Introduction
History
On May 8th, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies marking the conclusion of the war in Europe. With thousands of Canadian soldiers still in Europe the government needed to solve two problems. The first was how to get these veterans home and the second was how to support them in their transition back to civilian life. Prime Minister Mackenzie King and the Liberal government established the Department for Veterans Affairs in 1944 prior to the end of the war to tackle the problems that would be facing Canada with the return of these soldiers. Three different acts were established to aide these soldiers with their return. The first act would be the Veterans’ Land Act which helped veterans buy land for their homes or land for farming. The second act was the Veterans Rehabilitation Act which gave financial aid to allow veterans to attend university. The third act was the Veterans Business and Professional Loans Act which granted loans to veterans starting businesses.
The supports set out by the government at the end of the war ensured that most World War II veterans and their families were setup for success in returning to civilian life.
Importance
When veterans started to return home the government had announced that anyone who had served was supposed to return to their old job without reprieve for serving in the war. However, some of these jobs were no longer viable for these returning veterans. The services offered by the government would allow veterans and their families the opportunity to return to civilian life. This allowed them to be proud of their service to Canada and the world, then build a life post service.
In some respects, Canada is seeing the same exodus from the military post Afghanistan conflict that they saw after World War II and this why it is important to have supports in place for Veterans and their families. Veterans are releasing from the military and utilizing their benefits to return to school and start a second career. Also, recognizing that military families go through different experiences than civilian families, it is important to recognize that they require different supports to deal with the ongoing stressors of a parent or spouse who still serves.
Current Veterans Affairs Canada Supports
Mirroring the benefits seen post-World War II, Veterans Affairs Canada currently have two different pathways to post-secondary school: the education and training benefit and rehabilitation and vocational training program.
The educational and training benefit (ETB) allows veterans to pay for training of any type on release from the military. The ETB is a taxable benefit that can be used to further a veteran’s skills upon leaving the military.
The rehabilitation and vocational training program allow members who did not release medically and have a decreased quality of life and feel they require health services to help them return to normal daily living. The rehabilitation and vocational training program allow veterans to access physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy supports to regain functionality in life. After completing the rehabilitation portion of the program veterans are assessed and carry out training to help them into a new career.
Aim of these Modules
These content modules are here to give you a guide to military life and culture, the military education system, and what you would expect to see with a veteran, service member, spouse or dependent of a military member in the classroom. We will introduce post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, and occupational stress injuries and anxieties.
Attribution
Except where otherwise noted, this page was created by Jason Kerr and is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
