Opinion-Editorial - Economic Action Plan 2014 Enhances Support for Veterans' Funeral and Burial Program

OTTAWA, Feb. 25, 2014 /CNW/ - There are many important ways to ensure Canadians never forget those who have served and sacrificed so much for our country. One way is to make sure Canada's Veterans are laid to rest with the dignity they deserve. Thanks to the Economic Action Plan 2014, that will happen more often than ever.

By committing a total of $108.2 million over the next three years, our Government is ensuring that all eligible Veterans receive a dignified funeral and burial when they pass away.

How will we do that?

It's called the Funeral and Burial Program—which is funded by Veterans Affairs Canada and administered by the Last Post Fund. Canada has long been recognized for what may be the most generous program of its kind in the world. Indeed, many nations don't even offer this service to Veterans' survivors.

What's more, we enhanced our Funeral and Burial Program last year with an additional $65 million over two years. This new money was used to simplify the program to better reflect cultural and regional differences and to increase the reimbursement rates for funeral services from $3,600 to $7,376.

Now, we are expanding the program's eligibility criteria to include all modern-day Veterans of modest means.

In addition, we pay the actual costs of the burial—including cremation or the opening and closing of a grave. We also provide a military style grave marker and, of course, we take care of the gravesite in perpetuity.

Thanks to all of these measures, we are making sure Canada's Veterans are laid to rest with the honour they deserve. That's how it should be.

SOURCE: Veterans Affairs Canada

Joshua Zanin
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Veterans of Affairs
613-996-4649

Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468