THUNDER BAY -- More than 1,500 local veterans celebrated the reopening of Thunder Bay’s Veterans Affairs office Thursday.
Second World War veteran Roy Lamore said after more than two years of closure it feels like a second Christmas.
“We have been waiting for this for so long,” Lamore said. “You wouldn’t believe how good we feel because it’s something we’ve been looking forward to for over two years.”
The new office is located on the first floor of 130 Syndicate Avenue South and will employ seven staff to serve the veterans.
The staff will be able to answer questions regarding Veterans Affairs Canada services and benefits, arrange pension and medical examinations and assist those with completing and submitting applications and receipts.
“It’s great,” Lamore said. “It’s not the best place in the world, but I’m not going to argue … maybe down the road we can talk to the government to see if we can get a better location.”
Lamore’s concerns stem from the lack of accessibility the building has for those in wheelchairs, but he doesn’t plan on worrying about that at the moment.
For now Lamore and the other veterans will continue to celebrate and focus on a new location later down the road.
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak said closing the Veterans Affairs Canada office by the previous government was a big mistake.
“There’s a lot of people who need service, especially, the people who have served our country,” Rusnak said.
“The impact is going to be enormous … we have veterans and some have serious issues and they need that one on one support that this office will provide.”
Some veterans need assistance in adjusting into civilian life and getting those jobs skills.
Those who have been in the military are accustom to a regimented life style for many years, so getting those life skills and getting reintegrated back into the community is crucial.
“When it’s based in the community they can connect with the homeless shelters…they can find the veterans who have slipped through the cracks and provide them with the support they need to get back on their feet,” he said.
“If we didn’t have an office here we wouldn’t have that ability to have the staff connect with the local homeless shelters or other service organizations that provide service to those veterans.”
Rusnak said for all the veterans in the region no matter where they are located they don’t want to see any veterans slip between the cracks.
He hopes the new Veterans Affairs Canada office in Thunder Bay can help make those connections and prevent anybody from going unnoticed.
