Let’s remove barriers for our military families
Spouses, kids suffer due to different provincial rules, says Gary Walbourne.
Moving is a nightmare for Canadian military families, and has been for a while.
A fictional soldier, Tiffany Leduc, is moving from Quebec to Alberta with her husband Mike, an elementary school teacher, and their two children, one with special needs.
In Alberta, Tiffany is employed full-time as she was in Quebec, yet her husband Mike is not.
Mike taught at an elementary school back home, but Quebec teacher accreditations are not recognized in Alberta (or in any other province or territory in Canada). As a result, Mike is left without a career.
Teachers aren’t the only ones affected, either. Therapists, nurses, accountants and others experience similar difficulties with their professional accreditations.
Many Canadian Forces members are posted in communities that lack employment opportunities, causing the majority of Canadian military spouses to become either underemployed or unemployed.
After weeks of job hunting without success, Mike decides to become a stay-athome dad for his children, Ben and Lucy. Ben was set to graduate from high school this year in Quebec, but the family’s relocation has caused some complications.
Similar to professional accreditations, graduation requirements differ from province to province and territory to territory. As a result, Ben will be unable to graduate until he takes two additional courses in the following year.
Because of this inconsistency between provinces and territories, Ben will be staying behind while old friends in Quebec and new friends in Alberta move on.
Like all children with special needs, Lucy has to be assessed before obtaining an adapted learning plan. These are also not recognized from one province or territory to another, leaving her previous Quebec assessment invalid and delaying her education.
In our report, On the Homefront: Assessing the Well-being of Canada’s Military Families in the New Millennium, some families stated that each posting with a child who has special needs takes about two years before support and resources are in place. The dramatic effect this would have on any child’s learning and development is clear.
Mike was on a waiting list in Quebec to see a doctor about heart palpitations. He was near the top of the priority list but after the relocation to Alberta, he has to start at zero.
In addition, Mike will have to search for a new family doctor for him and his two children as, unlike the United States, spouses and children are not entitled to the same medical benefits as the serving member.
Tiffany notices how the posting has affected her family. She sees Ben’s disappointment at having to wait another year before graduating and Mike’s confusion as to why he can teach in Quebec but not in Alberta. She worries about how a two-year delay could affect her daughter Lucy’s growth.
Military families relocate three times more often than civilian families, meaning the Leduc family will likely be uprooted often throughout Tiffany’s military career.
The effect these provincial and territorial issues have on military families is evident. In the face of the federal-provincial-territorial meeting in July, provincial and territorial collaboration to fix these issues is crucial.
Happy and healthy military families means happy and healthy military members. Every Canadian has a stake in their well-being. Gary Walbourne is the National Defence and Canadian Forces ombudsman.