HMCS Toronto returns to port in Halifax

INSTITUTED 1987
VOL. XXIX NO. 2 MARCH - APRIL, 2015
INCORPORATED 1988
The General Meeting will be held in the Mess 10:00, Sunday March 8, 2015.
It is hoped to have a representative from Veterans Affairs in attendance.
Visit our web-site at http://acpoa.net
The Atlantic Chief & Petty
Officer’s Association Newsletter
HMCS Toronto returns to port in Halifax
By Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Dedicated to providing relevant
information to the membership.
Published monthly and
distributed to all members
and subscribers.
Opinions expressed herein are
not necessarily those of the
Association or it’s members.
Articles appearing in the
Newsletter may be reprinted
provided appropriate
credit is given.
HMCS Toronto
returns to port in
Halifax on Sunday,
Jan. 18, 2015. The
frigate was on a
six-month
deployment with
Operation
Reassurance in the
Mediterranean Sea.
ACPOA Executive
President: J. Gaylord Kingston
1st Vice President: Ken Maybury
2nd Vice President: Dennis May
Secretary: Jim Cummings
Treasurer: Cathy Belanger
Padre: The Reverend Patricia Malin,
Phone: 435 4221
Service Officer: Hank Einarson
Phone 435 6681
Editor: J. Gaylord Kingston
E-mail: [email protected]
Printing: JS Print and Design Ltd.
Phone 468-5558
Distribution: DASC services
Phone 468 6606
Mailed under Canada Post
Publication Mail Sales Agreement
No. 40040556
ACPOA
PO Box 3533 DEPS
Dartmouth, NS B2W 5G4
Phone (902) 420-0370
E-mail [email protected]
he U.S. Navy’s top admiral will present a
U.S. Navy unit award to a Canadian
warship Feb. 20, according to the U.S. Navy’s
public affairs branch.
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm.
Jonathan Greenert is to present the U.S. Navy
Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) on
Feb. 20 to HMCS Toronto (FFH 333) of the
Royal Canadian Navy in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman,
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy ViceAdmiral Mark Norman, and several members of
U.S. and Canadian government and navy
leadership will also attend the ceremony.
A non-U.S. naval force receiving a U.S. Navy
unit decoration is a rarity; this event marking the
fifth occurrence of such a decoration in the last
45 years.
T
Returning from their deployment, the crew of
the Toronto was selected to receive the prestigious
award due to their continued support of
Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. The Halifaxclass frigate significantly disrupted the flow of
drugs, criminal and terrorist activities in the U.S.
Central Command area of responsibility.
While deployed Toronto responsibilities
included tracking, boarding and searching
maritime contacts of interest to CTF-150.
Among Toronto’s accomplishments during
deployment which began in February of 2013,
the ship’s crew seized six large caches of illegal
drugs to include 1,300 kilograms of heroin and
six tons of hashish. Seizures of a large
magnitude can significantly affect unlawful
organizations’ ability to fund illegal operations.
Newsletter of the Atlantic Chief & Petty Officer’s Association
Sick & Visiting Committee Report
Chair – Albert Bishop (902) 469-2829
Bridgewater
Doc Halliday
Fishermans Memorial Maurice Legault
Liverpool
Larry Truelove
Fred Molyneau
Shelburne,
Truro
Joe Fillion
Annapolis Royal
and Valley
Doug Moore
Windsor & Area
Spike Sullivan
Middleton
George Thomson
(902) 685-2342
(902) 527 2912
(902) 354-2901
(902) 875-4271
(902) 662-2459
St. John’s, NF
Ron Coles
Charlottetown, PEI Hari Boggs
Petit de Grat & Isle Madam Robbie Roberts
Frank Cholette
Quebec Area
Frank Cholette
Montreal
Roxboro, QC
George Heaven
Brockville & Area
Rev. Paul Gordon
Omemee, ON
George ‘Josh’ Warner
Hamilton, ON - Area Bill Venator
(902) 638-8700
(902) 798-3580
(902) 847-3308
Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Building
5955 Veteran's Memorial Lane,
Halifax, NS, B3H 2E1
3rd Floor West
Earl Conrad - 3225
Owen Holland - 3131
Carmen Olsen - 3224
James McCullough - 3223
4th Floor East
Annie Cormier - 4433
(709) 834-4751
(902) 368-2248
226-3476
(450) 699 6770
(450) 699 6770
(514) 684 3577
(613) 865 8378
(705) 799-2863
(289) 239 9394
Glasgow Hall, Parkland at the Lakes
82 Baker Drive, Dartmouth NS B2W 0C8
Joseph Hecimovich - Home Phone (902) 434 5558
Northwood Retirement Living
2615 Northwood Terrace, Halifax NS B3K 3S5
Jon Dowthwaite - Rm. 822
Ocean View Manor, 1909 Caldwell Road
Eastern Passage NS B3G 1M4
Fernand (Pedro) Guinard (902) 406 6056
4th Floor West
Warren Frizzell - 4231
Jack Walsh Rm - 4125
Robert Eisenhauer - 4235
Morris Kanasavitch - 4129
5th Floor East
Eric Publicover - 5525
Mike Salkin - 5531
Joseph Chiasson - 5426
Vice Admiral Harry Porter (Retired) - 5523
5th Floor West
Edward Tobin - 5224
Peter Waite - 5123
James Dempsey - 5133
Allison MacLeod - 5231
Edward Tobin - 5224
6th Floor West
Wilfred Watts - 6124
Henry Cooke - 6125
Gordon Tomlinson - 6233
David Kurtz - 6221
William Degen - 6222
6th Floor East
Ernest Shellnut - 6426
Sunnybrook Veteran's Hospital, K2C10
2075 Bayview Ave. Toronto ON M4N 3M5
James (Tug) Wilson - (416) 488 8550
Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Middleton NS B0S 1P0
Myrtle Coffill - Rm. 264
Hazel Rockwell
Howard (Howie) Arsenault
Annapolis Royal Nursing Home
Harold Moody
At Home
Bill Skeffington - (902) 435 3292
Edwin Toombs - (902) 543 7526
James Hamilton - (709) 368 5423
Russell Payne - (902) 826 2859
Cathy Geddes - (902) 477 2909
Maurice Legault - (902) 527 2912
Ron Knoll - (902) 454 6311
Dennis Shaw - (902) 469 2212
Charles MacDonald - (902) 404 1205
Vince Carr - (902) 466 6756
Fishermen’s Memorial, Lunenburg NS B0J 2C0
Harold Snyder
Pamela Mary Steele
Charles Devine
Dartmouth General Hospital
‘Blackie’ Blackhurst 902 465 8300 (patient line)
Other
Wilfy Broyden - (727) 569-7438
St. Vincent’s Nursing Home
2080 Windsor St. Halifax NS
Iris Johnson
2
ACPOA Association Notices & Affiliated Organizations
LAST POST
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Membership Chairman: Ray Harvie (902) 462 7633
E-Mail: [email protected]
THE FOLLOWING SHIPMATES
CROSSED THE BAR RECENTLY
MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS
Charter, Ordinary, Affiliate and Life Members 568
Honourary Members 14
Miscellaneous Members 17
Total Membership 599
Clarence Bridle LS WW11
89 Winnipeg , Manitoba
Arthur Brown C2RT
77 Dartmouth, NS
NEW MEMBERS
Derrocl C Shillington CPO2 Com 0-3156, Hammonds Plains NS
Barbara Houle, (wife of Ray)
Brossard, QC
Dues Notice
Herb Jones PO
92 Windsor ON
This will be the last Crown and Anchor mailed out for
members who have not paid their 2015 dues.
If in doubt, contact Ray Harvie: 902 4662 7633
[email protected]
Joe Edison CPO
87 Bedford, NS
Joe White P1RP
77 Kentville, NS
Membership dues are $25 per year
Warren Huff C1RM
86 Kitchener, On
Felix Roy C1WS
77 Dart mouth, NS
SUBMARINERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
George McKee
81 C1WS Dartmouth, NS
For information contact:
East (Halifax)–Buster Brown at 902 477-9148
http://www.sacoeast.com
Last Wednesday of every month
in Halifax Dockyard in the MOG-5 Messes
Central (Ottawa )– Bob Wallace, 819 994-4931
http://www.saoc-central.com
West (Victoria) — Stu Cameron, 205 478-1217
http://members.shaw.ca/saocwest
Dan Pelchat C1ER
North Wallace, NS
For though from out our bourn of time and place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Naval Weapons Association (Ottawa Chapter)
Meet: Third Wednesday of the Month HMCS Carleton
Chief's & PO's/ WO's & Sgt’s Mess Dows Lake
79 Prince of Wales Drive Ottawa
President: Bill Bradley
Vice President: Frank Perry
For Information Contact:
Hazen Harris 613-738-2880, OR
Ross Raymond 613-834-0105 [email protected]
ADMIRAL DESMOND PIERS NAVAL ASSOCIATION
(A Branch of the RCNA)
Membership, Frank Wells / Secretary, Al Cox
Phone: 1-(902) 627 2748
E-mail: [email protected]
Mail: ADPNA
450 LaHave St., Unit 17, Suite 121
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia B4V 4A3
RCN BENEVOLENT FUND
CANADIAN NAVAL AIR GROUP
East 1-902-423-8561 Central 1-888-557-8777
West 1-250-383-6264
Shearwater C&POs Mess 1st Sunday each month
3
Feature of the Month
A Trip Through Hell
By Jim Cummings
with a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, and might I say very
dry as there was no butter. My wife’s macaroni and cheese was
in fact a Kraft Dinner, and her pudding came in one of those
small plastic containers!! Another Joke!!
We are senior citizens; my wife could not leave the cabin as
the train tracks are so poorly maintained that it is dangerous
to try and go to the dinning car or the dome car. My arms
and shoulder had bruises from hitting cabin door handles, and
bumping into the window casements as I walked from one car
to another.
Sleeping was another matter, it almost seemed like I was at
sea, except there I had faith the ship would stay upright, where
as many times through the night I felt the train was going to
leave the track.
NEVER AGAIN!! NOR WOULD I RECOMMEND
ANYONE GO BY TRAIN UNLESS THERE WERE
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS!!!
y wife and I went from Halifax to Kingston On return,
December 27th 2014 to Monday January 18th 2015.
We had ridden the train a number of years ago, and
thoroughly enjoyed it.
When we got aboard in Halifax I could not believe the size
of the cabin we were in. Anyone claustrophobic would not be
able to stay in the cabin. The settee was very uncomfortable,
and the shower was a joke, it was a line that went from the
sink to a thing hooked on the wall, so if you showered the
water would go all over every thing in the toilet area. I guess
that was the way Via could get the toilets cleaned for nothing.
Also on the way from Halifax we ordered supper in the
dinning car and my mashed potatoes had to be sent back to
be reheated as they were cold. We had lunch on the way back
home. I ordered a soup and sandwich, and my wife ordered
macaroni and cheese with a vanilla pudding. My soup was
luke warm and the sandwich consisted of some kind of bun
M
Two patients limp into two different medical clinics
with the same complaint.
Both have trouble walking and appear to require a
hip replacement.
The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is
x-rayed the same day and has
a time booked for surgery the following week.
The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting
3 weeks for an appointment,
then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets
an x-ray, which isn't reviewed
for another week and finally has his surgery
scheduled for 6 months from then.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.
The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.
From the President
By J. Gaylord Kingston
his message is one of a concern to our Association. As of this
date (February 20 2015) we have over 100 members who
have not renewed their membership for the year 2015. While we
hope that it just a case of a slip of the memory, if there is a
particular reason that you have not renewed (i.e. newsletter
delivery, content, etc.) please do not hesitate to inform us.
Unfortunately, members who have not remitted their dues
($25.00 per year) by April 1 2015 will be stricken from the books.
Our dues are our only source of revenue that we require for the
newsletter and projects for our veterans and cadets. Please bear
this in mind.
T
Quote of the Month: If at first you do not succeed…you’re
probably a loser!
RCNA PEREGRINE BRANCH
NB Naval Association
2623 Agricola St., Halifax, 454-4385
Open to Veterans & Members
Bar hours 1300 to 1900 or later
President: Claude Smith - 506 633 0655
Secretary: Terence M. Dexter - 506 357 8158
4
Introduction of Pay-and-Display Visitor Parking / CFB Halifax
s part of the implementation of the CFB Halifax Parking
Policy, changes to visitor parking will come into effect on 2
March 2015. As of that date, several visitor parking areas will be
subject to “pay-and display” parking. People who do not hold a
parking pass for these areas will be able to purchase hourly or daily
parking stubs between 0700 and 1600 on work days. Parking
during silent hours will not require the purchase of visitor parking.
• STADACONA (Juno Tower, Fleet Club, Museum/Gym and the
Clinic) - $2/hour or $10/day
A
• Windsor Park (near the MFRC) - $2/hour or $10/day
• RA Park (near the Officer’s mess) - $2.50/hour or $15/day
• The locations and rates for pay-and-display visitor parking are as
follows:
Purchase of a pay-and-display parking stub at the “daily rate”
will also enable personnel to park anywhere in General Parking at
that part of the Base in order to minimize the effect on those with
short-term business.
• HMC Dockyard (Rainbow Gate, Admiral’s Gate and Niobe
Gate) - $2/hour or $10/day
Further information on the introduction of pay-and-display
visitor parking will be available in the February issue of TRIDENT.
Days of Yore
March 26 1941
HMCS Otter fire, 19 lost
April 29, 1944
HMCS Athabaskan torpedoed, 128 lost, 83 Taken as POW
March 17 1945
HMCS Guysborough, torpedoed, 51 lost
March 17 1765
St. Patty’s Day celebrated 1st Quebec City
April 16, 1945
HMCS Esquimalt torpedoed, 44 lost
April 21, 1789
Mutiny aboard HMS Bounty
March 6 1834
Toronto incorporated (Leafs losing streak starts
April 21, 1918
Canadian Roy Brown shoots down the Red Baron
March 16 1843
Victoria founded
April 7, 1948
HMCS Magnificent commissioned
March 31 1949
Canada joins Newfoundland in Confederation
April 4, 1949
Canada joins NATO
Hockey News 2014 -2015 Season
Q: How do you keep the Maple Leafs out of
your yard?
A: Put up a goalie net.
Q: How many Maple Leafs does it take to win
a Stanley Cup?
A: Nobody knows ... And we may never find out!
Q: What do you call a Toronto Maple Leaf
with a Stanley Cup ring?
A: Very old or a thief.
And finally... The last time the Maple Leafs won
the Stanley Cup, most of their fans were in
diapers. Coincidentally, the next time they win it,
those same fans likely will be back in diapers,
again!
Q: What's the difference between the Maple
Leafs and a cigarette vending machine?
A: The vending machine has Players.
5
Honour Roll of Age - Happy Birthday To All Concerned
Members 90 years and over that age and ladies will have an honourary place in the Golden Memories article.
James Wilson 88 Willowdale, ON 10 15
Brian Windle 71 Cornwall, ON 18 15
Dwayne Wood 76 Trenton, ON 10 15
Jerry Wynnyk 80 Nepean, ON 06 15
Apologies to
Jack MacDonald 81 Halifax, NS 11 15
March 2015
Thomas Arthurs 83 Greenwood, NS 18 15
Joseph Bagg 89 Keizer, OR, US of A 07 15
Art Cipryk 76 Rothesay, NB 28 15
James Clark 83 Dartmouth, NS 18 15
Ryan Conroy 64 Ludlow, NB 20 15
Hugh Cooke 72 Halifax, NS 27 15
Fred Costello 83 Dartmouth, NS 23 15
Ron Dunn 86 Halifax, NS 19 15
Henry Dyck 85 Truro NS 10 15
Wendell Erb 87 Kirkland, QC. 29 15
Donald Ferriss 79 Dartmouth, NS 29 15
Sherman Goucher 75 Annapolis County, NS 20 15
George Hachey 86 Halifax, NS 23 15
Tony Halvorson 70 Charlottetown, PEI 07 15
J. Jerome Hickey 87 Waterloo, ON 09 15
Norma Hickson 69 Medicine Hat, AB 23 15
John Howard 85 Eastern Passage, NS 26 15
Tony Ivanko 83 Halifax, NS 27 15
Mel James 78 Goderich, ON 23 15
Richard Kearns 72 Lower Sackville, NS 25 15
Steve Korman 86 Halifax, NS 16 15
John Loranger 82 Lake Echo, NS 25 15
Robert MacDonald 75 Orleans, ON 04 15
Norman MacIntyre 83 Greenfield, NS 06 15
Fred MacNeill 74 Dartmouth, NS 16 15
William Maser 78 Mount Uniacke, NS 29 15
Peter Mattice 77 Lower Sackville, NS 11 15
William McBride 81 Dartmouth, NS 21 15
John MacIntosh 73 Dartmouth, NS 03 14
Claude Michaud 73 St. Hubert, QC 05 15
Fred Molyneaux 74 Shelburne, NS 07 15
Joe Murphy 78 Granville Ferry, NS 09 15
William Murray 87 Courtenay, BC 07 12 15
Paul O'Boyle 72 Dartmouth, NS 19 15
Jim Paul 77 Petersburgh, ON 24 15
Lionel Ranger 81 Dartmouth, NS 07 15
Don Reid 71 Ottawa, ON 19 15
Ernest Rioux 85 Sorel-Tracy, QC 02 12 15
William Ross 57 Lake Echo, NS 18 15
Richard Rudback 76 Lower Sackville, NS 22 15
Les Seebold 87 Seminole, FL., USA 19 15
Alistar Simpson 64 Eastern Passage, NS 16 15
Claude Smith 65 Saint John, NB 20 15
Raymond Soucie 75 Dartmouth, NS 16 15
William Williams 80 Dartmouth, NS 20 15
April 2015
Donald Baker 83 Windsor, NS 26 15
Louis Bidnost 82 Dartmouth, NS 03 15
Harri Boggs 75 Stratford, PEI 28 15
Roger Boutin 83 Lower Sackville 02 15
George Brownless 79 Dartmouth, NS 29 15
Charles Cannon 85 Dartmouth, NS 15 15
Ronald Coles 78 Foxtrat, NL 15 15
David Davies 78 Dartmouth, NS 23 15
James Fowler 76 St. Isidore, ON 15 15
Robert Fox 75 Halifax, NS 08 15
Douglas Harding 75 Orleans, ON 10 15
Michael Henderson 81 Parrsboro, NS 06 15
Gordon Jenkins 78 Seabright, NS 25 15
David Kurts 88 Dartmouth, NS 28 15
Ralph LeBlanc 75 Sheet Harbour, NS 08 15
Neil MacAskill 83 Dartmouth, NS 29 15
John L. MacDonald 72 Stillwater Lake, NS 05 15
John MacIntosh 74 Perth, ON 21 15
Ivor MacLeod 79 Halifax 21 15
Graham NcBride 84 Halifax, NS 01 15
Charles McLeod 68 Westcock, NB 18 5
Chris Minkoff 85 Wilmot, NS 05 15
Douglas Moore 76 Clementsport, NS 13 5
Glen Moxham 73 Toronto, ON 26 15
Ken Parkin 73 Cambridge, ON 18 15
Fred Rostek 84 Lower Sackville, NS 29 15
Frank Rostek 75 Lower Sackville, NS 20 15
Joseph Smale 78 Alysford, NS 20 15
Gordon Thomlinson 89 Dartmouth, NS 18 15
William Wales 88 London, ON 16 15
David Watson 85 Halifax, NS 11 15
Douglas Wright 77 Dartmouth, NS 02 15
Jean Santerre 77 Dartmouth, NS 07-15
Jonathan Seaward 79 Middle Sackville, NS 24-14
Mary Jane Smith 74 Dartmouth, NS 21-15
Colin Tanner 71 Dartmouth, NS 10-15
James Tracy 81 Dartmouth, NS 08-15
Stewart Trentowsky 83 St. John, NB 27-15
Jil Trowsse 80 Dartmouth, NS 27-15
David Van Valkenburg 69 Centreville, NS 09-15
These figures are taken from application forms when submitted. Discrepancies are to be forwarded to [email protected] or the Association office
902 420-0370. If you do not wish to have the date of your birth placed here, please contact me at [email protected] or 902 446-8001.
Members 90 years and over that age and ladies will have an honourary place in the Golden Memories article.
6
Golden Memories
Apologies to
Ed Smith 90 Fort MacLeod, AB
February 26 2015
March 2015
James Hodgson
Cambridge, ON
98 Years Young
March 18, 2015
Mike Bidnock
Dartmouth, NS
93 Years Young
March 20, 2015
Frank Hayes
Sudbury, ON
94Years Young
March 2, 2015
George Heaven
Roxboro, QC
92 Years Young
March 3, 15
Paul Morse
Parrsboro, NS
92 Years Young
March 25, 2015
Geoffrey Embley
Dartmouth, NS
91 Years Young
March 23, 2015
John Henbrey
Dartmouth, NS
92 Years Young
March 25, 2015
Fred McGlone
Hubley, NS
91 Years Young
March 3, 2015
Davis Edwards
Head of Chezzetcook, NS
90 Years Young
March 12 2015
Pat Robertson Our Afgan Lady
Halifax, NS
89 Years Young
March 3, 2015
John & Lillian Henbrey
Dartmouth, NS
70 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 3, 2015
Harvey & Betty Hodgins
Nanaimo, BC
65 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 10, 2015
Ron & Pat Robertson
Halifax, NS
63 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 3, 2015
Jack & Ann Wallace
Enfield, NS
62 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 21, 2015
Frank & June Vogeli
Harrow, ON
61 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 6, 2015
Bill & Gulli Whitefield
Dartmouth, NS
60 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 26, 2015
Richard 'Doc' & Vicki Halliday
Clifford, NS
57 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 11, 2015
Ray & Angela Soucie
Dartmouth, NS
52 Years of Wedded Bliss
March 9, 2015
April 2015
Lilian Henbrey
Dartmouth, NS
91 Years Young
April 1, 2015
7
Queen Elizabeth II
London, England
89 Years Young
April 21, 2015
Frank & Kathleen Stafford
Nepean, ON
66 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 18, 2015
Sam and Muriel Dunn
Halifax, NS
63 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 12 2015
Bob & Dot Mercer
East LaBelle, NS
56 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 4 2015
George & June Best
Dartmouth, NS
55 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 30 2015
Don & Marion Williams
Halifax, NS
55 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 30 2015
Ian & Gertie Vance
Dartmouth, NS
54 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 29 2015
James & Ellen Dean
Perth, ON
52 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 27 2015
Doug & Joan Harding
Orleans, ON
52 Years of Wedded Bliss
April 27 2015
Government contracts out vital services at Veterans Affairs
he federal government announced today that it would be
eliminating 44 positions at Veterans Affairs Canada. The cuts
represent the final step in the contracting-out of treatment
authorization for ill and elderly veterans to Medavie Blue Cross.
While veterans used to be able to have their benefit claims
decided by knowledgeable public service workers, they will now
have to deal with a private insurance company. This will have a
significant impact on services for veterans.
Under the old system, veterans who experienced service-related
medical conditions were granted “treatment benefits,” in
consultation with their doctors and a Veterans Affairs Case
Manager. These benefits are often considered more crucial than
financial compensation, because they provide meaningful support
for veterans to live their lives. This can include psychology,
physiotherapy and massage therapy, among other services.
T
Complex work
In the past, the treatment plan was sent to a Treatment
Authorization Centre for final approval and payment. This involved
complex work, requiring knowledge of Veterans Affairs policy and the
needs of each individual veteran. It also required that public service
workers exercise both patience and compassion, as they helped highneeds veterans access all of the benefits to which they were entitled.
Veterans Affairs client service agents used to call veterans every
year and help them make sure that they were accessing the benefits
they need. Now, Blue Cross sends a letter and cuts the veterans off if
they can’t reach them by phone. It can take three months or more for
veterans to have their benefits re-instated once they’ve been cut off.
Mandate to deny
“Veterans are being forced to deal with a private insurance
company whose mandate is to try and deny claims,” says Carl
Gannon, National President of the Union of Veterans Affairs
Employees. Gannon is a former front-line worker at Veterans Affairs
and has extensive experience helping veterans with disability claims.
“For many veterans, these treatments mean the difference
between life and death,” said Gannon. “Clients suffering from
serious mental illness due to their experience in the military must
be handled with tact and patience. I seriously doubt that Medavie
Blue Cross will be able to do this effectively.”
Veteran Ron Clarke agrees. Based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Clarke
has already dealt with the closure of the Veterans Affairs office in
his city and the frustration of having to wait on the phone to access
services. He says that the contracting-out of treatment
authorization will only make the situation worse.
“We know what insurance companies are like,” says Clarke.
“They find every excuse to deny us the benefits we deserve.
Veterans have already fought for our country and now we shouldn’t
have to fight Blue Cross to get the help we need.”
PSAC and UVAE are demanding that the government bring
treatment authorization back in-house at Veterans Affairs and reopen the nine district offices that were closed across the country last
year. We are also demanding a moratorium on any further cuts at
Veterans Affairs Canada.
Topics:
• Cutbacks
• Veterans Affairs Canada
Employers:
• Treasury Board
February 11, 2015