Editorial

HomeEquity Bank has joined The Royal Canadian Legion Member Benefits Package (MBP), which means more variety and choice for members and their families. HomeEquity Bank, provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, is a federally regulated Canadian bank that allows Canadian homeowners who are 55 or over to access up to 55 percent of the value of their home tax-free by tapping into that equity while still owning the home and living there. Through this partnership, HomeEquity Bank provides special benefits to Legion members and their families. Like many Canadians, you may be concerned about carrying debt into your retirement years, or wondering whether your savings will stretch far enough. HomeEquity Bank empowers Canadians 55-plus by offering an option that allows them to finance their retire...

Last September, the federal government announced it is reinstating service cards for Canada’s veterans, following considerable demand from military members, veterans and veteran-support organizations. This is a very good and overdue move, but it could go further. The Veteran’s Service Card (VSC) is being issued to eligible Canadian Armed Forces members when they leave the service, as long as they have completed basic training and been honourably released. It is a joint initiative by the CAF and Veterans Affairs Canada. The card is another way to help veterans stay connected to military and veteran support programs and keep connected to the CAF. It includes the cardholder’s photograph, service number, rank on release, name and years of service (but not date of birth). Importantly, it sa...

Hearing loss and tinnitus are common disabilities among veterans, and understandably so. Continuous exposure to loud noise—the whomp of a 25-pounder Howitzer, the rat-a-tat-tat of an M1919 Browning, the engine-room clatter of a frigate, the roar of a CF-18—all can have an irreversible impact on a person’s hearing. Ear protection protocols have come a long way since the days of sticking your fingers (or cotton batting) in your ears as field guns are fired. Today’s soldiers are expected to wear hearing protection, although a recent study shows that only about one third always do. A significant number report that they never do. Nearly everyone who serves in the military “will be exposed to hazardous noise levels at some point in their career,” according to a report in Military Medical Rese...