The Ottawa Citizen
Thursday, March 16, 2000
By Mike Blanchfield

Civilian groups such as foresters, air crews, nurses and ambulance drivers who served overseas during the Second World War could receive $20 million in compensation for their contribution to the war effort, the government has announced. "This is righting a historic wrong," Veterans Affairs Minister George Baker
said yesterday. More than 1,500 people from the various civilian groups remain alive, which would make the individual payouts slightly less than $13,000. Lobby groups that helped negotiate the settlement, including the Royal Canadian Legion and the National Council of Veterans Associations, applauded the announcement,
acknowledging that it was overdue. The package will be finalized after the government drafts the appropriate legislation in consultation with the groups. Treasury Board has approved $20 million for the package, which comes one month after the government agreed to compensate Merchant Navy seamen, who fought for 55 years to receive an equal level of compensation to their military counterparts.
The surviving merchant seamen will each receive benefits ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
"This cleans up the matter of all civilian groups who were overseas," said Mr. Baker. "This wipes the slate clean there."
However, Mr. Baker pledged to continue working toward other improvements for veterans such as better health care and extending benefits to veterans' widows.
Yesterday's announcement was the latest in a series of reforms by Mr. Baker in his six-month stint in the Veterans Affairs portfolio. Mr. Baker's initiatives received support from an unexpected quarter -- Reform MP Peter Goldring, the
opposition critic for Veterans Affairs. "There has been more progress in resolving veterans' issues in the few months that George Baker has been minister than in the many previous years -- and in many previous parliaments," said Mr. Goldring. Mr. Goldring said he hopes Mr. Baker can address two other outstanding veterans' issues: the question of whether Gulf War troops were exposed to hazardous levels of depleted uranium, and a multibillion-dollar class-action suit alleging the government failed to pay interest on disabled veterans' trust accounts. The various civilians who aided the war effort have had limited access to some benefits given to military members. Yesterday's announcement will broaden their entitlements. About 100 of 340 members of the Ferry Command are still alive. The civilian aircrews transported aircraft manufactured in North America to Britain. About 450 civilians who worked as firefighters during the London Blitz, or with St. John Ambulance or the Red Cross remain alive to claim benefits.

And 1,000 of the 3,680 members of the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit, who cut timber in Scotland to
aid British coal mining operations, have lived long enough to qualify.

Lloyd Thompson of Conception Bay, Nfld., was a married, 21-year-old father of an eight-month-old son when he signed up to join the foresters. For five years, he cut timber and worked in Scottish saw mills, seven days a week, 10 hours a day for $26 a month. "In those days, it wasn't where you were going but what you were going to do," said Mr. Thompson, 81, who celebrates his 61st wedding anniversary today with his wife, Lillian.