MLAs discuss Veterans Affairs office closure with minister
SYDNEY — A pair of Cape Breton MLAs who travelled to Ottawa to discuss the impending closure of Sydney’s Veterans Affairs office are being criticized for not first discussing the issue with the people most affected by the closure.
Progressive Conservative MLAs Alfie MacLeod and Eddie Orrell were in the country’s capital Wednesday, where they met with Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino.
MacLeod, who represents Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg, said the discussion with Fantino, a former Ontario police commissioner, was positive despite receiving no commitment to reverse the decision.
“He brought his chief of staff, so it wasn’t as if he wasn’t interested,” said MacLeod. “He’s very well acquainted with the area, and in his former life had a working relationship with ( former Cape Breton Regional Police chiefs) Edgar MacLeod and Myles Burke.”
MacLeod said he discussed the march of concern through downtown Sydney on Nov. 9, which brought together 2,000 supporters, while also inviting the minster to come speak with the veterans first hand.
One of the suggestions made by MacLeod and fellow PC MLA Eddie Orrell was that veterans could be helped at Service Canada offices by Veterans Affairs employees.
“If they have to access something, they’re accessing someone that knows them, but also knows the programs,” said MacLeod. “As we pointed out to him (Wednesday) — Eddie and I both did — when we asked the veterans as a nation to go and fight our battles, we didn’t ask them to do it by computer or by app, they had to go in person.”
At the end of the hour-and-ahalf long session, both MLAs were given contact information to stay in touch with the minister.
“They were very open to some suggestions that we had,” said Orrell, who represents the riding of Northside-Westmount. “They’ve done a service for us, it’s time that we make sure we do service for them and try and make sure they get everything they need and deserve so they can be comfortable in whatever days they have left.”
Sydney veteran Ron Clarke said he wishes both MLAs would have first consulted with area veterans and office workers before the trip.
“We are grateful that these MLAs are concerned about the issue, but wish they would have just talked to veterans and the workers we rely on for services before heading off to Ottawa,” said Clarke in a press release. “We hope they’ll meet with us now and hear what we have to say.”
Yvan Thauvette, president of the union representing Veterans Affairs employees, said they’re concerned the MLAs alternative to keeping the office open won’t work.
“Putting one or two case managers in a Service Canada office can’t possibly make up for closing the Veterans Affairs office where 13 workers currently provide services to 4,200 clients,” said Thauvette.
Thauvette said he is writing MacLeod and Orrell to ask them to meet with the veterans and workers to discuss ways they can help.