VAC Spending/Downsizing (merged)

[GAP]

8 Veterans Affairs offices that could be closed
Federal department's district offices to close in early 2014, union says
By Kevin Yarr, CBC News  Feb 21, 2013
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/21/pei-veterans-affairs-offices-closed-584.html

CBC News has learned the locations of eight district offices of Canada's Department of Veterans Affairs that could be closed.

There are 32 district offices across the country, set up to help veterans with questions about their benefits.

As part of the March 2012 budget, the federal government announced it would be closing several district offices, including the one in Charlottetown. In January, the department said that process eventually led to the cutting of 78 positions, but did not say where.

The Union of Veterans Affairs Employees told CBC News it has been informed by the department that offices in these cities will be shut:

    Charlottetown
    Corner Brook, N.L.
    Sydney, N.S.
    Windsor, Ont.
    Thunder Bay, Ont.
    Kelowna, B.C.
    Saskatoon
    Brandon, Man.

The union said the offices would close on Feb. 28, 2014.

CBC News followed up by email with the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the department would not confirm or deny the offices were closing.

"With respect to your inquiry regarding closures of VAC District Offices, we would like to indicate we are adjusting the presence of the department across the country to reflect the changing nature of the Veterans population and to serve Veterans in the most efficient and effective manner possible," wrote media relations adviser Janice Summerby.

The department is setting up what it is calling an access centre in Charlottetown for veterans to replace the district office. The department said that with the Veterans Affairs head office in Charlottetown, it seemed logical that veterans have direct access to the department.

It would not say if access centres would be established in other locations.
Corrections and Clarifications
end of article

  Following publication the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees corrected its list of offices that are closing. The district office in London, Ont. is not closing. Feb. 22, 2013|7:12 a.m AT

 

[Occam]

The department said that with the Veterans Affairs head office in Charlottetown, it seemed logical that veterans have direct access to the department.

Well, by that logic, since I live in Ottawa, I should be able to just drop in on the PM at his place on Sussex Dr on the way to work if I have some ideas on how the country should be run.  :

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The service at my local office was on par with the organization's national service.

Lousy.

Won't be missed.

 

[maniac]

This is not news.  This was announced sometime ago.  It is not "could" it's "will".  The could and should close Kirkland Lake, it serves no purpose located by Timmins.

 

[Sythen]

Its funny that I live in Ottawa, but my new case manager is based out of.. either Kingston or Hamilton, can't remember. Either way, its impossible for us to have a face to face meeting, and she has told me its their SOP that they not give out their office phone numbers. I need to sit on hold for 10+ minutes some times with the 1-800 number just to ask them to transfer me to her.

I hope these closures means more money at the offices that will remain open.

 

[OldSolduer]

What is NOT mentioned is that VAC has an office in CFB Shilo co-located with the IPSC. Shilo is about 20 minutes from Brandon.

 

[Rifleman62]

As stated above this was announced previously. The office in Shilo should stay open as a satellite of Wpg when Brandon closes.

The anti, the ever evil Harper, CBC stirring the pot.

The Kelowna VAC office would be my selection for the stereotype public service office of the year. So bad, I launched an official complaint against the guy I had to deal with. His supervisor one notch better.

There is an VAC office in Penticton, 45 minutes away.

 

[Remius]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/1-1b-meant-for-veterans-returned-to-federal-treasury-critics-say-1.2841417

Nice.  Saving money at the expense of our vets...have to balance the budget after all...

 

[X Royal]

Released by Canada Press.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/over-1-1-billion-unspent-funds-veterans-affairs-230110146.html

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The reality is that if you follow TBS policy, you can't spend money which they get back to recycle for the next fiscal year to dangle in front of you again. Working in the PS is like running through thigh high TBS generated muck.

 

[Rifleman62]

Over a seven/eight year period.

The"enablers" are at it again.

 

[Shrek1985]

is this anything like the army having to give back a bunch of cash a few years back when we were really tight for funds at the same time?

 

[Jarnhamar]

I wonder how many lives that 1.13 billion could have saved.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The reality is that if you follow TBS policy, you can't spend money which they get back to recycle for the next fiscal year to dangle in front of you again. Working in the PS is like running through thigh high TBS generated muck.

On a GOOD day ....

Over a seven/eight year period.

The"enablers" are at it again.

Maybe, but that's still about $137 million per year sent back to the government that's keen on saying how good it is to veterans.

 

[X Royal]

Maybe, but that's still about $137 million per year sent back to the government that's keen on saying how good it is to veterans.

Or how about how much they like to state how they are fighting the national budget shortages.
No mater if balancing the budget is on the backs of our veterans.

 

[Old Sweat]

I wonder if there is any connection to the change in DMs announced a short while back? Just speculating, and maybe we shouldn't read too much into Uncle Walt's new job.

 

[OldSolduer]

I wonder how many lives that 1.13 billion could have saved.

Not just lives saved but how many soldiers claims were "denied" despite following the process and proving their case.

I cannot claim to know much about the way senior bureaucracy works, but it seems to me that someone is attempting to curry favour with the GoC.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I wonder how many lives that 1.13 billion could have saved.

Fuckin' none..............

I am really starting to get sick of what I see as the start of the 'military welfare state' that's rising up.  OCAP would be proud..........

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Fuckin' none..............

I am really starting to get sick of what I see as the start of the 'military welfare state' that's rising up.  OCAP would be proud..........

I think you need to expand on that, because as I see it that money could go into hiring the professionals required to treat the troops that need it.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Because from all the courses and the multitude of suicide attempts/completions that I have been part of in my vocation in the last 25 years I have reached one conclusion.

When someone truly, truly has decided to end it then there is nothing, zero, nada that can be done to completely stop it.
You may stop this attempt, and consider that a victory, but the bottom line is a true suicidal person has made a choice, has a course of action and finally things make sense to them..........so much sense they wonder why they didn't see it before.   

Money and so-called 'professionals', etc are not going to change this person.  I actually now think that a good percentage of these folks even start feeling guiltier with the help they receive as they now have another thing on their plate. "Why doesn't my mind feel any different?" with all this attention I'm getting?

I'll use the analogy I have come up with for those who think they can "change thoughts"
[this is no disrespect to any orientation]
"I'm heterosexual. There is no course, counselling or form of punishment that is going to make me a homosexual. What thoughts come into my head, come into my head, and there is nothing to be done about that."

Now having said that you can control your actions on your thoughts but it's a life-long struggle that, unlike cheating on your diet, [have we all done that?] only gives you one attempt to get it right/wrong.



But if you were referring to my 'OCAP statement has anyone read a paper in the last 6 months that didn't have a new 'veterans' group screaming about something/somehow they've been wronged?