Canadian Veterans Protest For Better Treatment

Protesters gather in support of veterans
Kingston Whig-Standard
By Elliot Ferguson
Monday, August 17, 2015

Veterans and their advocates gathered on John Counter Boulevard for a protest in front of the Veteran's Affairs Canada office in Kingston, Ont. on Monday, Aug 17, 2015.
Elliot Ferguson/Kingston Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network

A small group of military veterans held a protest Monday outside the Veterans Affairs Office calling for help for a pair of their comrades.

Veterans advocate Clayton Goodwin from Ottawa and former RCMP officer Eric Rebiere held the day-long protest on John Counter Boulevard to raise awareness about the plights of Blair Churchill and Mel Gallagher.

Churchill, who says he is awaiting treatment for service-related tinnitus, hyperacusis and depression, spent about three weeks protesting outside the gates from CFB Gagetown earlier this summer.

Gallagher is also seeking help after leaving the military for medical reasons and not receiving a pension or access to rehabilitation.

“You go anywhere in Canada you’ll find the same story,” Goodwin said. “Anywhere you go there’s a veteran in need.

“Horror stories exist coast to coast and they are just coming out now.”

Churchill and Gallagher face many of the same beaucratic challenges that Goodwin and Rebiere said they have run into.

“We’re all brothers and sisters in this,” Rebiere said.
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