VETERANS UN-NATO CANADA

Channel Description:

Latest Articles in this Channel:

03/10/10--13:32: Veterans UN/NATO Canada para cap. (chan 1596913)

The para cap is maroon in color and it is for sale at $20.00 ea plus shipping. Contact Bubbles at luciebee@hotmail.com or call (705) 929-1295. Quantity limited. The cap will be available at the meeting in Yamachiche in


03/14/10--11:42: Roly Monague is our new administrator for the Natives Veterans (chan 1596913)

Roly is from Christian Island in Ontario and had accepted to be the administrator for the Natives in Ontario. Roly is a member of the Veterans UN/NATO


03/16/10--12:03: "NEVER FOTGET WHO WE ARE" Crest (chan 1596913)

To purchase this crest contact: Stephane Beaulieu at: nesop00115@hotmail.com


03/18/10--15:29: Prints from the painting numbered from 001 to 200 only (chan 1596913)

Here it is. Prints are being made, numbered and signed by the artist. We only have about 125 left for sale at $20.00 each plus shipping. If you would like to get one please give me your name as it is first order first serve. We will be in Yamachiche on the 17 April for those who has ordered one or we can mail it to you. They are going like hot cake so don`t wait until they are all gone. There will be no more made after those one are gone. To reserve your print email Bubbles at luciebee@hotmail.com For those interested to know Nicole a little more go to Blog and read her biography. Bonhomme &


03/20/10--06:11: Veterans UN/NATO Canada Nova Scotia (chan 1596913)

Nova Scotia


03/20/10--06:16: Veterans UN/NATO Canada | Facebook (chan 1596913)

Our official Facebook


03/22/10--06:31: An honour to serve (chan 1596913)

After Mark Wilson was killed by a roadside bomb, his brother Sean knew he had to get to Afghanistan to see where his brother died and to pay tribute to him. He didn't want to enlist -- he couldn't do that to his mother -- so he found another way, Ethan Baron reports.

By Ethan Baron, Canwest News Service

Every day, Sean Wilson walks along the perimeter fence of this NATO base, and looks in the direction of Panjwaii District where Canadian troops are fighting and dying.

Wilson is not a soldier, but his brother Mark was a member of the Forces.

Mark was killed beyond that perimeter fence in a massive Taliban bomb explosion.

How Wilson, a former entertainment-complex manager from London, Ont., ended up in Afghanistan is a story of tragic death, a brother's undying love, a chance encounter with a general, and iconic Canadian coffee and doughnuts.

Trooper Mark Wilson, 39, was a Royal Canadian Dragoon based in Petawawa. In October 2006, he was manning the machine gun from inside an armoured ve...


03/22/10--10:14: Biography of Nicole Roy who did our painting for the reunion (chan 1596913)

From the Artist…

 

My name is Nicole Roy… I am a local artist in Chelmsford, Ontario Canada.

Art is my love and my passion, which I create in my home studio that       consists of a spectacular view from my work area.

 

My specialty is People/Pet Portraits in charcoal…and acrylic landscapes, seascapes, wildlife that I paint on canvas, as well as natural items such as leaves, rocks etc…

I have clients from all over the world and some of my work in private collections. I accept commission orders.   

 

Please feel free to visit my website at www.artbynicole.4t.com  to view some examples of my work…

If you wish to contact me for any questions, you can do so by phone at (705) 855-3421 or by email at arteestique@hotmail.com  or by dropping by my studio… All information is on my site…

 

I took the request from Veterans UN/NATO Canada to create the painting for the poster for their reunion “Come Spend a Weekend with a Vete...


03/22/10--14:50: COURT MARTIAL CHARGES WITHDRAWN AT CFB ESQUIMALT (chan 1596913)

THE COURT MARTIAL OF A CANADIAN SAILOR ENDED BEFORE IT BEGAN AT CFB ESQUIMALT TODAY, BECAUSE OF A DECISION IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA LAST FRIDAY.

THE DECISION IN A CIVILIAN CASE UPHELD CHARTER RIGHTS AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE CAUSING THE PROSECUTION TO WITHDRAW CHARGES AGAINST LEADING SEAMAN TRAVIS STANSFIELD. HE HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY WHILE SERVING ABOARD HMCS CALGARY IN THE PERSIAN GULF IN THE SUMMER OF 2008.

PROSECUTOR MAJOR BENOIT MCMAHON TOLD COURT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO EXPECTATION OF CONVICTION IN LIGHT OF THE SUPREME COURT RULING.

DEFENSE LAWYER LIEUTENANT MARK LETOURNEAU REMINDED THE JUDGE IT IS NOT A BOLT "OUT OF THE BLUE"...HE HAD BEEN RAISING OBJECTIONS FOR MONTHS CONCERNING THE CONDUCT OF MILITARY INVESTIGATORS..AND TOLD REPORTERS AFTERWARDS THEY SHOULD BE "HELD TO ACCOUNT".

STANSFIELD HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW AS WELL AS THE CRIMINAL CHARGES. A BASE SPOKESPERSON SAYS IT'S NOT YET CLEAR WHETHER THAT REVIEW ...


03/22/10--14:53: Hope: SISIP AND VAC Issues (chan 1596913)

Hope:  is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.
 
Good afternoon
 
I wanted to take a minute to send a little note your way. While we await the Supreme Court's decision on how the SISIP Clawback legal action can proceed, there are some things we can do.
 
We now have the overt support of the VAC Ombudsman, DND Ombudsman, NDP, the Liberals, the Senate, and even Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, between the SISIP LTD and NVC Earnings loss Benefit claw backs of disability awards.
 
I encourage all of you to contact your MP`s, Peter Stoffer (NDP Critic), Robert Oliphant (Liberal VAC Critic), Senator Downe, VAC Ombudsman, and Miss Fraser, to remind them of your - our situations and how we have been impacted.  Let us keep the heat on and apply pressure from as many fronts as we can. I understand that not all of us are up ...


03/22/10--14:58: Canadian soldier dies of wounds in Edmonton hospital (chan 1596913)

Canwest News Service - March 22, 2010

EDMONTON — A Canadian soldier has died in Edmonton from wounds he sustained while in Afghanistan earlier this month, the Canadian Forces announced Monday.

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick died at the University of Alberta Hospital Saturday after succumbing to wounds he received from a roadside bomb that detonated while he was on patrol in Afghanistan on March 6.

The 21-year-old infantryman from Prince George, B.C., was critically wounded during a joint Canadian-Afghan mission 25 kilometres west of Kandahar City.

Fitzpatrick was treated at the multinational hospital at Kandahar Airfield and was then airlifted to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He was evacuated from Germany to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton on Friday.

Fitzpatrick died late Saturday afternoon surrounded by his family, the military said in a release.

Fitzpatrick was a member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based at CFB Edmonton. ...


03/24/10--10:00: Military stops reporting wounded soldiers - Will issue annual statistics on battlefield wounded (chan 1596913)



The Canadian Press

The Canadian military has stopped reporting when soldiers are wounded in battle in Afghanistan and will instead deliver annual statistics to the public.

The policy shift is described as a deliberate attempt to keep the Taliban in the dark.

The recent death of Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick in an Edmonton trauma centre brought the directive to the forefront.

The 21-year-old was mortally wounded in a previously unreported March 6 roadside bombing.

Fitzpatrick, of 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was on a foot patrol with Afghan soldiers when the blast occurred in the volatile Zhari district, west of Kandahar.

There have been other recent unreported incidents, including a soldier with a gunshot wound to the leg last week.

In a written statement late Tuesday, Canada's task force commander, Brig.-Gen. Dan Menard, said the directive was necessary.

The army does not want militants "to link the number of wounded with any particular incident," he said....


03/24/10--10:39: Chief of the Land Staff to Recognize Distinguished Service (chan 1596913)

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - (Marketwire - March 24, 2010) - Lt.-Gen A.B. Leslie, Chief of the Land Staff, will present 23 insignia for Mention in Dispatches, 23 Chief of the Defence Staff Commendations, and two Canadian Forces (CF) Medallions for Distinguished Service, during a ceremony at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton tomorrow. Recipients from across Canada will be acknowledged for their bravery, exemplary actions, and commitment to service during deployments in Afghanistan.

WHEN:              Thursday, March 25, 2010

WHERE:             CFB Edmonton, Alberta

TIME:              7:00 p.m. (media are asked to arrive
                       no later than 6:00 p.m.)

A Mention in Dispatches is a national...


03/24/10--18:13: Minister Of National Defence Announces Canadian Forces Senior Promotions And Appointments (chan 1596913)

NR - 10.021 - March 24, 2010

OTTAWA –The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, is pleased to announce the senior Canadian Forces (CF) promotions and appointments for 2010. These officers lead the CF in defending Canada’s values, interests and sovereignty at home and abroad.

“The men and women of the Canadian Forces are performing at a very demanding tempo and strong leadership is essential for our continued success,” said Minister MacKay. “I firmly believe that these General Officers and Flag Officers, with their knowledge, experience and skills will rise to the challenges that lie ahead of them.”

“I have trust and confidence that these men and women possess the critical leadership attributes to assume these key appointments and command positions both in Canada and internationally,” said General Walter Natyncyzk, Chief of the Defence Staff. “I know these senior officers, and I am confident in their ability to excel in leading the men and women under their command.

The ...


03/24/10--18:38: Operational stress clinic opens for war veterans (chan 1596913)

Updated: Wed Mar. 24 2010 2:25:51 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

Ottawa has officially opened a new operational stress clinic for war veterans at Ste. Anne's Hospital in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.

It's the only clinic where patients can stay on-site.

The clinic can treat some of the estimated 15 per cent of servicemen and women who return home with some kind of mental health issue.

Four patients are currently living at the clinic for up to two months, but the facility can accommodate up to 10 patients.

Raymond Lalonde, director of the centre, tells CTV's Derek Conlon that the mental-health issues faced by some war veterans are well-known.

"Post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, anxiety, it is a broad name that is used also to indicate that it is an injury," said Lalonde. "It is an injury such as losing a leg."

Future of hospital

Also on Wednesday, Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn confirmed that control of the Ste-Anne's hospital will be transferred to the province of Quebec.

H...


03/25/10--02:52: Minister Blackburn Opens a New Clinic Dedicated to the Treatment of Operational Stress (chan 1596913)

March 24, 2010

Minister Blackburn Opens a New Clinic Dedicated to the Treatment of Operational Stress

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC — The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), today at Ste. Anne's Hospital, officially opened Canada's first clinic dedicated to the treatment in a residential therapeutic setting of Veterans and service men and women living with complex operational stress injuries.

"With this unique clinic for those affected by post-traumatic stress and other disorders, our government is ensuring that the fullest range of care is available to our nation's valiant heroes," said Minister Blackburn. "Offering in-patient treatment in a designated clinic is a great advancement in helping those brave service men and women concentrate full time on getting well. This is another example of this government's ongoing commitment to stand up for our Veterans."

Located at Ste. Anne's Hospital near Montréal, the Residential Trea...


03/26/10--03:34: Mother accepts son's posthumous honours (chan 1596913)

By Florence Loyie, Edmonton Journal

It took some "mental gymnastics" for Linda Loree to keep her emotions under control as she accepted her late son's Mention in Distinguished Service insignia Thursday during a ceremony at CFB Edmonton.

Cpl. Nathan Hornburg was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 24, 2007.

He and his comrades had been under heavy fire from constant insurgent attacks but he recovered a disabled tank and prevented vital equipment from falling into enemy hands.

He also contributed to the safe extraction of troops.

Loree drove up from her home south of Calgary on Wednesday and checked into the same hotel she stayed in August 2007 when her 24-year-old son was deployed.

She dined again in the same restaurant where she and Nathan shared their last meal together.

"It is kind of like coming full circle, only this time it was much more positive," she said Thursday as she held his insignia in her hands.

Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, Chief of the Land Staff, presented 23 insignia for Mention...


03/26/10--03:38: Soldier hurt in hit-and-run - Run down while visiting girlfriend in Thunder Bay (chan 1596913)

March 26, 2010 Paul Morse
The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 26, 2010)

A Canadian soldier from Hamilton has been seriously injured in Thunder Bay after he was struck by a pickup truck as he walked along a city street with friends early Wednesday morning.

Sapper Richard Piekarczyk, 20, of the 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR), was taken to hospital in critical condition with head injuries after he was struck by a pickup around 2 a.m. on a residential street near downtown Thunder Bay.

The young soldier, whose sapper rank is equivalent to a private, was just beginning his career in the combat engineers based in CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, said Captain Martell Thompson of Land Forces Atlantic.

Thunder Bay police are now scouring the city for the pickup, which fled the area after running Piekarczyk down.

"He is in intensive care with serious head injuries," said Constable Gordon Snyder, of the Thunder Bay police collision reconstruction unit.

"There was an improvement in his condition overnight....


03/26/10--03:57: Battle over soldiers' scholarship (chan 1596913)

By BILL KAUFMANN, QMI Agency

CALGARY - Free university tuition for dependents of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan is coming under fire from professors who say the practice glorifies militarism.

But the academics have been counterattacked by backers of the military, like Royal Canadian Legion former national president Bob Gray, who said soldiers' families should be considered apart from political policy.

"The soldiers don't have a choice in the matter ... you've got to separate the conflict from the humanitarian side of it," said Gray, a Calgarian.

Project Hero -- adopted last year by the University of Calgary and set to be enacted by the University of Regina this fall -- provides scholarships to children of soldiers killed in action.

Sixteen U of R professors have signed a letter denouncing the program as "a glorification of Canadian imperialism in Afghanistan and elsewhere. We do not want our university associated with the political impulse to unquestioning glorification of...


03/26/10--04:02: Disability plan carries stigma: expert (chan 1596913)

Wording discriminates against public servants suffering from mental illness

By Kathryn May, The Ottawa Citizen

The 40-year-old disability plans covering Canada's public servants stigmatize mental illness with an archaic provision that denies benefits to bureaucrats who have ever attempted suicide, says a mental health expert.

Bill Wilkerson, co-founder of the Global Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, has appealed to Treasury Board President Stockwell Day to drop the provision "which comes right out of the dark ages" and blatantly discriminates against victims of depression.

"This provision is obsolete for insurance purposes and is surely a hangover from a past era of discrimination against those living with mental illness -- an era many of us are trying to deposit in the dust bin of history," Wilkerson said in a recent letter to Day.

Depression is one of the leading causes of suicide. The government's disability claims for mental illness have jumped 45 per cent in less than a ...


03/26/10--04:08: Half of Canadians say use military to assert Arctic sovereignty (chan 1596913)

By KATHLEEN HARRIS, Parliamentary Bureau Chief

OTTAWA — Half of Canadians believe we should exercise military might to assert our sovereignty in the resource-rich Arctic, an exclusive poll for QMI Agency shows.

The Leger Marketing survey shows another 10% of Canadians believe we should flex military muscle — but only as a purely symbolic gesture — while 22% believe any disputes over the region’s resources and transportation routes can be resolved through legal and diplomatic means.

Another 17% didn’t know or preferred not to answer.

Younger Canadians aged 35 years or under and Quebecers are least likely to feel military power should be used. Only 38% of Quebecers say Canada should be prepared to exercise military power to assert sovereignty and protect natural resources and waterways, while British Columbians, Ontarians and people in the Prairies were most likely to support boots on the ground.

“Canada is not known for a desire to exercise military power but when it comes to the North ...


03/28/10--18:20: Public supporters appear en masse for soldier's funeral (chan 1596913)

By Chris Zdeb, edmontonjournal

EDMONTON - Carole Burke stood near St. Joseph’s Basilica Saturday afternoon wearing a hockey jersey with "Forces" printed on the front, holding a large red flag bearing the ‘Support Our Troops’ yellow ribbon.

Her 17-year-old son Matt is in basic training at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick, and she had come to show her support for another mother, who was inside the church saying good bye to a son who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

“(One day) it could be me and my son in there and my family,” an emotional Burke said. “I’m here as a community member to say we love you, and we love your son, and we’re thankful for all that you’ve given. The largest sacrifice in life is to surrender your child.”

Cpl. Darren James Fitzpatrick died last weekend in University of Alberta Hospital from injuries he suffered in a March 6 explosion during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Hundreds of mourners, most of them members of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian L...


03/29/10--06:19: Military ombudsman to again review mental health services (chan 1596913)

By Roger Collier, CMAJ (the Canadian Medical Association)

National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman Pierre Daigle will conduct a follow-up review of a 2008 investigation into military mental health services that found that too many soldiers with operational stress injuries (OSI) were slipping through cracks in the system.

Though the Canadian military has improved its mental health system since 2008, several problem areas remain, says Darren Gibb, director of communications for Daigle’s office. One of the biggest concerns, he says, is that families of military members affected by mental illness are not receiving proper care.

“The programs just don’t exist for military families, and if they do exist, they are inconsistent across the country,” says Gibb. “Programs are in place for Canadian Forces members, but not adequately so for families.”

Another major concern, he says, is the lack of progress in gathering information and statistics about current and former military members affe...


03/29/10--11:12: Canadian mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina ends (chan 1596913)

By BRYN WEESE, Parliamentary Bureau

OTTAWA — Almost 20 years after war broke out in former Yugoslavia, Canada is pulling its last troops out of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The six Canadian Forces members, who have been based in Sarajevo as part of Task Force Balkans, are heading home as Operation BRONZE — the last of many Canadian operations over the past 19 years in the area — is set to close.

The focus of Operation BRONZE, which started in 2004, was defence reform and the re-integration of veterans of the Balkan wars into civil society.

Canadian Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina were also helping the country join NATO's Partnership for Peace program.

"This is a proud day for both Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina," said Defence Minister Peter MacKay in a news statement released Monday. "Over the last two decades, Canadians have worked with the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and our UN and NATO partners, to secure a brighter future for the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Canada and the CF can be prou...


03/31/10--07:22: Soldier seriously injured in hit and run (chan 1596913)

By MICHAEL STAPLES

A soldier from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown is in serious condition at a Thunder Bay, Ont., hospital after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run incident last week.

Twenty-year-old Richard Piekarczyk-Vacca, a member of the 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4ESR) at Gagetown, suffered serious head injuries in the incident and is a patient at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Piekarczyk-Vacca was struck by a vehicle as he walked along the 200 block of Secord Street in the early morning hours of March 24.

The driver fled the scene.

The Thunder Bay Police Service announced Tuesday that investigators had made an arrest in connection with the incident.

Steven Jamie Torkkelli, 28, has been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and obstruction of a peace officer.

"Investigators through tips and evidence and through information received was able to identify a suspect," Chris Adams, a...


03/31/10--07:28: Soldier fights for parental leave (chan 1596913)

By SUSAN SHERRING, QMI Agency

OTTAWA - Leaving behind his newborn son, having spent just one brief night together in their home, was gut-wrenching for Maj. Jim Duquette as he left Canada in 2004 to serve in the Golan Heights.
There were regular e-mails from his wife Anne, updating him with pictures and stories, but Duquette had no idea what it was like to be a father.
When he returned to his Edmonton home more than a year later, he took comfort in an anticipated 37 weeks of parental leave to get to know his young son, to begin really being a father.

Not so, according to the Employment Insurance Act, which stipulates the leave must be taken within 52 weeks following a birth or adoption.
He was away 54 weeks.
Those are the rules. That's it, that's all. No exceptions.


Well, just a little one. If Duquette had been a convict serving time behind bars -- and not helping to keep peace overseas -- an extension could have been made.
That's right.

Under federal legislation, prisoners have more...