2 December 2025
13:00 – 16:00 (ET)
Virtual via Microsoft Teams
Service Excellence and Transition Advisory Group Members
- Julia-Joseph Burke, CD
- Dr. Darryl Cathcart (co-chair)
- Deanna Fimrite, Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada
- Steve Graham, RCMP Veterans' Association
- Warrant Officer (Retired) Jessica Hewett (co-chair)
- Master Warrant Officer (Retired) Michael Hogan
- Lieutenant (Retired) Carolyn Hughes, Royal Canadian Legion
- Master Warrant Officer (Retired) Floyd Powder, Métis Veteran Council
Canadian Armed Forces Representative
- Lieutenant Colonel Michael Draho, Liaison Officer to Veterans Affairs Canada, Canadian Armed Forces
Veterans Affairs Canada Officials
- Nathalie Pham, Director General, Field Operations
- Jeff Gallant, Manager, Community Engagement
- Kristy McGuigan, Senior Analyst, Community Engagement
- Cary Ryan, Senior Operations Advisor, Community Engagement
- Elizabeth Hughes, Project Officer, Community Engagement
- Megan MacKinnon, Program Operations Assistant, Community Engagement
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
- Michael Hamm, Director of Policy
Observer
- Laura Kelly, Office of the Veterans Ombudsman
Presenters
- Julia Pike, Senior Operations Manager, Business Integration Directorate
- Tracy Cudmore, Manager, Disability Benefits Policy, Policy and Research
Regrets
- Corporal (Retired) Sylvain Chartrand, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
Land acknowledgement and welcome remarks
The VAC co-chair opened the meeting by welcoming all participants and expressing appreciation to all members for taking the time to attend the meeting. She then offered a land acknowledgement.
Presentation: VAC Benefits Navigator and My VAC Account
The session featured a demonstration on My VAC Account by Julia Pike, Senior Operations Manager in the Business Integration Directorate at Veterans Affairs Canada. She provided an overview of My VAC Account tool and walked participants through the Benefits Navigator. This live demonstration helped members better understand how to use the tool effectively and what enhancements are being considered.
Participants were encouraged to ask questions throughout the presentation, allowing for clarification and interactive discussion. Member questions focused on the following:
- Communication tracking
- Access to demonstrations or test accounts for external organizations supporting Veterans
- The need for more detailed information to be available within the tools
- The user-testing process
- Ensuring users see only relevant information
Julia noted potential enhancements to My VAC Account could include improved personalization, potential for the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve user experience and updates to the tracker application page.
Presentation: Fractional Entitlement
Tracey Cudmore, Manager in Policy and Research at Veterans Affairs Canada, presented on how entitlement is determined under the Pension Act and the Veterans Well-being Act, and reviewed key features of the Fractional Entitlement Directive. She explained that eligibility for disability benefits is determined by the relationship between a condition and military service. Legislation establishes how these relationships are assessed, and policies provide a framework for assigning varying levels of entitlement depending on the degree of service connection. Veterans may appeal to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board if they are seeking a reassessment of their entitlement.
Member questions focused on the following:
- Automatic revisit of past partial-entitlement decisions
- Discussion of the legislation, requirements, and limitations
- Appeal options
Tracey noted that a legislative change would be required to make any changes to the policies, rather than policy adjustments.
First Draft of SETAG Recommendation Report
The member co-chair reviewed the recommendation template, which included the six recommendation themes agreed upon at the previous meeting. To advance the work efficiently, each theme was assigned to members to lead further research and draft the related recommendation. Each member had the opportunity to share concerns and discuss the plan for developing the recommendations including the possibility of adding an additional recommendation, considering its relevance and potential impact.
Review of Previous Record of Discussion (24 September 2025)
The VAC co-chair reviewed the 24 September 2025 Record of Discussion. One member inquired about where the previous Record of Discussions are posted online, and the link to access them was provided.
Budget Discussion and Clarifications
The group raised the topic of the budget, prompting a detailed discussion among members. OMVA provided clarification on several points, including Cannabis for Medical Purposes. Feedback from discussion included clearer communications on budget details.
Closing Remarks and Next Steps
The VAC co-chair thanked the presenters for providing valuable information and summarizing the discussions during the meeting. Members were reminded of their assigned work on the recommendations and were encouraged to reach out to the co-chairs with any questions or clarifications.
The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 24 March 2026, when members will report on their progress, finalize, and approve the recommendations. The final report is scheduled to be delivered by the co-chairs to the Minister in May 2026.