8-9 April 2025
15:00 – 18:00 ET
Virtual (MS Teams)
Women Veterans Council members
- Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Eleanor Taylor, Canadian Armed Forces
- Constable (Retired) Vivienne Stewart, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Lieutenant (Navy) (Retired) Wenshuang “Wen” Nie, Canadian Armed Forces
- Colonel (Retired) Telah Morrison, OMM, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Sergeant (Retired) Jessica Miller, Canadian Armed Forces
- Corporal (Retired) Sarah Lefurgey, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Warrant Officer (Retired) Celine Filion, Canadian Armed Forces
- Constable (Retired) Jennifer Chorney, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Captain (Retired) Hélène Le Scelleur, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Lieutenant-Colonel Dawn Leblanc, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Captain (Retired) Lindsay Shields, CD, Canadian Armed Forces
- Corporal Ellen Peters, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Officials
- Amy Meunier, Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs
- Christine McDowell, Associate Deputy Minister and Champion of Inclusion and Gender-Based Analysis Plus
- Pamela Harrison, Director General, Community Engagement
- Peggy Nash-Butt, Manager, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Team
- Alesia Chiasson, A/Project Officer, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Team
- Ana Belen, Program Operations Assistant, Women and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans Team
Land acknowledgement and welcome remarks
Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs opened each day by welcoming the Women Veterans Council members and offered a land acknowledgment.
Caretaker period
The Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs, provided an overview of the caretaker convention period in effect. As a result, the meeting did not include formal recommendations and instead focused on information sharing and addressing administrative items.
Women Veterans Council governance
Council members discussed internal governance to ensure all members understand their roles, objectives, and the process for developing decisions or recommendations.
Honouring Her Service: 2025 Women’s Forum feedback
The Director General, Community Engagement, shared insights and statistics from the 2025 post-forum survey, highlighting an increase in participant satisfaction compared to the previous year. The Council provided their feedback on the event.
The Council discussed communication strategies with the women Veteran community moving forward and emphasized the need to enhance outreach and improved access to information for future engagements.
Group discussion on the 2026 Women’s Forum
The Director General, Community Engagement, engaged the Council in a discussion on plans to seek community input on the 2026 Women’s Forum.
Invisible No More. The Experience of Canadian Women Veterans: progress report update
The Director General, Community Engagement provided an update on the Department’s progress made on the recommendations, including: the establishment of a Joint Steering sub-Committee with the Canadian Armed Forces with a focus on women. The Council discussed measures of success and explored how each subgroup can contribute to advancing the recommendations.
Subgroup update
- Medical Research
- The Medical Research subgroup acknowledged that significant research is already underway, both within Veterans Affairs Canada and through key external partners. They noted the importance of connecting with VAC’s Research Directorate and sharing information with the broader community.
- Community and Peer Support
- The Community and Peer Support subgroup discussed issues that included the sustainability of existing community and peer support initiatives and the possible inclusion of peer support within rehabilitation services.
- Operations Delivery
- The Operations Delivery subgroup discussed the Council’s efforts in advancing the ACVA recommendations and addressing systemic issues impacting women Veterans.
Other discussions
- The Council discussed the distinction between advisory and advocacy roles.
- The Council discussed its role in shaping VAC-led initiatives such as the annual Women’s Forum.
Concluding remarks
Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs offered closing remarks. The co-chairs thanked Council members for their valuable input and engagement. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continued collaboration and progress.