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VAC closure should never have happened

Like all governments the Conservatives made their share of mistakes during Stephen Harper’s 10-year reign as prime minister.

But few, if any, of them generated as much negative publicity locally as the closure of the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) office in Sydney.

Not that our little corner of the globe was singled out. Seven other VAC offices across the country were also closed thanks to a monumentally bone-headed decision.

But it would come as a surprise if any community made as much noise as that made by local VAC office supporters led by veterans’ advocate Ron Clarke. They lobbied, protested, wrote letters to the editor and ultimately made a promise – one that loudly stated they would do everything in their power to see that the Conservatives would not be re-elected unless they reversed their stance.

As we all know, the Conservatives didn’t compromise one iota. For some reason they just didn’t seem to appreciate (or care about) the amount of anger generated by the announced closures and the Liberals, who had promised to reopen the VAC offices, marched into power last Oct. 19.

The VAC closure controversy wasn’t the pivotal election issue but the Liberal promise carried plenty of weight hereabouts. Enough to call the Cape Breton seats held by Mark Eyking and Rodger Cuzner two of the safest in the country on election night.

Now, less than eight months after the Justin Trudeau era began and just over two-and-a-half years after the Sydney office was closed, comes word that a new VAC office will open somewhere in the greater downtown Sydney area by September or October.

Eyking was coy in an interview with the Cape Breton Post this week regarding the exact location. Perhaps the secrecy is designed so as not to ruin any photo ops when the new site is unveiled to the public. At any rate one of our sources suggests it will be in close proximity to a prominent Sydney park.

What’s more important, however, is that the office is returning soon and that our veterans will have a real person to talk to once again regarding issues such as financial assistance, rehabilitation services, help in transitioning to civilian life and mental health supports, to name a few, rather than having to travel or trying to track someone down by phone in Halifax.

They deserve nothing less.