By meadowlakeNOW

Local advocates show support for veterans rallying on Parliament Hill

Feb 15, 2018 | 6:00 PM

A few Meadow Lakers stood outside for 11 minutes at 11:11 a.m. in solidarity for a rally occurring in Ottawa.

This week, two veterans Colin Saunders and Dick Groot have been camping out on Parliament Hill to symbolize being ‘left out in the cold’ due to recent changes in the federal government’s disability benefits program for veterans. It is a program that won’t start until 2019, and is dependent on when veterans were injured. They are also advocating for overall improvement to services for veterans.

Marj Matchee, a local veteran’s advocate said there is network of supporters doing the same thing across Canada.

“They’re fighting for pension rights, help for post-traumatic stress syndrome, mefloquine toxicity, and all the things veterans are suffering from right now, with the lack of funding and help,” Matchee said. “They asked the veteran advocates to do something in each of our own communities, so we chose to stand for 11 minutes to show united solidarity for their fight today.”

She said Canadian soldiers who have to deal with physical and psychological ailments have already been through a great deal, and they desire fair and balanced compensation.

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“How do you put a dollar amount on what they do?” she asked. “They put their lives on the line for us. They stand out when no one else will. I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have our Armed Forces. We need to respect our veterans, they need us now.”

She said the local Royal Canadian Legion also advocates and added she appreciates local reps allowed them to stand at the Meadow Lake cenotaph this morning.

– with files from the Canadian Press

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath