The Family Unit

Childcare, Education, and Spousal Employment Top Issues for Seamless Canada

Mishall Rehman June 4, 2024

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Above image: Left,the Seamless Canada Steering Committee (SCSC) held its annual conference at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on May 22, 2024. From the left: Commander Military Personnel Lt.-Gen. Lise Bourgon, Member of Legislative Assembly in Manitoba Mr. David Pankratz, Parliamentary Secretary Marie-France Lalonde, MND Bill Blair, Hon. Mary Wilson, Hon. Barbara Adams, Director General Military Personnel – Strategic Maj.-Gen. Stéphane Boivin. Photo credit: Richard Guertin

Childcare, education, spousal employment and healthcare were the top issues discussed at this year’s Seamless Canada Steering Committee (SCSC) meeting in Ottawa.

Held on May 22, the SCSC brought together the Minister of National Defence (MND), the Chief of Defence Staff, and representatives from provinces and territories across Canada.

MND Parliamentary Secretary and Orleans Member of Parliament Marie-France Lalonde and New Brunswick Member of Legislative Assembly for Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton, Minister of Service New Brunswick and Minister responsible for Military Affairs Mary Wilson co-chaired the meeting.

Left, Nova Scotia Member of Legislative Assembly for Eastern Passage Minister Barbara Adams is the new co-chair. Right, New Brunswick Member of Legislative Assembly for Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton, Minister of Service New Brunswick and Minister responsible for Military Affairs Mary Wilson co-chaired the committee from 2022 – 2024.

CAF Family Challenges Discussed

According to a Maple Leaf article from the Department of National Defence, during the meeting, representatives discussed the challenges military families face at length.

“Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and their families are required to relocate anywhere in Canada or internationally upon receiving a posting message. The SCSC recognizes the challenges CAF members and their families face in the domestic relocation process. With the goal of reducing relocation barriers and improving the coordination of services for CAF members and their families across Canada, representatives gathered to discuss efforts and engagements to target challenges such as the transferability of accreditation, child care, and health care access,” stated the article.

The CDS, General Wayne Eyre, also discussed the need to support military families at the meeting.

Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS)General Wayne Eyre presents his commander’s coin to the Honourable Mary Wilson, the outgoing provincial chair of the Seamless Canada Steering Committee (SCSC), at the SCSC annual conference in Ottawa on 22 May, 2024. The coin was awarded in recognition of remarkable service to the Canadian Armed Forces thru her work as the SCSC co-chair from June, 2022 to May, 2024. Photo credit: Richard Guertin

New Chair Person

The meeting also saw the appointment of a new co-chair. The SCSC appointed Nova Scotia Member of Legislative Assembly for Eastern Passage Minister Barbara Adams, Justice Minister, and Attorney General; she is currently the province’s minister responsible for Military Relations in Nova Scotia. She will serve as co-chair for a two-year period.

The previous co-chair was Minister Mary Wilson, who just completed her term. She served from 2022 until 2024.

From 2018, CAF Minister Sajjan and Minister O’Regan met with different participants from the provinces and territories to discuss the Seamless Canada initiative.

Seamless Canada Work

Launched in 2018 by the Department of National Defence and the CAF, Seamless Canada is designed to alleviate the challenges CAF members and their families face. Many of these stressors are centred around relocation with three core objectives: