Posts Tagged ‘Veterans Ombudsman’

By the end of the year, veterans will be able to go online to apply for Veterans Affairs Canada benefits and services, one of the suggestions in the 2011 annual report of the Veterans Ombudsman. Providing online application for benefits is one way for VAC to improve communications and access for veterans, says Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent. “The ultimate goal,” is for veterans to use a benefits navigator on the VAC website. Such a navigator was developed for use by staff in the ombudsman’s office when it opened in 2007 and shared with VAC following a technological upgrade in 2011.

“Controlled energy” comes to mind when asked to describe Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent. While he speaks with the practised diplomacy and calm bearing of someone who has advised top military leaders, excitement frequently lights his eyes as he talks. He has a physical presence and a cloak of practicality—from his years in military search and rescue—that make you feel if someone were suddenly hurt, he could instantly take charge and make good use of office supplies on his desk to render first aid. Behind the business suit and tie and trappings of office, you sense someone capable of quick and focused action. These are useful qualities for someone whose job entails helping and representing veterans while keeping both eyes fixed on the government department that is their main source of support. Parent’s diplomatic approach will lead him to “work out differences rather than be confrontational,” said Dr. Stewart Hyson, University of New Brunswick professor and expert on Canada’s ombudsmen, although, he adds, some veterans might prefer feistier dealings with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).

Inadequate funding and a cumbersome bureaucracy have left some families of veterans scrambling to find the money to cover the funeral and burial expenses of loved ones, says a report from the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman. In a toughly worded 19-page report titled Serve With Honour, Depart With Dignity, Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran makes seven recommendations to bring the Veterans Funeral and Burial Regulations established by Veterans Affairs Canada and administered by the Last Post Fund up to date for today’s veterans. The Last Post Fund is a non-profit organization and registered charity with roots reaching back to its founding in [...]