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Each year, millions of Canadians wear a poppy to honour our veterans and remember those who paid the ultimate price to defend our nation.<\/p>\n
This particular Remembrance Day falls on the heels of the Harper Government\u2019s decision to shut down nine district veterans offices. These include offices in Sydney, Charlottetown, Corner Brook, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Brandon, Saskatoon, Prince George and Kelowna.<\/p>\n
The closure of these offices will mean that veterans in those cities will have to endure long drives to obtain adequate services \u2013 or use a website.<\/p>\n
One 73-year-old veteran in Sydney told CTV news<\/a> that he\u2019ll have to drive five hours to get services in Halifax.<\/p>\n Yvan Thauvette, national president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees, explained to CTV that long journeys are very difficult for veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir concentration is affected. They are unable to travel for long periods. And they need, especially if it\u2019s for medical information, a face-to-face (meeting) with either a case manager or a client services agent.\u201d<\/p>\n Among soldiers who served in combat operations, the risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or a major depressive episode is at least 30%<\/a>. A recent study by the VAC and the DND revealed that veterans are at much greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder than active service personnel.<\/p>\n The 2011 study revealed that 24.5% of veterans receiving disability benefits under the Pension Act and 42.5% of veterans receiving benefits under the New Veterans Charter<\/a> are currently suffering from chronic symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.<\/p>\n \u201cCanadian government is choosing to throw money at an ad campaign to repair its image at the expense of Canada\u2019s veterans,\u201d wrote PSAC President Robyn Benson in an op-ed recently published in the Brandon Sun<\/a>. \u201cThe government is ignoring the voices of veterans and is whitewashing its own betrayal with advertising.\u201d<\/p>\n Canadian veterans are upset \u2013 and rightly so.<\/p>\n
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