Veterans Affairs Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2025

[Nishika Jardine]

In my view, every single veteran we are able to help is a veteran who has reconnected to the department. That is, we're working to repair the relationship they will have with Veterans Affairs for the rest of their life. I see that every single veteran is an accomplishment in terms of individual complaints. In the systemic work that we do, if we are able to make a recommendation and the department puts that in place or implements it, then we've rectified an unfairness for a group of veterans who may have been affected by that.

The overarching purpose is not written down anywhere, but this is how we see our work. It's to reconnect veterans who are unhappy with a decision they've gotten from the department and to help to repair the trust and the relationship, because they will be in that relationship for a lifetime.

[Alana Hirtle, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

This is not the right term, perhaps, but is there an average lifespan of a relationship? Is there an average time for veterans to be involved with Veterans Affairs?

[Nishika Jardine]

For veterans who seek benefits and who have been approved for a condition, that goes from the date of that approval, or since they interacted with the department, until their death. There's not an average. They may become a veteran when they're 21. They may become a veteran when they're 59—or 58, like me.

[Alana Hirtle, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you so much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Gaudreau, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

If I understand correctly, we're at a turning point, so it might be a good time to review the act.

I also understand that we have to do some soul-searching when it comes to veterans' contributions. That way, we could set priorities based on Colonel Jardine's recommendations.

I'd like to ask Colonel Jardine if she has any recommendations for us. There were 35 of them 10 years ago. What would be the top five recommendations to present to the new minister? What should we urgently be doing in the coming months?

I think a cultural shift is needed so that veterans' families don't have to go through what they're currently experiencing. I have absolutely no personal experience in that area, but I was a caregiver for 15 years. What I'm hearing is that, when the family situation changes, the person who was in the Canadian Forces ends up alone and is no longer part of it. It's as if it no longer exists. Surely there's something else we could assess. That said, I'm really moved by the situation.

Colonel Jardine, since I don't have enough time to let you answer my questions, I invite you to submit to us, in writing, what the priority should be. That will enable us to help you as much as possible. We want to prevent certain situations from repeating and keep people from having to file complaints with your office.

What do you think?

[Nishika Jardine]

Ms. Gaudreau, I hope I understood you correctly.

You're asking me which recommendation I would say is my priority. My priority is mental health. Of the recommendations I've made—I'm not talking about doctors—mental health supports for family members is the one that I believe is the most acute. We have to stop asking families to shoulder this burden, which they have done for so long.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

If there's anything else, I encourage you to share it with the committee in writing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Richards, you have five minutes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Thanks.

I want to follow up on just a couple of things.

A couple of people have raised the issue around the mental health piece for veterans' families specifically. You've had the opportunity to talk about it a bit today, but there's one thing that I don't think I've heard. You've mentioned that there needs to be legislative change. What would you recommend that change should be?

Are you simply indicating that we need to ensure that, whether the veteran is still with us or not, the family has access? Or is it broader than that? Is just opening up the access a little more loosely?

[Nishika Jardine]

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.

What we are recommending is that legislation be put in place that affords the department the authority to provide mental health treatment for family members when their mental health issue is connected to service, and that's key for us. It's not for just anything; it's connected to service. Also, it's that it be independent of whether the veteran is in treatment or not; it doesn't have to be connected to the veteran's treatment. This would also capture, therefore, the family members of veterans who pass away from whatever cause.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

I appreciate that.

I have two other questions for you, the first one being around some of the things you've heard at town halls. You mentioned a couple of the most significant ones. One issue that's out there I think just generally amongst Canadians and is one of the top issues right now is cost of living and the cost of housing.

We hear a lot about homelessness amongst veterans. I'm wondering if this is an issue you've had raised during any of your town halls or through any of your conversations with veterans. What would you say would be some of the unique challenges that veterans face with the cost of living or homelessness?

[Nishika Jardine]

I had the opportunity to visit the men's shelter in Fredericton. We had a conversation with the executive director. I asked him how this happens. I think he gave me the most succinct answer I've ever heard. He said that people fall out of their families for many reasons, and they're complex.

Mental health and addiction are key factors in what causes someone to fall out of their family. I don't think it is unique to veterans. What veterans have as well is the PTSD, the mental health issues related to service, institutional trust and the feelings of betrayal. All of that can combine and exacerbate the reasons why someone may, as this person said, fall out of their family.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

I just wanted to follow up on a question I'd asked you earlier. We were talking about the PCVRS contract, and I asked you about the follow-up that happens when people are referred back to VAC. You've mentioned several times today—and I think it's a worthwhile goal—that you're trying to connect them back into VAC, because there is going to be that relationship for a lifetime, and you want to see that relationship repaired.

Is there a chance that your office may be inadvertently contributing to that sanctuary trauma or institutional betrayal that people feel? I know that your goal is certainly not to do that, but I worry that it might be happening inadvertently. I'm concerned when I hear “unless the veteran kind of gets back to us, we don't necessarily...”. There isn't really a follow-up there.

I'm not sure that I know what to suggest it should be, but I'm concerned. When you say that you're reviewing the complaints you receive within 60 days in most cases, would a review consist of something like this? Would it be referring them back to the department? Would that conclude the review? If a veteran comes to you for help, does a follow-up occur?

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

I'm so sorry, Mr. Richards. I've been very generous. You have exceeded your time and they have not yet spoken.

I'll give them 10 or 15 seconds, briefly.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

I apologize for only leaving you that amount of time.

[Duane Schippers]

Our front line takes complaints. They won't close the file until they know what's been done over at Veterans Affairs.

I meet with the director general responsible for PCVRS on a monthly basis. Issues that aren't resolved come up again the following month, and we find out how those things are being dealt with. It's not like there's no follow-up. There is.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

I'm glad I misunderstood that. That's good to hear.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marie-France Lalonde]

Thank you very much.

Mrs. Hirtle, go ahead please.

[Alana Hirtle, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Speaking of complaints, the ombud's website report indicates that it has seen a consistent year-on-year growth in both complaints and requests for information.

To what do you attribute this increase? Are concerns being raised on a small cross-section of issues or across a broader range?

[Nishika Jardine]

I believe that the increase in complaints is due to the increased awareness of the service our office provides: the return on investment on the outreach program, the treatment benefits, disability decisions, the time it takes, the difficulty in just putting in the claim, process issues, and the rehabilitation program and income replacement benefit. Those are the top complaints we receive.

[Alana Hirtle, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you.

I'll share the rest of my time with my colleague, Mr. Casey.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

I'm going to continue to follow the same line of questioning.

You indicated that the main reason for the increase in traffic in your office is because of your outreach efforts. Congratulations.

I understand that part of the outreach efforts included town halls and that the Legions have been co-operative. I'd like to hear more detail on what else constitutes the increased outreach that has resulted in this increased volume. I know that many veterans' groups have their association in a virtual format, as opposed to in person.

I'd be interested to have you provide us with a summary of what constitutes the outreach program that has had these—I guess from our position—positive effects.

[Nishika Jardine]

We've received invitations from many veteran organizations. The Legion has invited us to veteran coffee breaks and to their provincial command conventions. We've had invitations to the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans conventions.

Local veteran stakeholder groups—people who are working on behalf of veterans—have also invited us to come and speak with them and meet with veterans in their locations. For example, CannaConnect is a company that provides a space for veterans. They invite us to come for a coffee break when they know that veterans will be there. We've had a lot of invitations.

For indigenous veterans, the Métis have invited us to contribute to their service officer training. The Southern Chiefs' Organization in Manitoba also invited us to come to the veterans' awareness day they held.

It's not just the town halls. It has been all of these other things.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you.

In your introductory remarks, you pointed to one of the successes you had around the clawback of the class action awards to victims of military sexual trauma. I'd like to hear a bit more on that and your efforts on behalf of that group of veterans and how that came to be.