Prince George is going to get its Veterans Affairs office back.
Closed in 2012 under the previous Conservative federal government, it will be reopened by May 2017, Kent Hehr, the now-governing Liberals' Veterans Affairs Minister told a throng of about 60 dignitaries - many of them Legion members - during an event Monday in Prince George.
"From Vimy Ridge to Juno Beach, from the Korean War to our peace-keeping missions throughout the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, to the Gulf War to the Afghanistan conflict to our current members in the Middle East, our men and women who have served in these fashions have done the heavy lifting this country has asked (them to do)," Hehr said.
"They've gone into very difficult situations and when they come back we owe an obligation to not only respect the work they've done through commemoration but to help rebuild their lives. That's what our government is dedicated to, that's what our staff are dedicated to and we know we're moving a great way forward in announcements like this."
The new office will be located on the fourth floor at 299 Victoria St. - the HSBC building - and will employ as many five staff who will serve the 1,200 veterans living in northern B.C.
Services will include answering questions about services and benefits and guiding them through the process to secure them.
Perhaps most important, case managers will be available to work with veterans on a one-on-one basis. Each will take on no more than 25 clients, Hehr said, and added the number is based on "best practices" garnered from other countries across the globe.
The office's closure created a firestorm among local veterans. At the time, Bob Zimmer, the Conservative MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, said the office was handling only 15 files, not enough to keep the office open.
But local Legion members differed and lobbied hard to get the office reopened. Prince George Legion vice president John Scott, who attended the announcement, accused the Conservatives of "bureaucratic manipulation" to "save a few bucks" on the backs of veterans who needed help.
In all, nine offices were closed across the country, all of which will be reopened by spring 2017 in accordance with a promise the Liberals made during the federal election. Scott said Prince George was closed a year before the others were and while he began writing letters at that point, momentum began to build when Legions in the other cities also started to campaign against the closures.
"It took a lot of letter writing, a lot of discussions, roundtables," Scott said. "I give a lot of credit to city council...they stepped up and they put some pressure on Veterans Affairs. They made sure this office was opened."
Todd Doherty, the Conservative MP for Cariboo-Prince George attended the announcement and welcomed the decision. Elected in 2015, Doherty noted he was not part of the government that closed the office.
"Even before the election, I sat in on the meetings and met with the veterans," Doherty said. "Obviously, I'm a person that believes we should be making sure our military veterans, our first responders are getting all the care and attention they need when they need it."
Hehr said $78 million over five years has been committed to reopening the offices and bolstering staff at Veterans Affairs. So far, 250 have been added since the Liberals formed government and 150 more will be hired, according to Hehr.
"The Conservatives cut these offices in answer to certain budget pressures that they were dealing with," Hehr said. "They were cutting taxes and they were cutting services - that was their mandate. "Our government is investing in Canadians and investing in veterans. We have a different approach to building this country and this is part of it."
