Minister Valdez, on behalf of Minister Fisher, announces Veterans Affairs Canada funding for Team Rubicon Canada, Challenge Factory, Concussion Legacy Foundation, Egale Canada, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Projects seek to  improve employment opportunities, concussion research, and brain health for Veterans in Canada.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Veterans in Canada and their families deserve the full backing of their fellow citizens and our government. Through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund, VAC provides funding to organizations to conduct research and implement projects aimed at improving the lives of Veterans and their families.

Today, Minister Valdez, on behalf of Minister Fisher, announced that Team Rubicon Canada, the Challenge Factory, Concussion Legacy Foundation, Egale Canada, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have been selected to receive funding from the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund.

• Team Rubicon received $1,047,062 to provide free training and growth opportunities to its staff and volunteers who are Veterans. This initiative will enhance Veteran resilience, promote gender equity, increase Indigenous cultural competence, and leverage the full range of Veteran capabilities and interests that are available within Team Rubicon Canada.
• The Concussion Legacy Foundation received $1,000,000 for two initiatives: Project Enlist Canada and Operation Brain Health. Project Enlist Canada encourages CAF members and Veterans to participate in clinical research and to pledge to donate their brains upon their death. Operation Brain Health encourages Veterans to exercise, improve their diet, sleep properly, and build their cognitive reserve to support ongoing symptoms from brain injury.
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health received $625,000 to lead research that will center on the lived experiences of women Veterans to establish a new program of study focused on understanding and addressing the unique mental health challenges faced by women in the military who deploy internationally, to produce an actionable policy framework to inform women-focused prevention and treatment.
• The Challenge Factory received $374,439 to build upon the success of their Veteran Ready Employer Program. This program follows VAC's employment strategy and is a pilot program that will test for sustainability and adoption rate. Following this pilot, feedback will be collected, and fed into an larger-scale implementation plan.
• Egale Canada received $350,000 to help better identify 2SLGBTQI Veterans' Needs. Over 18 months, they will work with Rainbow Veterans Canada to survey Veterans and identify areas of focus for research regarding social determinants of health. Egale Canada will also conduct needs assessment of Veterans' services providers' capacity to serve 2SLGBTQI Veterans regarding mental health, homelessness and housing insecurity.

The Veteran and Family Well-being Fund was launched by Veterans Affairs Canada in 2018. Since then, Veterans Affairs Canada has awarded over $57 million in funding for research and innovative initiatives that support the well-being of Veterans and their families. This investment is one of several approved projects under the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund. For information on previously funded projects, see the Veterans Affairs Canada website.

Quotes

"We often talk about the importance of supporting Veterans after their service, but real support means investing in them, today and in the future. Our government is awarding this funding to these five organizations because their work is important to the Veteran community. Providing Veterans with access to training, growth opportunities, and employers who are "Veteran Ready" is essential to their successful transition. Contributing to better research into, and awareness of, best practices when it comes to brain health among is essential for these brave Canadians who often risk head injuries in their everyday jobs. Supporting projects like these is just the right thing to do and I'm proud to be able to help these organizations in their work through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund."

The Honourable Darren Fisher, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

"Our Veterans have dedicated their lives to serving Canada, and it's our duty to support them as they transition to civilian life. By investing over $1 million in Team Rubicon Canada through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund, we're empowering more Veterans with training and growth opportunities. This funding will help Veterans continue their service by aiding communities during disasters and crises, reflecting our commitment to their well-being and to building stronger, more resilient communities."

The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business

"Since 2019, Veterans Affairs Canada has contributed over $3 million to Team Rubicon Canada, including a recent $1M commitment. This support enhances our ability to mobilize veterans in disaster response, allowing them to apply their skills and leadership where communities need them most. We are grateful for this partnership, which helps us build a more resilient Canada."

Bryan Riddell, CEO, Team Rubicon Canada                            

At the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada, we recognized a gap in the knowledge surrounding brain injuries and mental health, especially in our Veteran population. We launched Project Enlist Canada to provide critical resources to Veterans and their caregivers to ease the burden of navigating brain injury and the associated mental health outcomes. Protecting the brain health of those who have served and continue to serve is at the core of our mission, ensuring they have access to the resources needed to support recovery, resilience, and long-term well-being. The investment from Veterans Affairs Canada will enable us to directly support countless Canadian Veterans and their families over the next three years.

Dr. Samantha Bureau, Assistant Executive Director, Concussions Legacy Foundation Canada

"The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health identified an important knowledge gap regarding women's mental health as it relates to complex international deployment experiences. We are most grateful for funds from Veterans Affairs Canada which will allow our team to produce an actionable, prevention and treatment policy framework by better understanding the mental health experiences of women who deploy internationally."

Dr. Samantha Wells, Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

"Helping more employers to be "Veteran Ready" will empower organizations of all sizes across the country to benefit from the significant skills that Veterans offer. Veterans are used to working in high-stakes, fast-paced, collaborative environments that require resourcefulness and adaptation to changing conditions. Challenge Factory is appreciative of Veterans Affairs Canada's support to ensure more workplaces benefit from this hidden talent."

Lisa Taylor, CEO, Challenge Factory

"With this important funding through Veteran Affairs Canada's Veteran Family and Well-being Fund, Egale Canada will work with Rainbow Veterans Canada to survey 2SLGBTQI veterans and identify areas of focus for follow up interviews regarding social determinants of health. We will also conduct a needs assessment of veterans' services providers' capacity to serve 2SLGBTQI veterans regarding mental health, homelessness, and housing insecurity. This will inform the development of resources and learning opportunities that will help build the capacities of service providers to better serve 2SLGBTQI veterans. We're looking forward to undertaking this work and improving supports for 2SLGBTQI veterans."

Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale Canada

Quick Facts

• Team Rubicon Canada is an international non-profit disaster response organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy volunteers, free of charge, to communities affected by disasters.
• Challenge Factory is a research and advisory services firm that helps clients achieve productivity gains and positive social impact.
• The Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada was founded in December 2012 by four-time Grey Cup champion, Tim Fleiszer, to help solve the concussion crisis in Canada.
• Egale Canada is a leader for 2SLGBTQI people and issues, seeking to improve and save lives through research, education, awareness, and advocacy work.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is the largest mental health teaching hospital in Canada and one of the world's leading research centres.
• Between 2018 and 2024, the VFWF held six calls for applications, resulting in $57M in funding awarded to implement 150 initiatives.
• Budget 2024 provided an additional $6 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Veterans Affairs Canada for the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund.

Associated Links

• Team Rubicon
• The Challenge Factory
• The Concussion Legacy Foundation
• Egale Canada
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Veteran and Family Well-being Fund
• List of past VFWF recipients

SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada - Ottawa

Contacts: Media Relations, Veterans Affairs Canada, 613-992-7468, [email protected]; Wyatt Westover, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, 819-360-0949, [email protected]