Our Recent Activity


Randy Hladun   Calgary AB

We have been very busy contacting various authorities on behalf of all Veterans who are struggling with Service-Related Cancer.  I initially became involved out of my frustration with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and the Bureau of Pension Advocates (BPA)  demands that I get a letter from my doctor stating that my cancer was related to my service. This is an almost impossible task. Nevertheless I asked my doctor who had a strong reaction to my request, likely because he thought I was asking him to make a statement that he thought I knew was impossible. Not one to be discouraged I searched throughout Canada for a doctor who was in a position to make such a statement, Fortunately I found Dr. Hamm in Victoria who was doing research in the area of cancer resulting from exposure to chemicals. He penned a letter stating that my exposure to Carbon Tetrachloride while in service. Note he didn't state that my cancer was related to my service but rather that exposure to Carbon Tetrachloride could have caused my cancer. The fact that the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB) accepted this and awarded me a five-fifths pension tells you that those letters asking for a service connect to cancer were unnecessary. As you will read below we have received acknowledgement from both VAC and BPA that they are abandoning this request when claims involve cancer.

Below you will find a sampling of our most recent correspondence. You can help us with this initiative by using the links at the bottom of each of these letters to email the authority in question and provide a personal appeal for assistance in addressing this issue. Feel free to contact me that the link below my photo.


listed in reverse chronological order

DATE LINK AGENCY PURPOSE

December 2024

97 Senators the Senate of Canada An individual, personal appeal to each of the 97 Senators to lobby MPs to upgrade the Well-Being Act to meet the standard set by the US PACT Act; and to distribute out Poster to their personal network.
December 2024 337 MPs the Parliament of Canada An individual, personal appeal to each MP to lobby MPs to upgrade the Well-Being Act to meet the standard set by the US PACT Act; and to distribute our Poster (English) (French) to all of their constituents during their quarterly correspondence.
November 2024 TO: Executive Director Bureau of  Pensions Advocates  Steven Woodman's Letter did not go as far as Zachary Belisle statement on the phone that BPA was entirety eliminating this request. This letter provide him with additional information and asks him to completely Eliminate it.
November
2024
FROM: Executive Director Bureau of  Pensions Advocates  Letter from Chief Pensions Advocate Steven Woodman stating that he would reconsider wording of form letters.
November 2024 Executive Director  Bureau of  Pensions Advocates  Letter to the Executive Director and Chief Pension Advocate, Anthony Saez requesting that BPA stop asking veterans with cancer for letters from their doctors stating the cancer was service-related.
November 2024 VAC November TEAMS Meeting Veterans Affairs Canada TEAMS Meeting with Trudie MacKinnon to discuss our request for veterans with cancer to be "Red Zoned" and assigned a Case Manager.
November 2024 54 Veterans Groups Veterans Associations A personalized appeal asking he distribute our bilingual articles and  posters
November 2024 23 Newspapers Military Newspapers A personalized appeal asking papers to post our bilingual public service articles and distribute our bilingual posters. These papers were approach: Victoria Lookout, Halifax Trident, Comox Totem Times, Borden Citizen, Borden Bugler, Greenwood Aurora, Winnipeg Voxair, North Bay Shield, Cold Lake Courier News, Ottawa Maple Leaf, Petawawa Post, Shilo Stag News, Our Navy Today, Canadian Military Family Magazine, Canadian Naval Review, Canadian Army Today,      Link to Sample Letter
November 2024 Major-General
Ian Poulter
CF Morale and Welfare Services A personalized appeal asking he distribute our bilingual public service articles and  posters Public Service Articles
November 2024 CWO Lori Flowers CFB Kingston A personalized appeal asking he distribute our bilingual articles and  posters
October
2024
Sandra Conlin RCMP Veteran's Association A personalized appeal asking her distribute our  bilingual public service articles and  posters to RCMP Veterans.
October
2024
Mitch Freeman Veterans Affairs Canada Email to Director General Policy and Research requesting meeting to discuss our pending mail out to MPs to change the Well-Being Act
October
2024
VAC October TEAMS Meeting Veterans Affairs Canada TEAMS meeting with VAC Director General Trudie MacKinnon to discuss Doctors Letters Regulation 50(g), Judicial Precedent and Red Zones
October
2024
Summary of Proposed Changes Veterans Affairs Canada Sent VAC Trudie MacKinnon, Director General, Centralized Operations Division, Service Delivery Branch in preparation for our 07 Oct Meeting
October
2024
Systemic Barriers Veterans Affairs Canada Sent VAC Trudie MacKinnon, Director General, Centralized Operations Division, Service Delivery Branch in preparation for our 07 Oct Meeting
September 2024  ADM Steven Harris Veterans Affairs Canada Request that VAC remove the para asking for doctors letters from their form letters and that more liberally interpret [ara 50(g) in favour of veterans.
September 2024 Presentation (English)
Presentation (French)
Veterans Review and Appeal Board Presentation Our MS Power Point Slides for our Presentation to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB) scheduled for Octover 07, 2024
August
2024
Ombudsman Veterans Ombudsman August 27, 2024 MS TEAMS Meeting with Nishika Jardine Veterans Ombudsman to discuss Systemic Barriers faced by Cancer Veterans.
August
2024
Briefing Note Veterans Ombudsman Briefing Note for Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombudsman, including attached Systemic Barriers Paper.
August
2024
Briefing Note Standing Committee
on Veterans Affairs
Briefing Note for Blake Richards  Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs
August
2024
Briefing Note Veterans Affairs Canada Briefing Note for Pierre Tessier VAC Deputy Minister, Service Delivery
August
2024
Briefing Note Veterans Affairs Canada Briefing Note for Steven Harris,VAC  Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery Branch
August
2024
Briefing Note Veterans Affairs Canada Briefing Note for Steven Harris VAC Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery
July
2024
43 Legion Appeals Royal Canadian Legion Letter to  43 Legion Commands asking them to distribute our bilingual posters to all of their Branches.
May
2024
35 MP Letters Members of Parliament Randy's Urgent Appeal to some MPs