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217 Lakeshore Rd. E., Downtown Oakville 905-844-3530 www.swissinteriors.comFURNITURE & HOME DECOR *Save an extra 5% ($50) when purchased as part of a set Factory Authorized DURHAM FURNITURE Bedroom Sale All Collections SAVE 20-25%OFF MSR Solid Cherry Queen Bed SALE $999* I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE THE TIME TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY, AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE CANADA WITH COURAGE AND COMPASSION TERENCE YOUNG MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR OAKVILLE Riding Offi ce: 165 Cross Avenue, Unit 104, Oakville, ON L6J 0A9 Tel: (905) 338-2008 / Fax: (905) 338-5432 Ottawa Offi ce: 315 East Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Tel: (613) 995-4014 / Fax: (613) 992-0520 13 W ednesday , N ovem ber 10, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m By Pamela Steel METROLAND MEDIA SPECIAL PROJECT In the face of scalding criticism, outrage over breaches of privacy and rising opposition from veterans, Canadas minister of veterans affairs has been doing damage control. Jean-Pierre Blackburn, acknowledging problems at the department entrusted with supporting Canadas 750,000 vets, has announced a series of big-money measures that includes $200 million over five years to support severely disabled veterans, and other fixes to problems he classi- fied as urgent. But retired Colonel Pat Stogran, whose ouster as Veterans Affairs Ombudsman has been a ral- lying point for the growing national protest by veterans, said he is not confident the new money will help. I credit the government with making the announce- ments, Stogran said. (But) it doesnt matter how much water you flow into the top if the system is broke. The system has terrible administrative practices that violate the principles of natural justice. There are mounds of bureaucracy that confront veterans. The longest standing point of contention for Stogran and veterans action groups is the New Veterans Charter, created in 2006, which critics claim denies vets the guaranteed pen- sions, family benefits and supports that were previously standard issue. One of the changes is pensions supplied in a lump sum. Parliaments Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs issued a report in June calling for extensive changes to the much-maligned charter. The report commends the spirit of the charter, saying it is built on a wellness model based on modern disability manage- ment principals that will help the transition to civilian life for military members released for medical reasons. But the report is also clear in its criticism: When members are released for medical reasons as a result of a service-related injury they have done what the Canadian Forces and the Canadian people expected them to do defend the security of Canada at the risk of their own physical integrity they should not have to experience release as a punish- ment or disadvantage the efforts of the Government of Canada as a whole do not seem to have been consistent with the sacri- fice expected of military members. Activist veterans have been organizing nationwide, encouraging vets to protest at the offices of their MPs. Lawsuits against the government have been filed. In 2006, a class- action lawsuit was launched by veteran Dennis Manuge of Nova Scotia, charging the government with unlaw- fully denying the injured their due and acting in bad faith with clawbacks of benefits. Manuge spent almost a decade with the Canadian Forces including a six-month mission in Bosnia. The lawsuit involves 6,500 veterans. A suit has also been launched by veteran- activist Sean Bruyea of Nepean. In September, he learned that his medical files had been made widely available to government officials. This has become the subject of an audit by Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart into systemic abuses of privacy at Veterans Affairs. Late last month Blackburn issued a public apology to Bruyea. Kirsty Duncan, Veterans Affairs Critic and Liberal MP for Etobicoke North, says the point is that Canada has a sacred trust with our vets. These are people who have put their life on the line for Canada. When they come home they shouldnt have to fight another battle the battle for care, the battle for treatment, and least of all the battle for their privacy. By Pamela Steel METROLAND MEDIA SPECIAL PROJECT For Joe Sweeney, 75, coming home after serv- ing as a paratrooper with the Royal Canadian Regiment in Korea was a struggle that spiralled out of control. For close to 20 years, the Toronto man self-medicated with alcohol and drugs. But he pulled himself out of that darkness and has lived a ful- filled life, grateful for the last 40 years, for his career in advertising and for his family. I have loved well, he said. Sweeneys experiences left him with a passion, an obsession, for helping veterans who arent yet able to help themselves. When he spearheaded the first Memorial Day service at The Scott Mission in Toronto last year, the presence of several homeless veterans at the service sparked interest in a remedy, leading to a new support initiative called Operation Leave the Streets Behind. Legion representatives say Veterans Affairs Canada had previously pegged the number of homeless veterans living on the streets of Toronto at five to seven individuals. But an infor- mal study done at the Good Shepherd (another downtown Toronto mission) indicated that of the 644 needy people they served in one day, 9.6 per cent were veterans. More than 100 veterans are among its current client base in desperate need of shelter and a decent life. The staggering statistic was a call to action for the Legion, Veterans Affairs and the mission. The Good Shepherds clients end up on the streets of Toronto from all across Ontario and Canada. On Sept. 20, Veterans Affairs installed a case manager at the mis- sion to do outreach that will help con- nect veterans with programs and sup- ports funded by the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre and the Ontario Command of the Legion. Case man- ager Dion MacArthur is on site at the Good Shepherd to make it easier for homeless veterans to access services. Im seeing it already working, she said. Im meeting with them and building trust. In the seven weeks since the program began, MacArthur has helped about 20 veterans get basic tasks accomplished, such as getting to a doctor, securing identification documents and connecting with food banks, clothing banks and mental health services. Homeless veterans outside of Toronto can also contact MacArthur at the mission for assis- tance in accessing services. Visit http://goodshepherd.ca. Government doing damage control The system has terrible administrative practices that violate the principles of natural justice. There are mounds of bureaucracy that confront veterans. Former Veterans Affairs Ombudsman retired Colonel Pat Stogran New support for homeless vets