It looks unlikely a Veterans Affairs office will be reopened in Prince George as a result of a federal government hiring spree that will see more than 100 case managers added to its roster.
According to a news release issued Monday, the hiring campaign is meant to reduce the caseload to 30 clients for each case manager.
Where the case managers will be located has not yet been decided, a Veteran Affairs spokesperson said Tuesday.
But in January, Prince George-Peace River MP Bob Zimmer said the workload at the Prince George office was only 15 active files when it was closed in 2012 as part of a federal cost-cutting measure.
The Service Canada office on Fourth Avenue downtown is now the point of contact for local veterans seeking help from the federal government.
Veterans have access to videoconference with case workers in other offices and if there is a need, a representative from Veterans Affairs can be brought in within a matter of days to help.
That has not sat well with Prince George Legion president Bruce Gabriel who has argued the level of service received at the Service Canada office is not as good as it was when the Veterans Affairs office was open. The office was responsible for the entire northern B.C. region.
Prince George was also left out of a previous hiring wave.
In December, Veterans Affairs posted openings for case managers in 41 communities and client service agents for 50 communities across Canada.
Eight of them were home to Veterans Affairs offices that had been shut down but Prince George was not among them.
To become a case manager, candidates require a masters degree in social work, nursing, counseling, or some specialty relevant to the position. The salary ranges from $61,614 to $81,566.
Zimmer did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.
