Dear Philip ten Kortenaar,

I am pleased to share our government’s 2024-25 priorities for the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.

As Chair, you play a vital role in helping the Soldiers’ Aid Commission achieve its mandate. It is important that your agency’s goals, objectives, and strategic direction continue to align with our government’s priorities and direction. As part of the government of Ontario, agencies are expected to act in the best interests of the people of Ontario and ensure that they provide value for money to taxpayers. Agencies are also required to adhere to government policies and directives.

Per the requirements of the Agencies and Appointments Directive, this letter sets out my expectations for the Soldiers’ Aid Commission for 2024-25. These priorities include:

  1. Competitiveness, sustainability and expenditure management
    • Operating within the agency’s financial allocations.
  1. Transparency and accountability
    • Abiding by applicable government directives and policies and ensuring transparency and accountability in reporting.
    • Adhering to accounting standards and practices, and responding to audit findings, where applicable.
    • Identifying appropriate skills, knowledge and experience needed to effectively support the board’s role in agency governance and accountability, and providing the Minister with annual skills matrices to ensure boards have qualified appointees.
    • Reviewing and updating agency KPIs annually to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.
  1. Risk management
    • Developing and implementing an effective process for the identification, assessment and mitigation of agency risks, including cyber security, and any future emergency risks.
  1. Diversity and inclusion
    • Developing and encouraging diversity and inclusion initiatives by promoting an equitable, inclusive, accessible, anti-racist and diverse workplace.
    • Adopting an inclusion engagement process to ensure all voices are heard to inform policies and decision-making.
  1. Data collection, sharing and use
    • Improving how the agency uses data in decision-making, information sharing and reporting, to inform outcome-based reporting and improve service delivery.
  1. Digital delivery and customer service
    • Exploring and implementing digitization for online service delivery to ensure customer service standards are met.
    • Using a variety of approaches or tools to ensure service delivery in all situations.

These are the government-wide commitments for board-governed provincial agencies. Please see the attached guide for further details of each priority.

I am also sharing several priorities specific to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission:

  1. administer a financial assistance program for eligible Veterans and eligible family members of Veterans who reside in Ontario;
  2. review applications for financial assistance and decide whether or not to approve them, in whole or part, in accordance with the regulations made under the act;
  3. provide advice to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services on matters affecting Veterans and their families; and
  4. engage in any other activities that may be prescribed by the regulations made under the act;
  5. working collaboratively with Veterans Affairs Canada, Royal Canadian Legion – Ontario Command and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to promote and raise awareness of the program, to ensure a smooth application process for Ontario Veterans and their families including working towards increasing overall program uptake rates.

I would be pleased to discuss these priorities during our next meeting, and I look forward to hearing how they will be reflected in the agency’s upcoming business plan and in ongoing agency operations.

Thank you and your fellow board members for your continued commitment to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. Your work and ongoing support is invaluable to me and the people of Ontario.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jody Hendry.

Sincerely,
Minister Michael Parsa