Ombudsman’s Special Recognition Award
Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman,
Yves Côté, is now accepting nominations for the new Special
Recognition Award. Anyone in the Defence community can
submit a
nomination directly to the Office. The nomination period closes on
December 31, 2006. More information about the award criteria and
nomination process is available in the
fact sheet.
You may also wish to read the
article that appeared in
The Maple Leaf.
Ombudsman Finds that the Health Concerns of Canadian Forces Veterans
were Ignored
Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman, Yves Côté,
today released a special report, entitled Heroism Exposed: An
Investigation into the Treatment of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment Kuwait
Veterans (1991), regarding the treatment received by Canadian Forces
members exposed to toxic environmental substances more than a decade and
a half ago.
Ombudsman issues
news release
welcoming government response to the report.
You can read the
report online.
For more information, view the
news release and the
backgrounder.
Ombudsman Welcomes Justice for the Widow of Master Corporal Rick Wheeler
Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman,
Yves Côté, welcomed the recent compensation for Mrs. Christina Wheeler
and her family for the tragic death of her husband, Master Corporal
Rick Wheeler.
You can read the
report online.
For more information, view the
news release.
Ombudsman Welcomes Justice for a Second World War Veteran
Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman, Yves Côté, today welcomed the implementation of his recommendation to compensate Squadron Leader (Retired) Clifton Wenzel for the pension that he was unjustly denied.
The News Release is available
here.
We Need Your Input on the New Reserve Investigation
The Office of the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces launched its first systemic investigation into the Reserves. This investigation will examine the treatment of Reservists or former Reservists who sought medical support from the Canadian Forces in the last three years.
Click here for more information.
Ombudsman Calls on the Canadian Forces to Address Problems in
Recruiting System or Risk Losing Skilled Canadians
Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Ombudsman,
Mr.Yves Côté, today released a special report on the military
recruiting system, entitled The Canadian Face Behind the Recruiting
Targets: A Review of the Canadian Forces Recruiting System - From
Attraction to Enrolment.The
Report is available here.
For more information, view the the
press release and the
backgrounder.
Ombudsman Rewards Excellence in Defence
Yves Côté, Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the
Canadian Forces, today presented commendations for Ethics and
Complaint Resolution to six members of the Canadian Forces and
employees of the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs
Canada at a special ceremony on Parliament Hill.
The News Release is available
here.
Ombudsman Launches New Investigation into the
Treatment of Injured Reservists In Releasing his 2005-2006 Annual Report
The Ombudsman’s 2005-2006 Annual Report highlights the work that the office
has done over the past fiscal year and details the special investigations that
will be completed in the year ahead. The
Annual Report which was tabled in the
House of Commons on June 5th and subsequently released to the public on the 6th,
is available here (as well as the
press release and the
backgrounder).
In releasing his Annual Report, the Ombudsman also launched a new investigation
into the treatment of injured reservists by the Canadian Forces. For more information
on this new investigation, view the
backgrounder.
I am writing to express my sincere disappointment at the recent
response of the Canadian Forces to Mrs. Christina Wheeler’s
claim for compensation for the tragic death of her husband, Master
Corporal Rick Wheeler, and for the unacceptable way in which the
Canadian Forces handled this terribly unfortunate matter.
Resolved – Access to Information
During its snipers investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman
received heavily censored documents from the Department of National
Defence in response to its requests for information. Ombudsman
Yves Côté voiced concerns that the information suppressed might
be relevant to the investigation. In order to ensure fair and
equitable treatment for the men women of the Department of National
Defence and Canadian Forces, the Office requires unobstructed access
to relevant documentation. Mr. Côté raised the matter with the previous
Defence Minister, who then issued a
Ministerial Directive
providing the Office access to required information, and outlining
the procedures that will facilitate access in the future.
Translation of Military Manuals
In response to a media report on February 11, 2006, claiming that
military manuals for the new Mobile Gun System were not going to be
translated, the Ombudsman committed to seeking confirmation and
clarification from the Chief of the Defence Staff. To view the
letter that Mr. Yves Côté sent to the Chief of the Defence Staff,
click here. To view the response
from the Chief of the Defence Staff,
click here.
For the Sake of Fairness: The Case of Squadron
Leader (Retired) Clifton Wenzel Now Available!
In May 2005, at the request of Defence Minister Bill
Graham, the Ombudsman began an investigation into the case of Clifton
Wenzel. Mr. Wenzel, now 83, is a decorated WWII veteran who served
with the RCAF. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Air Force Cross and the Canadian Decoration. With over 20 years of
military service behind him, he has been fighting for over 44 years to
obtain the pension he feels he was wrongfully denied.
The Ombudsman’s report identifies serious weaknesses
in process leading up to the 1961 decision not to grant Mr. Wenzel a
pension and makes several recommendations intended to rectify the
injustice done to him. The report,
For the Sake of Fairness,
which was released at the National Press Theatre on November 8, 2005,
and the press release, are available here.
Update on SISIP Recommendations
In this letter, Ombudsman Yves Côté
writes to the Honourable Bill Graham, Minister of National Defence,
regarding recommendations from the 2003 special report Unfair
Deductions from SISIP Payments to Former CF Members. While three
of the report’s recommendations have been implemented, two remain
outstanding. To view the entire letter,
click here.
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