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Fellow Communicators… I am sure that some of you are familiar with Elsa Lessard. Elsa is about to celebrate her 99th birthday on 2 July 2021. In WW II she served in the Canadian Women’s RCN Service as a Telegraphist, Special Operator. She was stationed at secret locations just south of Ottawa (can anyone guess as to this location?) and at a tiny hamlet in NB called Coverdale. Elsa and other woman like her copied the German Morse code messages to its fleet of U-boats prowling the ocean for convoys. Information was then fed to Bletchley Park in the UK for decoding. They were referred to as The Secret Listeners. It is suggested that Listeners like Elsa around the British Empire helped save a quarter of a million lives during the WWII conflict. A more detailed account of her story is at this VAC link: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/faces-of-freedom/elsa-lessard Kevin G. O’Keefe, OMM, CD Brigadier-General (Retired) Colonel Commandant Communications and Electronics Branch [email protected] 613-862-8495
Good morning, Veterans Affairs Canada’s online consultation on the future of remembrance in Canada has opened on 18 June 2021! We want everyone who has served our country to see themselves in our remembrance and recognition programming. That’s why we’re reaching out to Veterans, currently serving CAF and RCMP members, their families and all Canadians for their ideas and input on how we can best recognize and commemorate Canada’s military, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Your opinion matters. Until 9 July 2022, you can provide feedback on our 10-year strategic plan and tell us how we can best recognize and remember Canada’s Veterans. Please share this message and encourage your networks to share their thoughts with us at letstalkveterans.ca/. Paul Thomson, Director General, Commemoration Division Veterans Affairs Canada
In this edition: Indigenous Veteran Debbie Eisan to be featured on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Honouring the memory of Indigenous Veterans Pride Week: June 8–11 Veterans share experience of applying for disability benefits Help applying for benefits and services Be heard: join one of the six ministerial advisory groups Why do the Battles of Beaumont-Hamel and the Somme matter to you? Veteran recommends the Veterans Independence Program Veteran success story despite harassment Veteran success story: David Fraser Join the Navy Bike Ride Indigenous Veteran Debbie Eisan to be featured on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Indigenous Veteran Debbie Eisan will be featured in a 60-second video airing on APTN, with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, for the Indigenous Day Live event on 20 June. Indigenous Day Live is Canada’s largest event celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day. Veterans Affairs Canada has a new partnership with APTN. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about programs and services to an Indigenous-based audience. The partnership also recognizes the significant contributions of Indigenous Veterans. Through this partnership, we are increasing engagement with Indigenous communities and Indigenous Veterans across the country. The partnership will be renewed for the Indigenous Day Live in 2022, when we […]
Congratulations to Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout as the newly appointed Joint Task Force (North) Commander! Photo caption: JTFN CoC ceremony between BGen Godbout and MGen Carpentier on 28 May 2021
Congratulations to our members who have been recognized for their outstanding work ethic and dedication to solving issues!