The federal government will develop a process to review how Canada classifies past conflicts and military operations. The move could open the door to formal recognition for veterans of modern deployments.
Defence Minister David McGuinty and Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, who is also Associate Minister of National Defence, made the commitment in a joint statement ahead of Veterans’ Week. They said Ottawa will spend “the coming months” consulting veterans, serving members, stakeholders, historians and experts on possible criteria for reviewing and classifying past operations.
Canada formally recognizes wartime service for the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. Veterans of more recent missions have long argued that this framework leaves them out. The ministers appeared to accept that point, writing that “the character of war and military service has changed significantly” and that today’s service members operate in complex environments, from counter-terrorism and deterrence to humanitarian and peace support operations. “While the nature of service may have changed, Canada’s gratitude has not,” they said.
The statement thanks Senator Hassan Yussuff for advancing Bill S-246, the Wartime Service Recognition Act, which would set up a national framework for deciding which military service counts as wartime service. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and is now before the House of Commons. Yussuff has said it would put Canada on par with the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, which all have similar laws. He has also said he deliberately left any financial component out of the bill.
The ministers credit Yussuff with fostering “a thoughtful national discussion,” but they don’t endorse his bill. Instead, they describe a separate, government-led process meant to make future decisions “deliberate, transparent, and reflective of the experiences of those who served.” Yussuff, who sits as an independent, has told Legion Magazine that his bill had received no official support from the Liberal government.
The statement gives no timeline beyond the coming months, and it doesn’t say whether the consultation is meant to replace S-246 or run alongside it.
Ottawa now acknowledges that the way Canada recognizes military service needs updating. For now, though, it wants to set the terms itself, which leaves the bill and the veterans backing it waiting on the government’s schedule.
