Carleton Place As the New Location of The Canadian Forces Afghan Cenotaph?
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Carleton Place trying to convince the Conservative government to locate the cenotaph honouring Canada’s Afghan war dead in its community.
The town’s mayor Wendy LeBlanc made a pitch to Defence Minister Peter MacKay in 2012, highlighting her community as the ideal spot for such a memorial because of its proximity to.......
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13-01-2014
Commentary: Legion Seeking End to Unfair Practice Affecting Disabled RCMP Veterans. Why Must They Endure a Lengthy Court Case?
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 13, 2014) - The Royal Canadian Legion is concerned that in spite of the May 2012 landmark Federal Court decision which ruled that the offset of Pension Act disability benefits from Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members Service Income Security Insurance Plan - Long Term Disability (SISIP LTD) Plan benefits was an unfair.......
1,711
23-01-2014
Ottawa facing new war with veterans over benefit claw-back compensation
OTTAWA -- Canada's veterans ombudsman and the Royal Canadian Legion are calling on the Harper government to say once and for all whether it will retroactively compensate ex-soldiers whose pensions and benefits were unfairly clawed back.
Veterans Affairs Canada has been silent about whether it will follow National Defence and reimburse those whose ear.......
1,730
03-02-2014
Veterans ombudsman warns political parties not to play politics with vets
Canadians should treat the needs of veterans as a “debt” that needs to be repaid and political parties should not use veterans’ issues for political purposes, says Canada’s veterans ombudsman.
“When we look at the obligation of the government or the citizens of Canada towards its veterans, it’s not a matter of a political issue, it’s a matter of a de.......
1,731
05-02-2014
Retired Canadian Forces Sergeant Major Fires Back At Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant – He Says He Asked Her For Help And Got Nothing
Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant is blaming the news media after military supporters started giving her a hard time for comments she has made about soldiers with mental health issues. Gallant’s office has blamed “local media” for putting words into her mouth.
As noted, Pembroke Today reported that Gallant (whose riding includes CFB Petawawa) said the w.......
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05-02-2014
Hundreds of veterans in the 'worst shape' can't get pension: ombudsman
Hundreds of Canada’s veterans who suffer from severe mental illness are living without any kind of pension because they left the Canadian Forces before reaching their 10-year service mark, says the country’s outgoing military ombudsman. Following an appearance at a Senate committee Wednesday, Pierre Daigle told CTV’s Power Play that about 1,400 of the .......
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10-02-2014
Equine therapy program for veterans with PTSD gets historic donation
A program dedicated to providing equine-assisted therapy to help veterans recover from post-traumatic stress disorder and operational stress injuries has received a helping hand from another Canadian charity.
On Monday, Can Praxis founders Steve Critchley, a 28-year veteran and mediator, and Jim Marland, a registered psychologist, received a cheque f.......
1,740
12-02-2014
VAC logic doesn’t stand up to scrutiny
Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 was a day of infamy in Sydney. The government closed our Veterans Affairs Canada office. A large crowd of supporters — about 1,000 — attended the wake.
This closure is no big deal for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He says the offices that were closed were “duplicate VAC offices with small case loads.” Veterans Affairs Minister .......
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12-02-2014
Veterans Can Thank Me And Others For The SISIP Victory, Not the Courts, Says Conservative MP Laurie Hawn
The New Veterans Charter (NVC) and the SISIP clawback issue are among the many points of contention that veterans have with the Conservative government. Conservative MP and former fighter pilot Laurie Hawn sees himself as the champion of veterans and has views on both topics. This is a passage from a larger email Mr. Hawn sent to a veteran. Here is what.......