2024-25 annual report

Letter of transmittal

The Honourable Michael Parsa
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

Dear Minister Parsa:

I am pleased to present this Annual Report on behalf of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.

This report outlines the history and mandate of the Commission and summarizes its activity through the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Sincerely,

Philip ten Kortenaar
Chair

History, organization and mandate

History

The Soldiers’ Aid Commission is an Operational Service Agency, which was originally established in 1915 to support returning Veterans and their families. The mandate was later expanded to include Canadian and allied Veterans who served in the Second World War and the Korean War. In January 2021, the mandate was expanded once more to include all eligible Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and their immediate family members.

The Soldiers’ Aid Commission receives its legislative authority from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020 and Regulations made under the Act.

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), through the Developmental and Supportive Services Branch, is responsible for the administration of the legislation under which the Commission operates.

Organization

The Commission operates at arm’s length from the government, with respect to the provision of assistance, members may be appointed to hold office for a term of up to three years at the pleasure of the Lieutenant Governor in Council and may be reappointed.

The Commission may consist of at least three members and no more than 11 members, with the majority of the board comprising Veterans or individuals who are either the parent, spouse, child or sibling of a Veteran. The current Commission comprises a Chair, and 7 other Commissioners.

Members are not remunerated but are entitled to such reimbursement for reasonable expenses as determined by the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Directive.

An updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry and the Commission was signed by the Minister and the Chair in July 2025.

Mandate

The mandate of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission is to administer a financial assistance program for eligible Veterans and eligible family members of Veterans who reside in Ontario. The Commission accepts applications for financial assistance made by Veterans in need or their dependents by way of the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). The Royal Canadian Legion or VAC receives applications for assistance and completes an initial screening to confirm Veteran status, obtain financial/income documentation and quotes for services being requested. These applications are then forwarded to the Commission for review.

Funding, eligibility and financial assistance

Funding

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provides the Commission with annual funding up to $1.55M for payments to eligible Veterans and/or their eligible family members.

Eligibility

An eligible Veteran is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who has completed basic training and was released from service.

An eligible family member of a Veteran can be [the] spouse of a Veteran, the surviving spouse of a deceased Veteran or a child of a Veteran or Veteran’s spouse who is financially dependent, or the child of a deceased Veteran or Veteran’s spouse who was financially dependent on the Veteran at the time of the Veteran’s death.

The applicant must also demonstrate financial need and make a reasonable effort to access funds from other federal Veteran-specific programs and show that they cannot reasonably cover the cost of the service/support being requested.

Financial assistance is available to resolve a specific problem when other resources have been exhausted. Funding is provided on an individual basis.

Financial assistance

All applications for assistance are reviewed by the Commission. Financial assistance can be granted over a 12-month period up to $3,000. If both spouses are Veterans, then each individual would be eligible to receive the funding.

The Commission will consider applications to support eligible recipients with financial assistance for essential expenses in the following categories:

• housing-related items, modifications or repairs that support mobility, accessibility or health and safety
• assistance to secure or maintain housing
• specialized equipment and assistive devices to support mobility, accessibility or health and safety
• health-related items and services to support physical and mental health
• personal items, services and expenses to support basic needs
• employment-related supports to remove barriers to employment or improve employability

The decision to provide assistance to an individual is not subject to approval by the Minister or any official of the Ministry, nor is it subject to appeal. The applications are reviewed by the Commission to determine whether to fund all, part or none of the application.

Considerations

Fiscal year 2024-2025 demonstrated success in that application rates continue to increase. The total amount of funding issued to applicants doubled from the prior year. The overall number of applications received also increased significantly. The Commission continues to support more and more Veterans and their eligible family members each year. It is anticipated that this trend of program growth will continue in the coming years.

Commissioners have continued to focus on outreach within the Veteran community. This includes attending in person events, leading in person and virtual presentations, making connections with new organizations, and targeting new audiences. This focus has helped raise program awareness within the Veteran community.

The Commission has continued to develop and strengthen its relationship with the Royal Canadian Legion which includes regular meetings with staff at the senior and local levels. Commissioners have led multiple presentations at local branches, seminars, and conventions. Awareness of the program has continued to grow within the broader Legion, throughout their branches. There has been a significant increase in the number of applications the Commission receives through the Legion.

In fall 2024, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services made changes to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act and regulations under the act. This included:

• Increased the amount of funding available to eligible applicants from $2,000 to $3,000 over a twelve-month period.
• Removed the requirement for applicants to apply to non-federal funding sources (charitable funds) before becoming eligible to apply to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.
• Added to Legislation the requirement for Commissioners to assist the Minister in promoting the financial assistance program to increase awareness of the program.

Working with the ministry, new digital and printed communications were created and distributed throughout the Commissions’ networks. Additionally, the ministry led a social media campaign that promoted the new changes to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission which spread program awareness across the province.

Notwithstanding the recent program growth, opportunities remain to expand and grow the program. The Commission will continue to focus on raising awareness of the program and increasing application rates.

Commissioners continue to meet monthly to strategize and focus on future outreach opportunities and share updates on engagements they lead within the community.

Appendix 1 – total disbursements

Applications received/financial assistance provided

Other expenses