Service to Veterans

Comrade Dave McKay, CD

Service Officer

403-808-8177

serviceofficer@rcl285.ca

Meet Our Service Officer & Veteran Advocate

I am excited to come on board as your Branch Service Officer.


I have first-hand experience with the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) system along with other veteran and first-responder services and supports.

I have a great rapport with the Command Branch and the Command Service Officers.

I have been able to successfully help veterans apply for and receive VAC benefits and programs for injuries suffered in their service.


A friend of mine was reluctant to apply for the Rehabilitation Program a couple years back. I helped them put in their claim and they received a very quick, favourable decision. I know what it's like to discount oneself as a deserving veteran. It was through a professional service officer that I embraced my status as a veteran, and that of one deserving help. 


I am excited to be able to offer connections for veterans, first responders, and their families to supports such as OSI-CAN.


I look forward to working with the Executive, with and for you, our members, and other veterans in our community.


Please don't hesitate to contact me and I will do my very best to link you to any support you may need.

Meet Our Sergeant-at-Arms & Advocate


Comrade Gerard Moores

Sgt-at-Arms

sgt-at-arms@rcl285.ca

Meet Our Chaplain, Bart Dailley

My role as Christian Chaplain is to represent Our Father in Heaven and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If I can be of service to you, by visit or phone call please do not hesitate to contact me.

May God Bless Us All.


Comrade Bart Dailley

Chaplain

‭403-462-1340

chaplain@rcl285.ca



Watch for Upcoming Meetings:


All are welcome to attend!

Grab a coffee and come join in!

If you are you are a qualified veteran or family member, please don’t hesitate to begin the process of submitting a claim or having a previously denied claim reviewed. It can take months or longer in many cases so getting them in as soon as possible gets you closer to a result.


Veterans often do not “self identify”, in that they discount themselves from VAC supports even if they know they were injured in service. 


I had one member contact me looking for hearing support and thought they would essentially be told “no”. They were surprised to find out they could possibly get support from VAC and were even more impressed after speaking with one of the Command service officers. As veterans we tend to think we  shouldn’t “take” benefits, especially if we didn’t “go to war”, etc. 


Veterans Affairs Canada has changed a lot over the years.


I have been contacted by a business that offers a variety of supports for seniors. Veterans or their survivors who receive the Veterans Independence Program benefits, along with

any seniors could benefit from what they offer, and we are planning a presentation in the branch in August, details to be determined. This would occur on a Wednesday afternoon.


The branch service officer will help by making appropriate referrals to the Command Service Officers and will outline programs that are available to veterans. All inquiries to the

service officer are handled in a confidential and private manner and no one outside the service officer team will have knowledge of the veteran’s information without written consent from that veteran.


Please direct all confidential inquiries to:

Dave McKay, Branch 285 Service Officer

serviceofficer@rcl285.ca

403-808-8177

07/24/23

Links to Veteran Resources

My VAC Account (for Veterans Affairs Canada):

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/e_services


Veterans Benefit Guide 2023:

https://legionmagazine.com/guide/RCL/index.html?_cldee=bOZb1zGYZNi7At6kuSCT6yT7m-awPpkfYjxCcMpowxqgc2YuwVbg-fgiidY9O2So&recipientid=contact-735fe380903dec11812c005056a2e76d-77a3334ad393445eaf344bdbf33e03b6&esid=114d9e55-bdde-ed11-8158-005056a2e76d


OSI-CAN (for military/veterans, police, other first responders and uniformed services for peer and family support):

https://www.osicanab.ca/


Calgary Military Family Resource Centre:

https://cfmws.ca/calgary/calgary-military-family-resource-centre-(mfrc)


Veterans Food Bank of Calgary:

https://veteransfoodbankalberta.ca/


Veterans Association Food Bank (and Thrift Store)

https://veteransassociationfoodbank.ca/


This one isn't a link but I think it's important to show. It's for Alberta Recoil Inc. for Peer Support and Consulting for Service Sexual Trauma.

Contacts are John Senior 780-201-0974, Heather Vanderveer 403-462-2469, and Laryssa Yanchak 403-389-8137.  

Contacting Alberta Recoil is 100% confidential and is for any uniformed services/veterans that are looking for service sexual trauma support.


Operation Tango Romeo - The Trauma Recovery Podcast

https://operationtraumarecovery.org/

For more information about National Programs go to Legion.ca