Welcome to the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman

Transcription

Video Description

This video is a collage of images depicting members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP conducting operations on land, sea and in the air. It also includes Veterans of various ages, scenes of remembrance ceremonies and monuments, and historical photos from previous wars. The Veterans Ombudsman and the Veterans Bill of Rights are also pictured. Background music and a voice-over script plays throughout the video, with text keywords appearing on screen at various points.

Transcript

When Canadians sign up to be members of our armed Forces or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they make a deep, unswerving commitment to the people of Canada. They agree to serve with unlimited liability and write a blank check payable to “the People of Canada” for an amount up to, and including, their lives.

In almost 150 years as a nation, the freedoms and rights we enjoy today can be directly tied to the diligent work, the bravery, and the sacrifices that these men and women and their families have made.

This video is about a group of people who are determined to honour that commitment and return it to those who have put their lives on the line for Canada.

We are the Office of the Veterans’ Ombudsman.

Ombudsman.

It’s not a word you use, or even see every day. An Ombudsman is an individual who safeguards and defends the rights of citizens… who fights battles too big for a single individual to take on.

Canada’s Veterans Ombudsman upholds the Veterans Bill of Rights, safeguarding and defending the rights of those who have been disabled in the line of duty, and the rights of the families of those who are injured or die as a result of their service. The Veterans Ombudsman also serves as Special Advisor to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman makes sure that Veterans are treated with respect, dignity, fairness, and courtesy; that they have a strong voice in discussions about how they and their family are treated; and that they are given personal, individualized support when they deal with Veterans Affairs.

We do our best to ensure that our clients receive the information they need about programs and services.

We make sure Veterans have the right to make a complaint if their rights have not been upheld… and we make sure that each complaint is heard and dealt with fairly.

We also look at the broader picture of Veterans’ rights.

We look for trends and patterns so we can be instrumental in changing processes and policies to better serve Veterans and their families.

We are committed to giving each person who contacts us our full, undivided attention, and to marshal all our resources to solve their problem.

This is what we do… and it’s an honour to do it.