2025-26 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 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Sincerely,

Michael Ostafichuk
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 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 Chair.

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 financial 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 financial assistance and completes an initial screening to confirm Veteran status, obtain financial/income documentation and quotes for items/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 demonstrate that they cannot reasonably cover the cost of the service/support being requested.

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

Financial assistance

All applications for financial 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 and priorities

The Commission saw record growth in fiscal year 2025-26. This included receiving the most applications and providing the highest amount of funding in the history of the Commission. The Commission has continued to build off its success from previous years and as the program continues to grow, it is anticipated that this increase will continue in the years to come.

Over this past fiscal year, Commissioners continued to lead engagement sessions with the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada. Commissioners have presented to front line staff at both the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada to continue to strengthen and develop their relationship. Both these organizations are the key conduits for applicants to apply for funding to the Commission. These sessions have led to a better knowledge and understanding of the program and the application intake process for all front-line staff. Therefore, resulting in an easier and more familiar pathway to applying.

Further, during the past fiscal year, Commissioners have also attended multiple relationship building opportunities within the Veteran based community. This included promoting, engaging and connecting with new and existing Veteran based organizations. These new relationships have helped to spread the word about the Soldiers’ Aid Commission and assisted in building momentum throughout the province. As the Commissioners engage within the sector, the more the program will continue to grow.

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.

As a result of these changes and now having a full fiscal year of data to draw on, the Commission has seen more eligible applicants’ access funding. The additional funding has been of great assistance to applicants who may be seeking higher value services/support items such as home repairs, mobility modifications, accessing first and last month’s rent or other housing supports, etc. This increase in funding has now made it easier on applicant’s mental health as they navigate the complexities of their situation.

With the increased amount of $3000 per 12-month period, some applicants have reapplied multiple times to reach the full amount available. These items include things like utility bill arrears, accessing basic necessities, work related clothing, eyeglasses and other medical related costs.

The Commission notes that by removing the need for charitable funds, namely the Legion’s Poppy Fund, to be accessed prior to Commission funding, there have been more applications received, and the Commission has been able to support more of Ontario’s vulnerable Veterans and their immediate family members.

Lastly, the Commissioners continue to review and approve all applications in a timely manner to ensure applicants receive an expedient turnaround to make decisions related to their application(s) and not negatively impact their situation.

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.

Appendix 1 – total disbursements

Applications received/financial assistance provided

Other Expenses