Ms. Carter goes to Ottawa

Esprit de Corps, July, 2007 by Les Peate

On June 28, 2005, 84-year-old Joyce Carter, the widow of a Second World War veteran, received a letter from then Opposition Leader Stephen Harper in regards to the Veterans Independence Program. This program helps provide housekeeping, maintenance and home care services for 97,000 eligible veterans along with their spouses and widows. Unfortunately, other widows were turned down because their husbands died before 1981 or because their spouses didn't get the program while they were still alive, others veterans were deemed ineligible because they don't receive a disability pension.

Although Mrs. Carter received the benefit herself, she had inquired how a Conservative government would address the problems in the independence programs to help her fellow widows and veterans. In his letter Harper wrote: "A Conservative government would immediately extend the Veterans Independence Program services to the widows of all Second World War and Korean War veterans, regardless of when they passed away or how long they had been receiving the benefit prior to passing away."

Despite this, Harper's Conservatives came to power and there was no substantial action on this file. As such, Mrs. Carter decided to make the trip from her home in Samsonville, in Cape Breton and head to Ottawa to confront the prime minister for breaking his promise to the widow.

Mrs. Carter was afraid of flying and had not been on a plane for six years, yet she went to the airport in Sydney to fly east. Unfortunately, she was fogged in at the airport so another stalled passenger gave her a ride to Halifax. Stopping at a Tim Hortons on the way, Mrs. Carter fell over a curb and badly bruised her hands, elbows and leg.

Finally making it to Ottawa, Mrs. Carter found she was unable to meet the prime minister so she decided to stay one more day.

The next day, despite limping from her injury, she managed to catch Stephen Harper while he was on his way to question period at the House of Commons under the gaze of several television cameras. Mrs. Carter walked up to the prime minister and said, "Mr. Harper you promised me you'd look after our veteran's widows. Why have you lied?" Visibly caught off guard, Harper walked off" and sent an aide to organize a meeting later in the day.

In the meeting, the prime minister reportedly apologized to Mrs. Carter and said that the Veterans Independence Program would be extended to all widows of Second World War and Korean veterans in his next budget--expected next spring.

Regardless, hat's off to Mrs. Carter for fighting for her fellow widows and veterans.