Welcome again to our newsletter.As usual, all of our executives andworkers are hard at work, represent-ing your interests. There are toomany ongoing initiatives for me tolist in this short introduction, soplease read the full newsletter andcheck our website regularly to keepupdated.

As you know, you and I, andevery other Vet, depend on the fed-eral government for our post-servicebenefits. We must hold them respon-sible for shortfalls. Please keep inmind items such as the lump-sumdisability pension and the reluctanceof our present government to expe-dite the benefit process, and ensure

the fair treatment of loyal Canadiansinjured and damaged while servingthis wonderful country. Your votecounts! That’s what we, and manyothers, served and fought for. Pleasevote your conscience.

Thank you.

Tony HuntleyNational ChairmanAFP/AAC

1ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Chairman’s Message

ISSUE 21 | 2015

AFP/AACIN THIS ISSUE:

How to Join Affinity ProgramsEnjoy the discounts and savings that come with membership!

PTSD ~ Crisis ManagementLearn how the senses can trigger past trauma.

Voting for Veterans Read up on the issues that may change your future.

Canadian Coalition for Retirement Security Guess who’s looking out for your nest egg?

ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS’/ANNUITANTS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Visit our website: www.afpaac.ca

Like us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

NOTICE OF THE2015 ANNUAL

GENERAL MEETING

NCVA Submission to theNVC Standing Committee

The amendments proposed for the

New Veterans Charter (NVC) have been

a source of controversy in the past

months. On May 26th, Brian Forbes ap-

proached the standing committee for

Bill C-59 with concerns over the half-

measures offered in the bill. Forbes is

Chairman of the National Council of

Veteran Associations in Canada, and

Chairman of the Executive Committee

of The War Amputations of Canada.

Mr. Forbes’ submission to the stand-

ing committee commends them for fo-

cusing on our badly injured Veterans,

and notes that most of the proposed

changes in the bill are positive. He notes,

however, that even these positive

changes fall woefully short of meeting

these Veterans’ needs.

Looking at

the changes

proposed in

Bill C-59 as a

first step to-

ward meeting

the needs of

Canadian Vet-

erans, Mr.

Forbes laid out

six actions leg-

islators should

take as their

second step:

1. T h e

Earnings Loss

Benefit to be

raised from

75% of former

military in-

come to 100%.

2. In the

NVC, the SISIP Long Term Disability

benefit for service-related disabilities

needs to be replaced by the enhanced

Earning Loss Benefit.

3. Disability awards commensu-

rate with Civil Court’s general damages

to be facilitated by VAC.

4. Improved access to Permanent

Impairment Allowance and entitlement

to higher grade levels of the allowance.

5. Further re-evaluation of the

Family Caregiver Relief Benefit, to pro-

vide adequate financial support for fam-

ilies of seriously disabled veterans who

need a caregiver present.

6. Further review of the Retire-

ment Income Security Benefit to ensure

that seriously disabled veterans have

sufficient post 65 financial security.

Mr. Forbes has asked that the Stand-

ing Committee on Bill C-59 urge Min-

ister O’Toole

to continue

viewing the

New Veterans

Charter as a

living charter,

and continue

making posi-

tive steps to

improve the

lives of seri-

ously injured

Veterans. This

submission to

the standing

committee was

well received.

“The Commit-

tee noted that

the gaps and

inequities that

we had identi-

fied in the new Bill would continue to be

a priority early in the year 2016.”

The AFP/AAC Annual General

Meeting will be held on Thursday

15 October 2015 at 2:00 PM EDT

by teleconference call. For those

members wishing to participate,

please contact us by calling 1-613-

432-9491 or email us at execu-

tivedirector@afpaac.ca to receive

the call-in information. There will

be no costs incurred for members to

call-in.

A motion to approve the 2014

audit will be made at the AGM. The

audit was conducted by Nephin

Winter Bingley and subsequent

draft financial statements were pro-

vided to the board. The auditor re-

ported that, “In our opinion, these

financial statements present fairly,

in all material respects, the balance

sheet of Armed Forces

pensioner’/Annuitants’ Association

of Canada as at December 31, 2014

and its results of operations and its

cash flows for the year then ended

in accordance with Canadian gener-

ally accepted accounting principles

for not- for-profit organizations.”

The financial statements are avail-

able to members upon request.

AFP/AAC

P.O. Box 370, 3-247 Barr Street Renfrew, Ontario K7V 4A6

Phone: 613-432-9491Email: executivedirector@afpaac.ca

Website: www.afpaac.ca

2 ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

3ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

AFFINITY PROGRAMSDiscounts and Deals for Members

Several members have asked about discounts and deals

available through their AFP/AAC membership. In addition to

our group rates for property insurance available through TD In-

surance, the CF Appreciation Program (see our 2011 newsletter

Issue 10) offers special deals on a variety of goods and services.

The program, launched in 2011, is open to CF members,

former members, surviving spouses, dependent children and

civilian employees of DND (see a detailed listing at

https://www.cfappreciation.ca/en/aboutus/pages/about-us.aspx).

You need a “CF One” card to access the CF Appreciation

Program. If you have not yet applied for yours, go to the CF

One website: (https://www.cfmws.com/en/OurServices/ CFOne/

Pages/JoinNow.aspx) and complete the application on-line.

The following is a more complete description of the pro-

gram.

In 2013, the CFOne Card was launched by Canadian Forces

Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) as the one card needed

to access a variety of morale and welfare programs and services.

More specifically, this card provides access to the CF Appreci-

ation Program and the CANEX Rewards Program.

As the official discount program of the Canadian Forces

Community, the CF Appreciation Program offers discounts and

special offers on a wide variety of goods and services available

locally, nationally and internationally. The program offers dis-

counts on cruises, leisure travel accommodation, car rentals, ve-

hicle purchases, dining out, ski lift tickets, furniture, and sports

equipment – the list goes on. There are currently more than

2,300 Industry Partners and the list is growing daily. Information

on the offers from Industry Partners can be found at www.cfap-

preciation.ca; however, only card holders can access it. For more

information on the Program, please call one of the CF Appreci-

ation Industry Partner Specialists at 1-855-235-3099.

Did you know?• On average, a CFOne member can save over $1000 on

the purchase of a new vehicle.

• CFOne members save on travel with discounted travel

tickets, waived baggage fees, and reduced rates on accom-

modations.

• A night out on the town is even more affordable with

over 80 partnering restaurants across Canada, plus dis-

counted movie tickets, theatre tickets, and sporting events.

Launched in Nov 2014, CANEX – Canada’s Military Store

– now has an online ecommerce site; enjoy shopping at

www.CANEX.ca from the comfort of your home! CANEX.ca

offers a compelling online selection of military affinity products,

such as military gear and accoutrements, optional military cloth-

ing, Pride of Association Kit Shop merchandise, as well as brand

name merchandise and more. Log on to CANEX.ca with your

CFOne Card and access the CANEX No Interest Credit Plan,

and for extra savings, watch for CF1FC MEMBERS ONLY

prices!

CANEX Rewards offers points on purchases made at any

of the CANEX locations across Canada or online at CANEX.ca.

Collect and redeem points while shopping at CANEX. For more

information on CANEX Rewards, visit www.CANEXRe-

wards.ca.

CFOne members are entitled to the benefits of the CF Ap-

preciation Program and CANEX Rewards. Please apply online

today at www.cf1fc.ca and get more information on eligibility

and the many savings and benefits!

4 ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) is caused by a traumatic expe-

rience creating intense feelings of fear,

helplessness, and anxiety. It is one

form of Operational Stress Injury

(OSI), which can also include anxiety,

depression, and a range of other, less

severe, conditions. PTSD has many

possible symptoms, grouped into three

categories:

• Intrusive – flashbacks, night-

mares, unwelcome memories, and

physical symptoms of anxiety

• Avoidance – numbness, de-

tachment, avoiding all reminders,

gaps in memory

• Hyper-Arousal – anger, easily

startled, poor sleep, watching for

signs of danger

Symptoms of PTSD and other

OSIs come and go, but certain things

might trigger a memory, sparking new

or worsened symptoms, even years

later. Any sound, smell, or sight that

reminds the sufferer of the traumatic

event could be a trigger. In CAF Veter-

ans, there’s an increased risk when

watching traumatic events on the news,

including reports of terrorism or war.

When the news is focussing on a

tragedy, especially if it reminds you of

your own traumatic experiences, turn

the television off and walk away.

"When PTSD symptoms got worse for

some Veterans, it may have been re-

lated to how closely what they were

seeing on the news reflected what they

had gone through while serving,” the

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

found.

After witnessing traumatic events

on the news, many Veterans reported a

return of PTSD symptoms, new PTSD

symptoms, anxiety, depression, and

being troubled by bad memories. Other

risk factors can include memorial

events, such as Remembrance Day and

the Heroes Highway Ride.

If you’re experiencing a flashback,

whether it’s the result of a news story

or any other trigger, there are ‘ground-

ing techniques’ you can use that can

help you to break free and get help.

Having a plan in place is as important

in a mental health emergency as in any

other. These grounding techniques will

use your senses to distract your mind,

grounding you in the present moment.

They can include:

• Sound – choose a song you

don’t associate with the traumatic

event. Playing this music loudly

can help to drag your conscious-

ness back into the present, and out

of the past.

• Smell – “Smell is the strongest

sense tied to memory.” If you smell

something strong, such as pepper-

mint or eucalyptus, it can be

enough to interrupt the intrusive

memories. Be careful to choose a

scent that doesn’t remind you of

your traumatic event.

• Touch – As long as ice won’t

make your flashback seem more

real, holding a piece of ice in your

hand can be good for grounding

you, shutting down unpleasant

physical memories.

• Sight – Pay attention to things

around you. It may help to list the

things that you can see, and de-

pending on the severity of the

flashback, remind yourself that

these things were not there in the

traumatic event, and the event is

over.

• Taste – Biting into a lemon or

grapefruit may be enough to shock

your senses back into the present

moment.

Each of these tactics is only meant

to stop the immediate flashback. It’s

important to seek a mental health pro-

fessional if you’re having new or wors-

ening symptoms of OSIs.

Eight percent of CF members that

have been deployed develop PTSD

within five years. Most either return to

normal duties or take on modified du-

ties. Others are given medical dis-

charge and VAC takes over their care.

If you, or someone you know, have any

of the symptoms described above, con-

tact your primary care physician or

Veterans Affairs, because help is avail-

able.

See www.osiss.ca for more infor-

mation about operational stress injuries

and the support that is available.

If you know or suspect that some-

one is suffering from OSI, you should

refer him to the nearest OSI Peer Sup-

port representatives listed on the above

website. If you do not have Internet

access, please phone us at AFP/AAC

(613-432-9491) for details on who to

contact in your area.

PTSD ~ Crisis Management

5ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Voting for Veterans ~ The Issues that Count

In preparation for the 2015 Federal

Elections, Veterans’ advocacy groups

are turning up the heat, pressuring the

government to fill gaps in veteran care,

support, and benefits. Tom Eagles, the

Dominion President of the Royal

Canadian Legion recently released a

position paper on issues that it hopes

will be addressed in the upcoming

election.

Three issues in veteran care and

support that need immediate govern-

ment attention are improving the Earn-

ings Loss Benefit (ELB), increasing

the maximum disability award to

match those of injured civilian employ-

ees, and ending the inequality in the

ELB for Class A and Class B Re-

servists with service-related injuries.

Other veterans’ care issues that the

Royal Canadian Legion are pushing to

have resolved include:

• Eligibility for Veterans Inde-

pendence Program (VIP), both for

the veteran and the surviving

spouse, should be based on need,

not income

• Easier access to long term care

beds, for Veterans with service-re-

lated injuries

• All CAF members whose

deaths are service-related be eligi-

ble for the death benefit under the

NVC, marital status notwithstand-

ing, retroactive to 2006

• Re-opening VAC district of-

fices in areas with an increased

need for case managers (please let

us know if these closures are af-

fecting you personally!)

• Legislation to protect military

pensions

The Legion is also advocating for

military and veteran families, and is-

sues that will impact their lives. “Fam-

ilies deserve our full attention as they

are an integral component of the over-

all military family,” states the position

paper, and our government must pro-

vide the extra care and support that

military families often need.

• Offering a Veteran’s Family

Identification Card as well as the

Veteran’s Identification Card

• Providing priority access to

healthcare to veterans and their

families and simplifying the eligi-

bility criteria for family health care

benefits

• Additional support during the

transition to civilian life

• VAC should give due consider-

ation to surviving spouses applying

for VIP benefits not in place before

the veteran’s death, which is an

issue the AFP/AAC and NCVA

have been promoting for many

years

Also, when a veteran has a service-

related disability, the government

should provide families with psychoso-

cial and vocation rehabilitation, coun-

selling for the extended family, and

better financial support for spouses that

become primary caregivers.

Federal elections are opportunities

for every Canadian to make his/her

opinion count. These are veteran-spe-

cific issues, and hopefully they’ll be

addressed during the upcoming cam-

paigns. Vote your conscience.

Community Mailboxes – How Might They Affect You?

As part of their Five-Point Action

Plan, Canada Post has decided to

switch much of their door-to-door mail

delivery to community mailboxes over

the next five years. Depending on your

individual situation, this may directly

affect you.

Addresses that won’t be affected will

include:

• Apartment buildings and con-

dominiums with mail delivery to

the building’s lobby

• Rural buildings with a standing

mailbox at the end of the driveway

• Retirement homes, long-term

care facilities, and seniors’ apart-

ments with mail delivered to the

lobby

• Businesses with a lot of mail

traffic

• Businesses that are part of a

business corridor, building, or

shopping centre

Making the Transition – Veterans

with Mobility Concerns

Canada Post understands that

many Canadians have safety concerns

about transitioning to community mail-

boxes. This is especially true for many

of our Veterans with mobility chal-

lenges.

CP is willing to make individual

accommodations, on either a perma-

Continued on next page...

6 ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS ’/ANNUITANTS ’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Our last newsletter included an

‘Internal Message to Coalition Mem-

ber Organizations’ that outlined the

composition and intent of our Coali-

tion for Retirement Security. Since

last September our AFP/AAC Ottawa

representative has been meeting with

representatives of various federal trade

unions and other veterans associations

in order to develop a strategy to thwart

attempts by the federal government to

alter the basic structure of CFSA ben-

efits programs to which we CF annui-

tants/pensioners are currently entitled.

This concern was triggered by the gov-

ernment’s action last year to increase

our monthly premiums for health in-

surance beginning this year (as de-

scribed in our 2014 newsletter #17)

and some recent changes enacted to

federal pension regulations.

In an effort to placate those voters

who believe that all federal pensioners

have gold-plated fat-cat retirement

benefits, our federal government has

enacted legislation to facilitate the

abandonment of “defined benefit”

pension plans (our CFSA being one

such plan) in favour of “target benefit”

plans. Provincial employees and pen-

sioners in New Brunswick have re-

cently been forced into a “target bene-

fit” plan referred to by their politicians

as a “shared risk” plan. If we CAF

pensioners sit idly by over the next few

months during the lead up to October’s

federal election, we can expect to be

handed a new pension plan with no

guarantees for annual indexing or con-

tinuance of our defined pension bene-

fit.

Our Coalition partners, working

through the National Association of

Federal Retirees (NAFR – formerly

the Federal Superannuates National

Association (FSNA)) have agreed to a

strategy to obtain assurances from

leaders and candidates in the upcom-

ing election that our accumulated fed-

eral pension benefits will not be

changed without our consent. We

hope to achieve this aim by inviting all

our members (that’s you!) to write to

their current MPs and other candidates

running for federal office in October.

A web site has been created at

http://honouryourpromise.ca that you

are invited to visit soon. By clicking

on “Tell the Politicians”, you can sign

the Support Pledge for our Coalition as

well as learn about what is happening.

You can also sign up for e-mail alerts

from the Coalition. Click on ‘Volun-

teers’, then on ‘Register”. Complete

the details, and when you get to

‘Branch or Organization’, select

“Other”.

The NAFR, through its local chap-

ters, will organize a number of All

Candidates Meetings at a dozen cities

beginning in September. We encour-

age our AFP/AAC members to partic-

ipate in these gatherings, and we will

post details on our website as they be-

come available.

We have recently posted several

coalition-related notices on our web-

site along with parallel announcements

on Facebook and Twitter – be sure to

check these out.

Come October, the party we want

to win is the one that promises to not

change our existing pension benefit

package.

Canadian Coalition for Retirement Security

nent, temporary, or seasonal basis. In-

dividual accommodations may include:

• Assigning mailbox compart-

ments at a height the individual

identifies as appropriate

• Providing an individual with a

sliding drawer in their compartment

to prevent the need to bend, stretch,

or reach for mail

• They will provide a key-turning

device for those with dexterity con-

cerns, including arthritis

• They can redirect your mail to

an office or a designated person of

your choice

• Weekly delivery of your letters,

directly to your door

Safety and Maintenance

Canada Post is committed to main-

taining safe, accessible community

mailboxes year round. This includes

keeping the area surrounding the mail-

box clear of snow and debris, and re-

pairing the boxes in the case of damage.

If you notice damage, graffiti, or unsafe

ground around your community mail-

box, contact Canada Post.

If your home has door-to-door mail

delivery, you’ll be transitioned to a

community mailbox within the next

five years. Canada Post will be notify-

ing residences by mail, to give you time

to prepare. For more information on

whether and when your neighbourhood

will be transitioned, how to get your

mailbox key, visit the Canada Post

website at www.canadapost.ca. To re-

quest individual accommodations, call

1-844-454-3009.

...Continued from previous page