During a recent town event Mayor Rod Finnie was struck by the fact that local cadets, who appeared very young, could soon become regular Armed Forces members and be shipped off to places like Afghanistan.
“They will be marked by their experiences” if that happens, Finnie said.
He noted town council usually avoids telling other levels of government what to do, but given the federal government’s flawed manner of dealing with injured veterans and the lack of programs to help re-introduce returning soldiers into society, he was willing to make an exception.
Finnie suggested town council pass a resolution asking the federal government to look at its Veterans Charter and see if it can be improved.
Councillor Ken Chapman agreed with the mayor and offered up a more drastic solution.
“What we should do is get rid of half of the bureaucrats and increase the money [for veterans],” Chapman said.
Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting Finnie’s request.
