Veterans who battled Tories to hold protest against Liberals over treatment

Another N.S. vet denied care at Camp Hill.

June 19 , 2016


http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=895140

Liberal MP says elderly war vet should be admitted to veteran's hospital.

June 17, 2016 - 6:55pm

HALIFAX — A Liberal member of Parliament from Nova Scotia is pushing his own government to resolve the case of an elderly Norwegian war vet who's being denied a bed in a veteran's hospital in Halifax.

Bill Casey raised the matter in question period Friday, asking that the government make sure measures are in place for 94-year-old Petter Blindheim and other veterans like him.

The MP for Cumberland-Colchester says the parliamentary secretary to the minister of veterans affairs has told him discussions are underway to find a solution.

Blindheim, who served with the Royal Norwegian Navy, gained national attention after Ottawa rejected his entry to Camp Hill hospital on the grounds that he could receive adequate care at existing provincial facilities.

In a statement, Casey says he's disappointed the matter hasn't been resolved.

He says he would like to see Blindheim admitted to the veteran's hospital, even though he doesn't know all details of the case.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1373457-liberal-mp-says-elderly-war-vet-should-be-admitted-to-veterans-hospital

Different veteran, same problem: N.B. veteran denied care in veteran’s hospital.

June 17, 2016 8:12PM ADT

SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Another veteran in the Maritimes is being denied access to federally-funded care because he completed his war service in a country outside of Canada.
Frank Rusling was a member of the Royal Navy for 10 years, a police officer for another 10, and spent the remaining 30 years of his career as a Canadian Pacific Police Officer.
However, that’s not enough to get the 94-year-old into a veteran’s care facility in Saint John.

“I’m rather surprised about it,” said Frank. “I was always of the understanding that the Canadian Forces and the British Forces were sort of under one umbrella.”
Frank and his wife, Elsie, were under the impression that since he served in the Second World War, and he’s a dual citizen in Canada, that he’d still be able to settle into Ridgewood Veteran’s Wing.
“It was always assumed that they were veterans, just like the Canadian’s were,” said Elsie. “They were supposed to be part of that, but we found out recently that he’s not eligible for those benefits.”
Elsie takes care of Frank, but she knows she won’t be able to do that for long. The couple says they’re not yet ready to put Frank in a home, but they would like a plan for when that day comes.
Elsie says that, when he does go, she wants him close by.
“If I had to go a distance to visit him, it would be impossible because I’m 86 myself,” she said. “I thought Ridgewood would be nice and handy, and I could visit often.”
Veterans Affairs says it can’t comment on specific cases due to privacy concerns, but they did send this statement:
“…[A] Veteran's citizenship has no bearing on their eligibility for long term care facilities in Canada. While we always work to deliver the support a Veteran needs, it is not always possible to do so in a specific facility of a Veteran's choosing."
That’s the same argument used to deny another war veteran, Petter Blindheim, admittance to Camp Hill Veteran’s Memorial Hospital in Halifax.

As for the Ruslings, they say they’ll continue to wait, in hopes Ridgewood Veteran’s Wing will be a place Frank can call home when the time comes.

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/different-veteran-same-problem-n-b-veteran-denied-care-in-veteran-s-hospital-1.2951026

Always loved Rex Murphy and he's spot on. However if GoC, JT conceded and he got into Camp Hill how would the pandora's box react?
Lot's and lot's of people would knee jerk an outcry I would think. A great media free for all... 13 beds, 7 beds?  " I got dibs on a bed before you do ! "

But perhaps some others denied in similiar circumstances or rat traps would be happy for him?
That at least, someone deserving got approved in their last years.

Kind of like a victory for one is a victory for all... but that kind of sentiment doesn't hit headlines.

MEANWHILE... GoC is very much between a rock and a hard place.

Just a thought of mine.

Rex as much as I appreciate your point the reality is VAC cannot make an exception to the rule.

Do it once and they are forced to do it for all. This is what ALL the politicians, bureaucrats and former poliiticians know....VAC is no longer in the long term health care for veterans....Unless they are Canadian WW2 or Korea vets. Other vets don't count because it will cost too much.

Rex Murphy: Show some compassion for veteran and war hero Petter Blindheim, Mr. Trudeau.

June 17, 2016 3:45 PM ET

Here we are, almost midway between June 6, the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy during the Second World War, and July 1, Canada Day and the anniversary of the First World War battles of Somme and Beaumont-Hamel. It is, if you will, the season to honour and pay tribute to our veterans. Only Nov. 11 itself offers a more concentrated moment of recall and respect.

How strange it is, then, that our our new, open, caring and sensitive to a fault prime minister, a prime minister who sees himself and the government he leads as the very embodiment of Canadian values, can act so callously toward 94-year-old Petter Blindheim, a hero of the Allied cause, by refusing him ready and available hospital care in his last days on this planet.

Blindheim’s case is now well known. His genuine heroism is utterly unquestioned. While under active torpedo attack, as his ship was going down, he defused the primer on a depth charge, an act of incomparable courage that saved the lives of many of his crewman. He has six medals of honour and has been living in Canada since 1945. It is a great honour to the whole country that he chose to make Canada his home.

And yet, he and his family have, over the past year, been put through the most excruciating bureaucratic dance (he wasn’t technically an Allied veteran, the government argued awhile, then he was; now he has to meet a number of “special” conditions), while beds, a full 13 of them, at the Camp Hill facility in Nova Scotia, wait empty.


“His life at this time is sleeping in bed and being wheeled in a wheelchair by my mother, who has chronic health conditions, to a chair in the living room where he spends his day. You tell me how this is good care,” said his son.

Belabouring the bureaucrats, however, is misdirected. However fastidiously they con the “rules” to make sure a veteran does not get care, whatever ingenuity is spent making sure he doesn’t exactly fit some pre-defined “spot” in whatever labyrinth of regulations Veterans Affairs has constructed, the real masters of this situation are not the bureaucrats. The real masters are the minister of veterans affairs and the prime minister. With a raised eyebrow from either of them, all Blindheim’s difficulties would vanish. A wave of the prime ministerial hand and he would have an honour guard and a military band to salute him as he is ushered into Camp Hill for the care he needs and deserves.

Look who is already supporting him. Veterans have demonstrated on his behalf. Peter Stoffer, an ornament of the House of Commons when he was an MP and a fiercely dedicated supporter of Canadian veterans, is visibly and even angrily backing Blindheim’s family and his cause. Even the Liberal premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, who governs a province that voted decidedly Liberal in the last national election, broke ranks with his federal counterparts to chastise Ottawa over its handling of this file.

“I’m trying to find an appropriate word that I can tell you on the news, but there has been more bureaucratic B.S. associated with this issue and the national government needs to do the right thing and treat this vet with the dignity he deserves,” said McNeil. “(Blindheim) was good enough to stand beside our ancestors and defend this country. What he’s looking for is an opportunity to die in the same company of those men that he fought alongside to defend this country and the national government should provide him with that opportunity.”

And I would wager that every Liberal in the federal caucus, if asked directly about his or her opinion on whether Blindheim should — let me be blunt — get a bed in which he may be cared for while he waits to die, would not have the nerve to say no and, more to the point, would not wish to say no. Does the new, caring Canada not have the resources to care for a 94-year-old combat veteran?

I do not, as a rule, like “if” arguments. But I make an exception here. If former prime minister Stephen Harper were still in power, Justin Trudeau would be ripping his head off in the Commons and probably seeking a speaking slot at the United Nations to tell the world how shabbily the Harper regime treats its veterans. And every Liberal MP would be dropping rhetorical depth charges on the Conservative minister of veterans affairs.

The truth is that remedying Blindheim’s situation would be easy and would come at little cost to the government. Trudeau should grant this old and honourable soldier the peace of a dignified and cared-for departure. He should demonstrate a little of those “Canadian values of caring and respect” that decorate so many of his public speeches. And he should do it before Canadians pay tribute to the fallen on Canada Day. Otherwise, those tributes will be as hollow and vain as the wind that stirs and brings no rain.

National Post

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/rex-murphy-show-some-compassion-for-veteran-and-war-hero-petter-blindheim-mr-trudeau

If Camp Hill was full , I can see the point.

There's 13 empty beds at Camp Hill as of today June 17 , 2016 , that tells me there's no waiting list.
If the 13 beds are in a specific ward for specific Veterans care , that should not matter either.

I'm not disputing the priority of class Veterans as per policy or otherwise , what I'm saying is that we have a Veteran who is requesting a bed at Camp Hill that as of today has 13 empty beds with no info regarding waiting list for those 13 beds.
Denying this Veteran a bed for the sake of policy is in my mind cruel an avoidable.

I realize the reason why that Veteran was denied. I was merely pointing out that it was VAC making the decisions, not the province. So by Hehr saying otherwise, is just another lie being told. At this point, I'm starting to doubt that he even knows what the truth is.

And I have no problem with access being restricted, but it should be restricted by need, not by where a person was, or when they were there. Because soon, all the WWII and qualifying Korean vets will have passed away, and those empty beds will stay empty, even though there will be cold war veterans in their 70's and 80's that need and deserve those beds. When I was working at the Camp Hill hospital, there was a three or four year waiting list to get into the VMB, and beds only stayed empty long enough for family to clean out the room. That was only back in 2012, and obviously the Veterans are passing away faster than they can fill the beds.

Teen is right as a change would set a precedence in policy and their just is not enough contract beds left to open it up to all.(Hard enough for a Canadian veteran to get one)

All contract beds are for Canadian veterans only, and only if you meet the criteria (Just because you served in WW2 and are a Canadian veteran doesn't mean you qualify) For allied veterans, this option is only available if they have special needs that can't be met in a community bed.

I believe VAC makes the decision who gets the contract beds.


If they were to open up the contract beds Canadian WW2/Korea veterans that presently don't meet the criteria should be first in my opinion.  




Eligibility for Health Care Programs - Allied Veteran

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-us/policy/document/1010#anchor49257






Cheers

Let the floodgates open an support all Veterans!

As much as I agree with you all it's a Pandora's box. If Hehr let's one veteran into Camp Hill the floodgates open!

Sucks but it's the truth.

This is Bureaucratic BS!

He is the Minister of Veterans Affairs for crying out loud , if he cannot step in for a simple compassionate case , he should not be in that position!

It's the principal of the matter , the only thing Kent is doing is making our Country look bad.

Give him his wish so he can live the remaining time his got left on this earth the way he wants , he is a Veteran reaching out for help an the government is using bureaucratic BS to deny him!

I doubt any one Canadian would complain if he was granted a bed.

You answered your own question Rex....he arrived in Korea after the war. VAC has no committment to him.

What about last month when VAC denied a bed at Camp Hill to a Canadian Veteran, because he didn't arrive in Korea until after the war? It is VAC that determines who is eligible for a bed or not. Period.

And there are no ward beds at Camp Hill. It is NOT a hospital, after all. It is a Veterans residence. Every Veteran has their own private room. There are different wings for different things though. They have locked wings, for those with Dementia and Alzheimers, or prone to wondering. They even have a wing for non veterans, that may have been a concession made to have the province take it over. So maybe those 13 free beds are on one of those special wards, and he doesn't meet the criteria for the specific bed.

Yes but the denial letters were due to there is no agreement between Norway and Canada for veteran benefits. So no agreement no benefits. Canada has a lot of agreements with other countries.

I'm not defending VAC here just passing on info that some may not know.

Yes the Director may be a VAC employee but like I said is the available beds premium beds (private/semi-private) or ward beds?

There is a lot of info not being exposed here and someone in the press has to start digging deeper to get to the truth of why the Norwegian vet is being denied.