Gradual increases in Remembrance Day attendance, and an annual survey citing growing support for veterans’ issues are an indication of the public’s reverence for those who serve Canada in uniform.
In the 2014 national Remembrance Day survey released Wednesday (Nov. 5), 96 per cent of those asked believe there should be support for veterans as they make the challenging transition from military life to a civilian career.
That’s an all-time high figure in the survey undertaken by the Commissionaires, a national organization which is the largest private sector employer of veterans in the country.
Last year, the response to the question was 94 per cent, and 90 per cent in 2008
“My take on it is that in the six year’s we’ve done this survey, what we’re finding is more and more Canadians believe that we have an obligation to find or provide meaningful employment for veterans after they’ve finished their service in the armed forces,” said Dan Popowich, CEO of the B.C. Division of Commissionaires.
Popowich said there are 20,000 commissionaires across Canada — 1,200 in B.C.— and many are tasked with security jobs in airports, ports, city and office buildings, and warehouses.
Driving that growth in support for veterans is Canada’s continued involvement in global conflicts, Popowich said.
“I think that’s certainly brought to the forefront the duties and sacrifices of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Popowich who was an RCMP officer, ran a private security firm in Calgary for 20 years, headed up BC Hydro’s security department, and for the past two years has been at the helm of B.C.’s Commissionaires. “Before our involvement in Afghanistan I don’t think there was an understanding of how much we did on a worldwide basis with the Canadian military.”
Popowich also pointed to the growth at Remembrance Day services as an outward sign of support.
“I am hearing in the news that the sale of poppies is up annually,” he said. “ And when I speak to people — employees, clients or just people in the community — there is overwhelming support for veterans. Just how that is achieved is the debate.”
The survey also indicated nearly 63 per cent of respondents believe support that veterans receive after they leave the Canadian Armed Forces is inadequate or somewhat inadequate, compared with only four per cent who considered it adequate.
Finally, the survey revealed that nearly 90 per cent of Canadians consider milestone anniversaries of the First World War and Second World War to be important or somewhat important in focusing public attention on veterans issues.
