News Releases

May 9, 2023

Nominations for the 2023 Veterans Ombud Commendation are now open. This award recognizes the exceptional dedication and selfless motivation of those who work tirelessly to support the Veterans and their families of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. If you know an individual or organization who has made outstanding contributions to Canada’s Veterans and their families, please consider nominating them for this award.

MARCH 15, 2023, CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Veterans Ombud Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine will be in Nova Scotia the week of March 20 to meet with the Veterans community. The visit includes town halls in Liverpool on March 22, and Dartmouth on March 23, as well as meetings with a broad range of stakeholders in the Halifax Regional Municipality. 

On October 8, 2020, we celebrate all ombuds services across Canada. Also known as ombudspersons or ombudsmen, ombuds are confidential, impartial and independent conflict management professionals who work to resolve citizens’ complaints with a municipal, provincial, territorial or federal government organization, or private sector organizations such as colleges, universities, insurance companies and banks. While each ombuds office has a different mandate, they all have one thing in common: they advocate for the principles of fairness and equity.

The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO) welcomes the recommendations made through an independent internal Evaluation Report recently released by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). It offers a detailed review of the OVO’s operations, effectiveness and the relevance of our mandate.

I’d like to announce that I have decided to pursue other challenges and this Friday will be my last in service as Veterans Ombudsman. 

NOVEMBER 05, 2018, OTTAWA, ON - Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent released today information on an accounting indexation error by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). VAC estimates that this error could total around $165 million for the period of 2003 and 2010. The error has deprived thousands of Veterans of indexation increases to their monthly disability pension.  

Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent released today his report, Meeting Expectations: Timely and Transparent Decisions for Canada’s Ill and Injured Veterans. The report focuses on the number one complaint the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO) hears from Veterans – the length of time it takes to get a disability benefit decision from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). The report’s seven recommendations are supported by evidence-based findings that, if implemented, would enable VAC to better meet the needs of all Veterans and their families in a timelier manner.

Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent is in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, today and tomorrow to meet with Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP members, Veterans and their families, Veterans’ organizations, and municipal leaders.

Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent will be in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 20-21st to meet with Veterans and their families, Veterans’ organizations, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, and municipal leaders.

“I am looking forward to visiting Winnipeg,” said the Ombudsman. “It is a vibrant community with many serving members and Veterans and their families. Their concerns are my concerns as Veterans Ombudsman, and I intend to reach out to and meet as many members as I can.”

Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent released today Transitioning Successfully: A Qualitative Study. The aim of the study was to better understand what contributes to a successful transition from military to civilian life for medically released Canadian Veterans, by interviewing Veterans who feel that they transitioned successfully, learning about their lived experience, and determining the factors, programs and services that help.