Sunday, November 10, 2013 - North Shore News - A21
SENIORS
Stand up for Canadian veterans
Voice your concerns with those in office
Every year when I was growing up my father would take me down to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day. I was about six when I first started attending and most of my friends and their dads were there too. What I remember most was the pomp and ceremony of the event. I had lots of questions. Are those guns real? What are those ribbons the veterans were wearing? Why am I in short pants in November? Those short pants were part of my Scout uniform. It’s cold in Ontario in November. A lot of times it felt like it was going to snow on Remembrance Day and on a few occasions it did. After the ceremony the vets retreated to the Legion hall and I went home for a cup of hot chocolate and a pair of long pants.
Tom Carney
Older andWiser Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and our thoughts turn once again to our veterans. These days the veterans’ battle isn’t with the bad guys it’s with their own government. Veterans have complained for years about the programs and compensation under the Veterans Charter, which was brought in in 2006. Under the legislation, exsoldiers saw the decadesold pension for life system replaced with a worker’s compensation-style lump sum award and allowance. A detailed actuarial analysis by Veterans
Ombudsman Guy Parent found that some of the most disabled veterans face old age in near poverty under the new charter. Nobody wants that and it prompts the question: What is our commitment to our veterans? Canadian veterans and their families are entitled to respectful treatment and adequate standards of care. That should be a given but sadly it’s not. Parliament is sitting on a report from the Veterans Ombudsman that addresses veterans’ concerns around support services for families, financial security, an improved standard of living and more supports for employment opportunities. Implementation of the report would immediately benefit veterans. A broader question, and a more difficult one to answer in my opinion, is whether there is or ought to be a sacred trust or social obligation between Parliament and
the veterans? Opinion is divided. The academics say no. The Ottawa Citizen in a recent editorial declared that, “We owe them that obligation. Always.” A second question that follows the first is: Should seriously wounded veterans returning home enjoy special status or privilege with regard to medical care? I’d be cautious here. Right now, at least in theory, we have a medical
system where everyone has equal access to care. Those most in need are the first to be seen. Is that something we want to change? Do we want to replace need with merit? And if so, just how would we determine who is most deserving of care? These are not easy questions but it is a discussion we must have — in Parliament not the courts. One thing is certain, when it comes to the
treatment of wounded veterans in this country we have not always put their interests first. We can and must do better. If you care about this issue, call or write to your member of Parliament and let them know how you feel.
Seniors Calendar
Shore Community Resources Caregiver Support Program will present a free program designed for those who provide emotional or practical support to a family member or friend Thursday, Nov. 28, 1:30-4 p.m. at Lynn Valley library, 1277 Lynn Valley Rd., North Vancouver. Learn tools and tips for making care decisions. Registration required. 604-984-0286 x8144 604-982-3320 karyn.davies@nscr.bc.ca
Arts, Crafts, Music & Entertainment
Notices
MEMORY GAMES A program for the body, balance and brain every Monday, 1-3 p.m. at John Braithwaite Community Centre, 145 West First St., North Vancouver. $7. 604929-1159 PREPARING FOR TRANSITIONS North
Tom Carney is the former executive director of the Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society. Ideas for future columns are welcome. tomcarney@telus.net
POTTERY Hand building wheel work, low and high fire, Thursdays, 1-3 p.m. at Silver Harbour Centre, 144 East 22nd St., North Vancouver. $18 per season, plus the cost of materials. 604-980-2474 silverharbourcentre.com QUILTERS’ RENDEZVOUS Bring See more page 22
How to savour your retirement. Retirement living is not always as you suppose. It can be downright delectable. See for yourself at our ‘Taste & Tour’ Open House at Cedar Springs Retirement Residence. You’ll embark on a leisurely self-guided tour of our display suites while savouring the unique creations of our resident chef, enroute. Come, tour, savour, and discover how tasteful retirement living can be.
Date: Sunday, November 17th, 2013 Time: 2 - 4 PM
Special dessert feature: Flaming Créme Brule
Our onsite award-winning chef: Joseph Scheffer, former Meet winningHotel chef,Vancouver. Joseph Schefer Chef our for award the Fairmont
3633 Mt. Seymour Parkway, North Vancouver, BC cedarspringsresidence.ca | 604.986.3633