Ottawa ON
Canada
June 12, 2026 – Ottawa, ON - Veterans Ombud Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine today released the 2025-2026 Annual Report of the Office of the Veterans Ombud, tabled in the House of Commons by the Honourable Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
The Annual Report outlines the Office’s activities over the past year, including publication of its systemic report, The Veterans Affairs Canada Internal Review Process, which found that many of the Department’s review decision letters failed to provide clear reasons for decisions.
The Annual Report also highlights expanded outreach initiatives and increased demand for the Office’s services, with calls and complaints rising steadily since 2021-2022.
The Annual Report reiterates specific key recommendations made by the Veterans Ombud that remain outstanding and are crucial to address systemic unfairness and restore trust between the Veteran community and Veterans Affairs Canada.
This past year underscored both the strengths in the system and the gaps that remain. Long-standing recommendations to address unfairness are still awaiting action. It is time to move forward on solutions that will restore trust for Veterans and their families.
- Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombud
Access the full report here: https://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/publications/annual-reports/2025-2026
Quick Facts
The Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) reviews complaints and challenges the policies and decisions of Veterans Affairs Canada where we find individual or systemic unfairness. We strive to be an impartial and respected voice for fairness.
In 2025-2026, the OVO received 2257 requests (2048 complaints and 209 requests for information).
The OVO released the following publications in 2025-2026:
- 2025 Spotlight
- Systemic Report: The Veterans Affairs Canada Internal Review Process
- Correspondence to the Minister of Veterans Affairs regarding unfair Veterans-related measures in Bill C-15 in the Budget 2025 Implementation Act
- Resource Guide: How to Access the Services You need from Veterans Affairs Canada
- Resource Guide: How Your Income Replacement Benefit is Calculated
Media Relations Contact:
Lucille Hodgins
Tel: 613-617-7205
Email: lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca