Close X
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ADVT 
National

Feds commit $140M to keep temporary veterans staff

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Feb, 2022 03:39 PM
  • Feds commit $140M to keep temporary veterans staff

OTTAWA - Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay says the federal government will spend nearly $140 million over the next two years to retain temporary staff hired to deal with a backlog of disability claims from injured ex-soldiers.

Today’s funding announcement comes after The Canadian Press reported earlier this month that the government was poised to lose hundreds of temporary staff next month.

That was despite Veterans Affairs Canada still having nearly 34,000 unprocessed applications for disability benefits on its desk, a number officials warned would grow by the thousands if more temporary staff weren’t retained.

MacAulay at that time said any new funding would have to wait until the next federal budget, meaning a delay of weeks if not months.

In response to the Canadian Press report, Royal Canadian Legion dominion president Bruce Julian last week sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking that the temporary staff be kept on contract until the backlog is eliminated.

The backlog has emerged as one of the main sources of frustration, anger and hardship for Canada's veterans' community, with those ill and injured forced to wait months — and often years — for access to financial or medical support for their injuries.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada can supply potential 4th doses: Trudeau

Canada can supply potential 4th doses: Trudeau
Trudeau made the pledge in a statement issued late Monday after he spoke with provincial and territorial leaders, saying Ottawa will do all it can to help them cope with the fifth wave of the pandemic.

Canada can supply potential 4th doses: Trudeau

First wave of intense rainstorm reaches B.C.

First wave of intense rainstorm reaches B.C.
The latest atmospheric river to wash over British Columbia was expected to soak parts of the south coast with as much as 150 millimetres of rain in a series of waves that won't relent until Thursday, Environment Canada said. Rainfall warnings covered the west coast of Vancouver Island and the inner south coast, including Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

First wave of intense rainstorm reaches B.C.

Shooting lands 43 year old man in hospital: Burnaby RCMP

Shooting lands 43 year old man in hospital: Burnaby RCMP
Last night, January 10, just after 10:00 p.m., Burnaby RCMP received a report of a possible shooting incident in the area of Randolph Avenue and Kingsway. Frontline officers located a 43-year-old man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The man was transported to the hospital.

Shooting lands 43 year old man in hospital: Burnaby RCMP

B.C. hospitals dealing with COVID outbreaks

B.C. hospitals dealing with COVID outbreaks
There has been a surge of COVID-19 infections in health-care and long-term care facilities in British Columbia with seven more outbreaks reported in the last few days. A statement from the Health Ministry says 43 facilities were listed as having outbreaks on Monday, including several hospitals in the province.

B.C. hospitals dealing with COVID outbreaks

Canada seeks deeper trade links with Taiwan

Canada seeks deeper trade links with Taiwan
International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced Canada's intention in a statement released by her office on Monday, that disclosed her Sunday telephone call with a Taiwanese minister. She said the island represented a key trade and investment partner as Canada tries to diversify its trade relations in the Indo-Pacific.

Canada seeks deeper trade links with Taiwan

U.S. dissuades travel to Canada as COVID soars

U.S. dissuades travel to Canada as COVID soars
Children in Alberta and British Columbia returned to the classroom Monday as surging COVID-19 cases threatened to overwhelm hospitals in several provinces and prompted the United States to advise its citizens to "avoid travel" to Canada.

U.S. dissuades travel to Canada as COVID soars