Written by: Maj (Retd) Mark MacDonald
On November 11th, this year and every year, millions of Canadians will gather to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Veterans. In Ottawa, home to one of the largest groups of veterans in the country, there will be televised services from the National War Memorial. At these events much will be made, correctly so, of those who have died in service. There exists however another population who have also freely given of themselves. These are veterans who are physically and emotionally wounded as a result of their service in the wars and peacekeeping operations of recent conflicts. These wounded warriors are often in need of extensive care and this is provided by Veterans Affairs Canada and other agencies. Other veterans, whose care needs are less or who are healthy often find themselves challenged to find housing. This can be caused by family breakdown, addictions or other factors. There is a growing number of homeless veterans in Canada. It is disturbing to consider the fact that veterans who have served Canada are now slipping into homelessness.