Thursday, July 7, 2011

Your urgent mission: Raise your voices for Canadian Veterans (More contacts added)

The story:

Scandalous, cold blooded eviction of sick, aged veterans from Colonel Belcher facility in Calgary

H is retirement home is in Calgary, located on 1945 Veterans Way NW. Sounds like a patriotic and fitting address for this Korean War Veteran, Don Garrow, who served in Korea with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). The name of his assisted living facility is equally patriotic and harks back to 1919. It is called the Colonel Belcher Centre, named after the now torn down Colonel Belcher Hospital that was once operated by Canada’s Department of Veterans Affairs.


The original “Belcher” treated veterans from the First World War and the newer hospital that was built in the 1940′s treated hundreds and hundreds of wounded, injured and ill servicemen during the Second World War. During the Korean War it treated injured soldiers from Currie Barracks, also now gone – soldiers from the Princess Patricias, troopers from the Strathconas.


Ownership of the Belcher transferred from the federal government to the Province of Alberta in 1979 and in 1991 it was designated as a long-term care facility for war veterans....



There is much more on this facility's plans to evict at least two dozen Canadian veterans, here.


"Scandalous, cold blooded" doesn't begin to cover this one.


Your mission? Raise your voices, and tell these 'people' that this is NO WAY to treat our Veterans. I found their contact page here.

The home page is here.

Their site proudly proclaims: The Most Trusted Name in Seniors Housing. Really? From what I am reading, not so much. Since they apparently cannot be trusted to treat OUR Veterans with respect - which every single Veteran has earned at the very least - time for us to tell them evicting the Veterans is NOT acceptable.

THAT is your mission. Please get on this one. Our Veterans have earned our support.

Thank you.


UPDATE: Politicians' contact information added


Premier Ed Stelmach
780-427 2251

Honourable Jonathan Denis, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
calgary.egmont at assembly.ab.ca
...403-640-1363
780-644-8954

Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of Health and Wellness
edmonton.millcreek at assembly.ab.ca
780-466-3737
780-427-3665

Honourable Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports
reddeer.north at assembly.ab.ca
403-342-2263

(H/T John)

Get on those phones. This cannot stand.

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