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Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. Forum
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Panel looking into herbicide 2,4,5-T isn't independent enough claims Agent Orange group spokesperson
CBC News - Dec 4, 2012.
Please read the full article HERE
Veterans deserve Gagetown registry.This story also involves Agent Orange but Agent Orange is the least problematic of the chemicals those who trained at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown may have been exposed to.
MetroWest Daily News - October 21, 2012 - By Julia Spitz.
Please read the full article HERE
The award-winning documentary filmmaker, Andrew Nisker, has created the film called ORANGE WITNESS and this is a preview. Check out the interviews in the left hand column, one being Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk Agent Orange world expert. HERE
US dioxin cleanup politically driven
Global Times - Sept 09, 2012 - By Wayne Dwernychuk
This author is an environmental scientist in British Columbia, Canada
For over three decades, the US has claimed that no proof exists that the use of Agent Orange by their military during the Vietnam War is the cause of significant health complications in Vietnamese citizens who may have been exposed to the herbicide.
Please read the full article HERE
Global Maritimes News
Paul McLaughlin reports - Fri Jul 27,2012
The U.S. Centre for Disease Control is investigating if Agent Orange sprayed at New Brunswick's CFB Gagetown made American troops training at the base sick.
This is a video, Please be sure your sound is on.
'The Canadians kept spraying': CDC to investigate American veterans’ exposure at Gagetown - by Tory Bonenfant, Managing Editor - Aug 1,2012
Richard Pelletier Jr., a former Marine and Maine National Guardsman who has been championing the cause to have the possible chemical exposure looked into further than the late 1960s’ Agent Orange exposure already documented, alleges that millions of liters of Agents Orange, Purple, and White were used on the training base for U.S. and Canadian soldiers from the 1950s to 1986.
In a letter to Collins dated July 9, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s CDC and administrator for the ATSDR, thanked Collins for looking into Maine veterans “possibly being exposed to Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals while training at CFB Gagetown.” It also noted that the CDC and the ATSDR shared her concerns about the health of military veterans and this situation.
Read more: St. John Valley Times
CDC to probe Maine troops' possible toxin exposure
July 25 - By Kevin Miller
kmiller@mainetoday.com - Washington bureau chief
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have agreed to investigate whether Maine soldiers were exposed to potentially toxic herbicides – including Agent Orange – while training at a Canadian base during the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.
In a letter to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pledged to “conduct a thorough investigation of the situation” at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick, where herbicides and defoliants have been used for decades.
Toxic 'Agent Orange' sprayed in B.C.: documents
By: Jon Woodward, ctvbc.ca, Apr 4, 2012
Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk, a world-renowned expert on Agent Orange, said "If Hydro used a mixture of 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T in a one-to-one proportion, it was, for all intents and purposes, Agent Orange,"
W.Va. judge OKs settlement in Agent Orange lawsuit against Monsanto; $84M medical fund set up
W.Va. judge OKs settlements in Agent Orange suit
The Charleston Gazette - February 24, 2012 - By Kate White
reports that a June 18 hearing has been set to give those involved a chance to object to the deal before it becomes final.
NDP pushes Ottawa to help family of Agent Orange victim
Fighting for compensation - The Canadian Press - Mon. Feb. 13 2012
NDP MP Peter Stoffer says the Conservatives promised in 2005 if they were elected that they would look after everyone affected by chemical spraying between the years of 1956 to 1984. Since being elected, they haven't kept their word.
Very interesting research items about the Agent Orange production and the companies involved. People around the world are or have sued these companies.
These items and others raise many questions:
1) Can SO MANY people be wrong?
2) Are the justice systems protecting these companies?
3) Are governments covering up?
4) Why/How do governments and producers, Monsanto in particular, sidestep their responsibilities?
Monsanto - History Line
300,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto in Federal Court
By Jane Ayers - 15 February 12
The White House, US Courts & the EPA Shaft Veterans to Protect Monsanto & Dow - By Cassandra Anderson - February 7, 2012
AGENT ORANGE COMPENSATION APPLICATION LOST
please note -- Telegraph Journal and Daily Gleaner have locked their on line newspaper to these articles except for obituaries etc.
Victim seeks compensation by JENNIFER PRITCHETT - TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
More than 40 years have passed, but Denice McKenna clearly remembers standing with her grandfather as the planes that sprayed the Agent Orange chemical flew over her childhood home in Wirral, near CFB Gagetown.
"The plane would rock its wings to wave at us," the soft-spoken woman recalled in an interview.
Until she was 15, McKenna lived in the tiny community that practically borders the military base property, from 1963 to 1978. Her grandfather had told her that the planes were spraying for the "bud worm," she said, but no one thought their health was at risk back then.
Now, she knows the chemical is associated with cancer and countless other health problems. And so, like thousands of other Canadians, she sought compensation. The government has deemed Wirral one of the eligible communities for the Agent Orange compensation.
But last month, McKenna, 48, was surprised to find out that her application had been lost and that her claim was denied because the government hadn't received it by the Dec. 31, 2011 deadline.
"I am one of many who have not been justly treated for this terrible mistake by our federal government and their response to date is just not right and not acceptable," she said. "To me, the government is torturing us - that's the way I feel." McKenna has had a multitude of health problems over the years, including angina since she was 23 years old and asthma. Her sister died when she was 27 with leukemia and her mother died of bone cancer at 36.
To date, Veterans Affairs has paid out more than $100 million in Agent Orange compensation to roughly 5,000 people.
The department has declined to comment specifically on McKenna's case, but spokeswoman Janice Summerby said in an emailed statement on Friday that each application was "decided on a caseby-case basis, according to the evidence provided by the applicant." She also said "the department only had the authority to make ex gratia payments until the end of the program, on December 30, 2011." McKenna, who lives on the Kingston Peninsula, said she first mailed off her application in July 2010, roughly a year and a half before the government's deadline.
At the time, she knew it would take a long time to get processed and didn't follow up to check on the status until early this year. She was soon told the government had no record of her application. She quickly reapplied, using the photocopies of the material she had mailed to the government in 2010.
That documents included a copy of the government application she had filled out 18 months prior, medical records she had requested from River Valley Health, as well as proof of her residence and school attendance at Fredericton Junction Elementary school during the years for which the government has said it will pay compensation.
The files included a medical record that revealed McKenna had an operation on her back when she was nine months old and was hospitalized for 22 days. But the paperwork doesn't provide details about the operation and with both parents dead, no one in her family remembers what the procedure treated.
"All I do know is that I had surgery," she said.
McKenna also mailed three reference letters from co-workers who had helped her with the application in July 2010, as well as a letter from a co-worker who helped her make photocopies of the original documents back at that time.
In the end, McKenna said the government wanted her to prove (through a receipt for registered mail) she had sent in the original application in 2010.
"But I don't know how to prove I sent a regular letter,"she said.
Frustrated with the denial for compensation, McKenna went to her member of Parliament for support last month.
She said Rob Moore, MP for Fundy-Royal, took up her cause, but he declined to speak publicly about her case. He did say that his office has provided assistance to people who have sought Agent Orange compensation.
"Many times we have a positive outcome, but there are times, unfortunately, that despite best efforts, a constituent doesn't get the outcome they want or deserve,"he said.
Carol Brown Parker, co-president of the Agent Orange of Canada Inc., an advocacy group, described McKenna's situation as a "calamity of errors" and wasn't surprised to hear that her application had been lost because other people have had the same experience.
"It's not unusual and I've heard of it before,"she said.
Brown Parker said "there are so many people who have problems" gaining the compensation to which they're entitled. She believes that McKenna has proof that she did send in the application in July 2010 and would like to see her receive the compensation she deserves.
"She's got a report that's dated July 22, 2010 and it shows that she did try to get her medical information ? why would she bother doing that if she didn't send her application off?"said Brown Parker. She said it's also notable that Mc-Kenna has letters from people who helped her fill out the forms back in 2010.
"I really feel that she did do it," she said."She doesn't have any proof in that she didn't send it registered mail, but nor did they request that."
Denice McKenna first mailed her application in July 2010.
PHOTO: PETER WALSH/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
January 04, 2012
Feds' reversal rights a wrong - Lethbridge Herald Opinon
January 02, 2012
Timeline: The fight for Agent Orange compensation in N.B.
by Nick Logan, Global News
CBC "Up To Speed" with host Larry Updike
Carol Brown Parker AUDIO Interview, Dec 30 2011
Please be patient, this may be a slow download the first time you listen
Dec 31,2011
End of line for Agent Orange ex gratia compensation
Approximately 4900 applicants have been approved for ex gratia and our conservative numbers would indicate that approx. 410,000 military men, not including the civilians from the Surrounding Areas could have been exposed over the total years of the toxic herbicide spray programs, so, 1.2% have received some support from our Federal Government. These numbers clearly demonstrate the inadequacy of the ex Gratia program. Given this reality much more needs to be done by our Federal Government for the Agent Orange victims. Our Association will persevere on their behalf!!
Carol Brown Parker
More cash for Agent Orange victims
Very good interview and content by MP Peter Stoffer. The Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. totally agrees with Peter. Our association will continue to advocate for a Public Inquiry so all facts are made public & adequate support provided for the victims of the sprayings of Code Name Agent Orange, Purple & White at CFB Base Gagetown & Surrounding Areas. Approximately 4900 applicants have been approved for ex gratia and our conservative numbers would indicate that approx. 410,000 military men, not including the civilians from the Surrounding Areas could have been exposed from 1956-1984 the total years of the toxic herbicide spray programs, so, 1.2% have received some support from our Federal Government. These numbers clearly demonstrate the inadequacy of the ex Gratia program. Given this reality much more needs to be done by our Federal Government for the Agent Orange victims. Our Association will perservere on their behalf!!
Dec 30,2011
Ottawa will pay dozens of rejected Agent Orange claims
Approximately 30 rejected Agent Orange claims will now be paid
Ottawa reversing rejection of dozens of Agent Orange claims after outcry
Ottawa to compensate more Agent Orange victims
Ottawa to reverse 30 rejections for Agent Orange payouts
Ombudsman slams handling of veterans' benefits Dec. 22 2011
Should exceptions be made in Agent Orange compensation rules? Dec 19, 2011
Veterans Affairs rejects application because cancer diagnosed after deadline
Dying woman denied Agent Orange payout
As apparent with these articles, before the ex-gratia extension of Dec. 2010 there were roughly 3500 and now after the extension granted Dec. 2010 until June 30, 2011 there are 9584. These numbers re-enforce the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.'s position that the government did not do due diligence from the beginning to properly notify people who lived and qualified in CFB Gagetown & Surrounding Areas. Many moved to other parts of Canada & the world! Imagine the number of people who have missed this program & the benefits they would receive if there was an on going program to help these people. We are not talking just about ex-gratia but an on going support program for the necessities of life & their future generations! To date the minister of Veterans Affairs Steven Blaney has not responded to our requests or victims letters for further action!! This situation is unacceptable & the minister needs to realize that! Our Association is open at any time to discuss further action with the government.
PEOPLE FROM CFB GAGETOWN & SURROUNDING AREA FROM 1956-1984 can relate our experience with Agent Orange & other harmful herbicides-(soldiers & civilians alike!) Quote below by Nominatissima posted on Nov 7, 2011
"My father, who was a Vietnam veteran and a former Navy SEAL, died many years after his involvement in the war, because of exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange, which the U.S Military sprayed at least 11 million gallons of in Vietnam. Even though it did not happen until much later in his life, my father still lost his life due to the war, specifically, the blatant disregard for considering the health and safety of soldiers and the people of Vietnam by the ones who authorized and carried out the spraying.
Their service and their sacrifice is no less than that of soldiers killed in battle, and they deserve to be remembered and honoured equally, whether their death was brought about by enemy fire, a strange and tragic form of wide-spread “friendly fire” known as Agent Orange."
Deadline approaching:
We want to inform all military service personnel across America who served during the Vietnam War during the period of 1964-1975 that they may be eligible for disability benefits under the Agent Orange program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Vietnam-era veterans who have medical diagnoses for three presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure should file their disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs by August 30 to quality,
This appears to be a new website as of Aug. 26, 2011.:
Although this is specific to Ontario the results of the Fact-Finding Panel will have implications across Canada. It is disappointing that the panel is totally comprised with the scientific communtiy with no membership on the panel from government or those directly affected!
The Independent Fact-Finding Panel On Herbicide 2,4,5-T Terms Of Reference
July 23rd 2011
Star Exclusive: Agent Orange “soaked” Ontario teens
Originally Published On Thu Feb 17 2011
Quote from this news story
“If it’s got 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D as a mixture, it’s Agent Orange and it has dioxin — I guarantee it,” said Dwernychuk, who recently retired as chief scientist from Vancouver-based Hatfield Consultants.
Veteran lukewarm to Layton spraying-inquest promise
April 7th, 2011 - By MICHAEL STAPLES
Do you want a Full Public Inquiry & help for all victims for the spraying of Code Name Agent Orange and other dioxin toxic chemcials that were sprayed from 1956 to 1984 inclusive not just the 2 years that the government chose?
Now is the best time to let your Federal Candidates know what you think about the Agent Orange issue!!
Times still waiting on Agent Orange answers - by Mark Gentili
"We know that Len Ritter was the very guy who approved the use of Agent Orange when he was the head of that department back in the 1980s," he said in Question Period last week. "How can that be independent?"
Complete probe of Agent Orange promised - By BRETT CLARKSON
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont - Despite some confusion, the provincial Agent Orange probe will include both of its chemical ingredients and not just the one, a ministry of natural resources spokesman said Thursday.
Falls woman fears chemical spray made her sick, killed mom - By BRETT CLARKSON
AGENT ORANGE CANADIAN ISSUE-- Discovered in N.B., Ontario, Sask. & several other provinces. Our health & the next 10 generations can be affected by these toxic spray programs by our governments.
"It's extremely persistent," Dwernychuk said. "It can live in the soil for hundreds of years. It can be ingested into the human body, it can be absorbed through the skin, and it can be inhaled. Those are the three modes of entrance into the human body. And it attaches itself to fatty tissues, and these tissues can be in your blood and the lipids in your blood, in any organ, brain — you name it."
Agent Orange panel opposite of independent, Bisson says
MPP Gilles Bission has a good reasons why he is concerned and they are very like the concerns we had/have with the CFB Gagetown investigation project. We have always said you can not investigate yourself and expect the truth come out!!!
Carol Brown Parker
President
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.
youtube Video: VVA & AVVA Join Frederick Residents at Fort Detrick - Frederick residents tell the same stories as told in the CFB Gagetown communities. Military from Fort Detrick came to CFB Gagetown 1966 & 1967 to work with the Canadian military experimenting with Code Names Agent Orange, Purple & White with the permission of our Government!!!
A song & video has been developed as a tribute to the thousands of victims of Code Names Agent Orange, Purple & White who were sprayed at Base Gagetown and Surrounding Communities with these toxic herbicides. The video & song represents the CONTINUED committment of the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. to Advocate and Support for these victims!
These are two of the pictures seen on the video below. Hard to believe they did not dispose of the barrels of Agent Orange, Purple and White in the proper way. Instead some of the barrels ended up as children's play toys as seen in this picture, garbage cans and barbecue fires. Check the writing on the cans and watch the complete video
The following video is 4 mins long and therefore may take time to load depending on your internet speed. Please be patient. CLICK on the triangle in the middle of the video screen to start the video
This can be caused by the following reasons:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer blocks the flash content on your page.
Click the warning in the upper part of the browser and select the Allow Blocked Content... option to continue opening the page. - You need to install or upgrade your Flash Player.
Please visit the Adobe site to download and install the latest version of the Flash Player necessary to be able to display the contents of this page
You can also see this video on youtube
Agent Orange group to keep pressure on feds
January 25th, 2011 - By MICHAEL STAPLES
The Agent Orange Association of Canada says the federal government isn't off the hook yet when it comes to meeting its responsibilities regarding herbicide spraying at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.
Carol Brown Parker, co-president of the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc., said changes announced Dec. 22 by Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn were steps in the right direction, but there's still a lot of work to be done. READ MORE
“WHAT OUR ASSOCIATION CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR“
after December 22, 2010
“WHAT OUR ASSOCIATION CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR“
The Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. supports the changes announced on December 22, 2010 in Fredericton, N. B. by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister Blackburn, as a step in the right direction but there is a lot more work to do!
ITEMS WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR and as of December 22, 2010 our Federal Government has APPROVED & IMPLIMENTED:
1. The Ex-Gratia payment has been continued until June 30, 2011 to obtain a relevant medical diagnosis and to submit an application for the ex gratia payment.
2. Applicants will no longer have to prove that a medical diagnosis was in progress prior to February 6, 2006.
3. The requirement for applicants to have been alive on February 6, 2006 has been removed.
(check ex-gratia page for more info)
WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE for the Military & Civilians who were exposed to these toxic chemicals at CFB Gagetown and Surrounding Areas. Our work is far from over!! We sincerely believe that the following items still need to be responsibly and adequately addressed:
ITEMS OUR ASSOCIATION CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR:
• We advocate for the years of the spraying of Code Names Agent Orange, Agent Purple and White and other toxic herbicides to be changed from 1966-1967 and have our Federal Government recognize the correct dates of 1956 to 1984 when these spray programs occurred.
• Expand the list of diseases to mirror the current Institute of Medicine (IOM) listings and add the diseases caused by Agent Purple and White.
• The introduction of additional programs that support the long term care and livelihood of veterans and civilians who were exposed to these toxic herbicides.
• A disability plan for those suffering from permanent disabilities or terminal health conditions that cannot provide adequate support for themselves or their immediate families do to exposure to Agent Orange and the other toxic herbicides sprayed at the Base and surrounding communities.
• We also advocate for our Federal Government to provide for medical testing of those who believe they have been exposed to these toxic chemicals so they can receive the appropriate medical care.
• Support for an ongoing national program that keeps physicians current on the latest science and medical discoveries associated with Agent Orange and the other toxic herbicides sprayed at Base Gagetown that verifies the link between exposure to these contaminants and human health risk and
• most important, Full Public Inquiry
Carol Brown Parker
Co-President Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.
Head Office, Westfield, N.B., Ph# 506-757-2266
“UPDATE FOR EX-GRATIA”
December 22, 2010
The Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. supports the changes announced on December 22, 2010 in Fredericton, N. B. by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Minister Blackburn, as a step in the right direction but there is a lot more work to do!
Items our Association have been advocating for and as of December 22, 2010 our Federal Government has APPROVED & IMPLEMENTED:
1. The Ex-Gratia payment has been continued until June 30, 2011 to obtain a relevant medical diagnosis and to submit an application for the ex gratia payment.
2. Applicants will no longer have to prove that a medical diagnosis was in progress prior to February 6, 2006.
3. The requirement for applicants to have been alive on February 6, 2006 has been removed.
Please Note ... There seems to be a misconception that the changes as of December 22, 2010 are just for widows. That is in-correct. Please be advised that Ex-Gratia includes Military and Civilians alike not just widows!
Links for the ex-gratia and forms updated information:
LINK for illness, phone # for information, download for form, and detailed eligibility
Applications and Forms to apply
Government Announcement
Third of $96M in Agent Orange compensation never paid to vets
By Kathryn May, Postmedia News - November 25, 2010
-excerpts-
The Harper government has returned more than $33 million set aside to compensate veterans exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange to government coffers after many veterans failed to meet its strict qualifications for payments.
Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn recently confirmed the undistributed funds will remain in the fund.
Liberal Senator Percy Downe said what concerned him is that the money wasn't returned to Veterans Affairs or used to fund assistance for Canadian veterans and their families as was originally intended when the money was set aside.
At the same time, the government has spent nearly $8 million in legal fees fighting those veterans who have launched a lawsuit over the highly restrictive qualifications.
"It would seem that instead of assisting veterans, the unspent $33 million is being used to fight them in court," said Downe.
Downe said the government has never explained its rationale for limiting compensation.
Read the full article at "The Vancouver Sun"
AGENT ORANGE UPDATE: Nov 13, 2010
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. continues it's work with Dr. Kirsty Duncan Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs concerning the chemical spraying of Code Names Agent Orange, Purple & White at CFB Gagetown & Surrounding Areas 1956 to 1984.
Dr. Kirsty Duncan has tabled an Order Paper Q-566... link provided below. The present government has 45 days starting November 12, 2010 to answer these questions. We look forward to engaging our present government in these discussions with the goal of achieving adequate help and compensation for all the victims.
This will be an on going process but I am confident our perseverance will prevail!
Dr Kirsty Duncan's ORDER PAPER (go down to Question Q-566)
Carol Brown Parker
Co-PresidentAgent Orange Association of Canada Inc.
Head Office Westfield N.B. 506-757-2266
No more spraying compensation - Veterans minister
The Daily Gleaner - Published Saturday October 23rd, 2010
Minister Blackburn states Ex-Gratia compensation over for Agent Orange spraying at CFB Gagetown.
From the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.'s perspective the CFB Gagetown spraying of Military & Civilians has never been about the Ex-Gratia compensation. From our Association's point of view it has everything to do with our Federal Government coming forward, admitting of this wrong doing to our Canadian Citizens and providing adequate medical testing, medical care, drug coverage and compensation in terms of support to maintain their livelihood. We also advocate for a mirror of the Institute of Medicines listing of diseases associated with the chemical spraying of these deadly Dioxins Code Names Agent Orange, Purple & White.
Finely an apology from the Federal Government for these deadly spray programs administered by the government on the Canadian Military & Civilian men, women and children of CFB Gagetown & Surrounding Areas from 1956 to 1984. These victims were not informed of the serious medical consequences to their future health. Instead they were told the chemicals were safe enough to drink!!!!
The Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. will continue to advocate for the victims of this Atrocity until such time as our Federal Government acknowledges these wrong doings and provides adequate help and compensation for all of those affected.
Carol Brown Parker
Co-President
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. aka (AOAC Inc.)
Head Office: Westfield N.B. 506-757-2266
Veterans suffering from Lou Gehrig's to get benefits, home-care support
TELEGRAPH JOURNAL - dated October 16, 2010
"Veterans will have ALS covered
Minister Blackburn's quote "Never again do I want to hear of a Veteran with ALS who has expended his last ounces of energy fighting for the help he deserves."
The government of Canada has been reluctant to fund benefits for Veterans suffering from ALS because there is no medical consensus on whether the disease is related to military service. Minister Blackburn seems to be more open minded when it comes to our Veterans who are suffering from illnesses that are indirectly related to their military service.
As well Minister Blackburn seems to be more proactive in addressing the needs of our Veterans. I have this opinion because of the letters I have written to Minister Blackburn and his replies. Lets hope this trend continues.
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. would advocate that Minister Blackburn look at the health issues related to the spraying of Code Names Agent Orange, Purple & White at CFB Gagetown between 1956 & 1984 with the same open mindedness in favor of our military and civilians affected by these chemical sprayings.
Carol Brown Parker
Co-President
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. aka (AOAC Inc.)
Head Office Westfield N.B.
506-757-2266
Spraying compensation deadline approaching
Published Thursday September 9th, 2010 By MICHAEL STAPLES
staples.michael@dailygleaner.com
Canadians eligible to receive Agent Orange ex gratia payments must submit their applications before the end of next week.
The original April 1, 2009, deadline was extended by 18 months last year to accommodate individuals where circumstances beyond their control resulted in missing the deadline.
But Veterans Affairs Canada said that window is closing and all applications must be in by Sept. 17 in order to meet the Oct. 1 payment deadline.
"Applications continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis, therefore we are asking all individuals to fill out their application as soon as possible, before Sept. 17," Veterans Affairs Canada said in a news release.
The federal government announced a $95.6-million compensation package in the fall of 2007 for veterans and civilians affected by the U.S. military's spraying of Agent Orange at Gagetown during the 1960s.
But in order to qualify for a $20,000 ex gratia payment, applicants must be diagnosed with one or more of the following medical conditions: chronic lymphocytic leukemia, soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, chloracne, respiratory cancer (of the lung/ bronchus, larynx or trachea), prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, early onset transient peripheral neuropathy, porphyria cutanea tarda, Type 2 diabetes and spina bifida.
Individuals must also have worked or trained at CFB Gagetown, or lived in a community any part of which was within five kilometres of CFB Gagetown when Agent Orange was tested in 1966 and 1967.
Monetary awards were also considered for primary caregivers of qualifying individuals who died on or after Feb. 6, 2006 - the date the federal Tories took office.
Janice Summerby, a media relations adviser with Veterans Affairs Canada, said the department has received 465 applications - 271 in the past six months - since the April 1, 2009, deadline.
To date, 297 applications have been processed and 193 of these have been approved for a total of $3.86 million
"The total amount awarded for the entire program to date is $58.8 million," Summerby said.
Carol Brown Parker of Westfield, co-president of the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc., said one of the things her association is working towards is an extension of the five kilometre radius required for compensation.
"We feel, from what we see, that it's more than five kilometres. It's at least 19," Brown Parker said. "There are a number of changes that we want."
Brown Parker said the whole issue of compensation and herbicide spraying at CFB Gagetown will be looked at by a committee this fall, which she will be part of.
An all-party committee of the House of Commons could decide this fall, following the completion of the study, whether to recommend a public inquiry into the spraying of Agent Orange and other defoliants at CFB Gagetown.
An The Associated Press story last month reported that because of worries about Agent Orange, an estimated 270,000 Vietnam veterans in the U.S. are being compensated for diabetes, while tens of thousands of other claims for ailments of age - erectile dysfunction among them - are getting paid as well.
Heart disease, Parkinson's disease and certain types of leukemia are also being added to the list of conditions in the U.S. that might be connected to Agent Orange.
Reminder: Still a Few Days to Apply for Agent Orange Ex Gratia Payment
JONQUIÈRE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Sept. 2, 2010) - The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture), would like to remind Canadians who may be eligible to receive Agent Orange ex gratia payments that they must submit their applications before September 17, 2010.
In September 2007, the Government of Canada offered a one-time, tax-free, ex gratia payment of $20,000 related to the testing of unregistered U.S. military herbicides, including Agent Orange, at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown in New Brunswick during the summers of 1966 and 1967. The deadline for applications was April 1, 2009. An 18-month period beyond this application deadline was provided where circumstances beyond the control of the applicant resulted in missing the deadline.
To allow time for processing late applications within the legal time limits, Veterans Affairs Canada encourages individuals to submit their complete applications before September 17, 2010. Applications must include all necessary supporting information in order to meet the October 1, 2010 payment deadline.
Applications continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis, therefore we are asking all individuals to fill out their application as soon as possible, before September 17.
As of July 31, 2010, more than 2,800 applicants have received the tax-free, ex gratia payment, for a total of $57.6 million paid out to Canadians.
For more information, visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca or call 1-866-522-2122.
Backgrounder
Agent Orange Ex Gratia Payment
The Government of Canada offered a one-time, tax-free ex gratia payment of $20,000 related to the testing of unregistered U.S. military herbicides, including Agent Orange, at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Gagetown in New Brunswick during the summers of 1966 and 1967—the only known time and place that unregistered U.S. military herbicides were ever used or tested in Canada.
The deadline for applications was April 1, 2009; however, an 18-month period beyond this application deadline was provided where circumstances beyond the control of the applicant resulted in missing the deadline. Veterans Affairs Canada's authority to make the ex gratia payments ceases on October 1, 2010.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the ex gratia payment, individuals must have been diagnosed with a condition associated with Agent Orange, as determined by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine. Individuals must also have worked or trained at CFB Gagetown, or lived in a community any part of which was within five kilometres of CFB Gagetown when Agent Orange was tested in 1966 and 1967.
For more information or to apply, visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca or call 1-866-522-2122.
“Agent Orange Town Hall Meeting”
PLACE: Days Inn & Conference Centre, Salon A
ADDRESS: 60 Brayson Blvd., Oromocto, N.B.
DATE: Thursday, July 22, 2010
TIME: 7:00 P.M.
“HEAD TABLE PARTICIPANTS”
Hon. Rob Oliphant Federal M.P. and Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs
Hon. Judy Sgro Federal M.P. Liberal Critic for Pensions and Seniors
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. (Carol Brown Parker Co-Pres.)
Merchant Law Group (Class Action Lawsuit Representative)
Widows on the Warpath (Bette Hudson)
“AGENDA”
7:00 P.M. Opening Remarks Introduction of the Panel - Rob Oliphant, M.P.
7:10 P.M Presentation from Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. (Carol Brown Parker) Co-President
7:20 P.M. Presentation from Widows on a Warpath (Bette Hudson)
7:25 P.M. Remarks from Hon. Judy Sgro, M.P.
7:30 P.M. Question and comments from the audience
8:30 P.M. Closing comments from Hon. Judy Sgro, M.P.
8:35pm Closing remarks from Rob Oliphant, M.P.
8:45pm Media Availability
Everyone who needs information and supports our fight to challenge our Federal Government to provide additional support including medical testing, medications and financial compensation for our the victims of the chemical spraying of CFB Gagetown and Surrounding areas should attend. Donations to help the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.to continue this fight on your behalf would be appreciated!
We will not give up this fight until we achieve the help necessary for the victims of this toxic spraying Attrocity at CFB Gagetown and Surrounding Areas, civilians & military alike!
NEWS RELEASE: Senator Percy E. Downe (Charlottetown)
June 23, 2010
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson: Tough on Veterans>BR>
In response to a Written Question he tabled in the Senate, Charlottetown Senator Percy Downe has confirmed that Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has spent over $7.8 million on legal fees to fight veterans and their widows on compensation for exposure to Agent Orange.
“The legal costs incurred by the Government of Canada have increased from just over $2 million in 2008, to over $7.8 million as of March 2010,” said Downe.
Prime Minister Harper made a promise during the 2006 federal election, when he stated, “Our government will stand up for full compensation for persons exposed to defoliant spraying during the period from 1956 to 1984. We’ll disclose all information concerning the spraying to veterans and civilians, and will provide medical testing to anyone who may have been exposed.”
On September 12, 2007, the Harper Government announced a disappointing compensation package for those affected by the spraying of Agent Orange, offering payment only to those who served between 1966 and 1967. In order to receive the compensation that was promised to them, and force Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour his commitment, these deserving Canadian veterans and their families have had to undertake a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada.
“The Prime Minister’s supportive and comforting words towards Canadian veterans continue to be contradicted by the actions of his government – these surviving veterans and their families have waited long enough – it is time to stop paying lawyers and start paying our veterans the debt to which they are owed,” concluded Downe.
AGENT ORANGE COMPENSATION DEADLINE NOW Sept 17, 2010 extended from April 1, 2010
Agent Orange compensation deadline Sept. 17
Fri. Jun 11, 2010 - 7:33 AM
People who worked at or lived near CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick more than 40 years ago have a little time left to apply for Agent Orange-related compensation.
Veterans Affairs Canada bureaucrat Barry Gallant said all information must be in by Sept. 17. Gallant also told the provincial veterans affairs committee Thursday that there is no authorization for payments after Oct. 1.
Ottawa announced a compensation program in 2007 for people who worked at or lived within five kilometres of the New Brunswick military base in 1966 or 1967.
The federal compensation is $20,000.
Please note that when you send your application enclose a letter stating why you did not apply originally before deadline of April 1, 2010. An example would be I had no access to this information, was not aware etc. Also note it is being called COMPENSATION not EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS.
Any questions please call the governments phone # 1-866-522-2122
Carol Brown Parker
Co-President
Agent Orange Associaition of Canada Inc.
One large question comes to mind....
Why and how did the application acceptance date change?
The original final date of accepting the applications for ex-gratia was April 1, 2009.
Now on Jun 11, 2010 we saw The Chronicle Harold newspaper out of Halifax, that the final date for acceptance date is NOW Sept 17th, 2010.
18 months has passed between the dates... therefore the question stands and the added question might be "What brought about the change of date for applying for the ex-gratia payment.
The GAGETOWN-MOVIE WEBSITE AND TRAILER and
The FOX NEWS story
Please watch the trailer of the spraying of Agent Orange, Purple & White on CFB Gagetown and surrounding areas HERE Be patient and let it load.
Check it out, and then tell FOX about what happened from 1956 to 1984 in CFB Gagetown! FOX news just ran a story about American soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts, who trained at Gagetown and were exposed to Agent Orange, Purple & White. Now we have American troops poisoned in Canada too. Perhaps if we all write then Fox will cover the story of CFB Gagetown's and surrounding areas chemical poisioning.
READ "FOX NEWS" story of the American soldiers who came to CFB Gagetown New Brunswick Canada to train. There is also a video at the top left of the NEWS page.
The following data is from the House of Commons Hansard #31 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session April 22nd, 2010 (Question #136) and can be read Here
Questions Posed by:
Liberal - Rob Oliphant Don Valley West, ON
With regard to the Agent Orange ex gratia payments:
Response by:
Conservative - Jean-Pierre Blackburn Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the response is as follows:
UPDATE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGENT ORANGE - March 30, 2010
On March 30, Kenneth Dobbie received the following couriered letter from Tony Merchant, Kenneth has quoted this letter verbatim. However, what Kenneth cannot put here is the attached 143 pages of the Regina argument which was argued just yesterday and the day before on March 29 and March 30, 2010. The Newfoundland Court of Appeal document can be read on our website.
Tony Merchant's letter -
"Dear Ken
As you likely know, the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador over-ruled certification. We believe the same errors of merits based analysis and predominance were made in that Court of Appeal as we saw in the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench. Whether we can right the ship through an Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada or success in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal is a matter that remains to be seen, but clearly things are going poorly. I enclose a copy of our Saskatchewan submissions for the Regina argument of March 29 and 30 and the judgement from the Newfoundland Court of Appeal.
Yours Truly,
Tony"
Kenneth's comments:
Reading the enclosed documents that Mr. Merchant has sent me verify to me that the arguments in the Saskatchewan Court are powerful and evidence oriented. Whether the justices of the SK court will give their thumbs up remains to be seen and that opinion will again take some months to be handed down.
It is clear that unless the arguments in the Saskatchewan court yield us a victory, then we will be headed to the Supreme Court of Canada, which is where I have always thought this would eventually end up when I started the class action in Federal Court on July 12, 2005. It is hard to believe that almost five years have gone by.
The Agent Orange Associaton of Canada Inc. www.agentorangecanada.com and Art Connolly's website, www.agentorangealert.com are purely for information and the telling of what happened at CFB Gagetown and the surrounding communities. It needs to be told to the world and we will persevere in maintaining an online presence to educate, inform, persuade and generally make sure that the atrocity of the spraying programs of DND over a period of 28, and the victims will not be ignored.
VA chief reopens Gulf War claims
Mar 24, 2010 - The article can be read here
You probably won’t see any benefits from it in the next several months or even this year, but the Department of Veterans Affairs is going to take another look at the disability claims of veterans who served in the Gulf War.
Additionally -- and this is big -- the VA is going to train staff not to tell veterans that the illnesses are all in their head, that they’re imagining it.
This comes on the heels of the VA adding three more conditions to the list of illnesses presumed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange: B-cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease.
Behind this change is retired U.S. Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Last fall, a task force took a hard look at the Gulf War benefits issue. Shinseki’s choice to lead the task force: a retired Army colonel who was in the Gulf in 1991. And Shinseki read the Gulf illness study done by the Institute of Medicine, believed it, and made the decision to reopen claims. His top priority, he’s said, is taking care of the backlog.
So, who is this Shinseki guy anyway?
Shinseki is the real deal. Started at West Point, first stop Vietnam. Was a forward observer when he was wounded the first time. Three years later, he was back in Vietnam, a squadron commander in the 5th Cav when he was wounded a second time (land mine). Lots of medals and oak-leaf clusters. Came back and started climbing the ladder, with commands all over the world -- including the Gulf. His final post was Army chief of staff.
We’ll need to keep an eye out, but so far he’s aiming the VA in the right direction.
Agent Orange
It recently came to light in a news piece that there was yet another site in the world where U.S. soldiers could have been exposed to Agent Orange. In this case, exposure occurred while training in New Brunswick, Canada, at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.
Gagetown is listed as an Agent Orange site by the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, the VA’s Agent Orange Web site says the exposure was only from December 1966 to October 1967, and work was carried out by Fort Detrick’s Plant Science Lab personnel.
Then in another place the dates were June 21-24, 1967.
There’s a problem here when it comes to filing claims. If you have illnesses that are likely caused by Agent Orange exposure, you need to prove you were in a place that had been sprayed. While Agent Orange-caused illnesses are presumptive if you served in Vietnam, you still have to prove certain facts to get compensation, such as where you were and when, especially if you weren’t in Vietnam. And the dates above comprise a very narrow window of possible exposure at Gagetown.
The truth: Agent Orange was used from 1956 to 1984 at Gagetown. The base was apparently saturated with the stuff (as well as Agents Purple, Blue and White) for 28 years -- even contaminating crops nearby and making people ill -- before and after the times that U.S. service members were there.
More veterans eligible for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure - January 24, 2010
read the full article here
By Liz McMahan - Phoenix Staff Writer
More former military personnel may be entitled to benefits after the list of medical conditions related to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam was expanded.
Sam Jarvis, director of the VA Regional Office, said the Department of Veterans Affairs will have people at a meeting here Wednesday to answer questions about Agent Orange benefits for those who served in Vietnam.
Their widows may also be entitled to some benefits for some conditions, Jarvis said.
Anyone needing claims information or to file a claim may be helped in individual sessions after the group meeting, Jarvis said.
The meeting is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee, who plans to hold similar sessions throughout the Second District, said Phil Driskill, chairman of Boren’s Veterans Affairs Committee.
Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy, Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to the present, a news release from the Department of Veterans Affairs states. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.
The government recently added three more conditions: B cell leukemia, ischemic heart disease and Parkinson’s disease to its list of conditions recognized as being related to Agent Orange, Driskill said.
THIS JUST IN FROM TELEGRAPH JOURNAL EXCLUSIVE: - January 16 2010
Greg Thompson the minister of Veterans Affairs resign's effective immediately his responsibilities as minister. He will remain as a member of parliament until the next federal election and will not re-offer!
Carol Brown Parker & Kenneth Dobbie
Co-Presidents Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. aka AOAC Inc.
The Honourable Senator Downe asked the Government of Canada to provide the cost of fighting against the Canadian Veterans' class action lawsuit, on January 26, 2009. The full question and the response, received on May 6th, can be read here or on the MerchantLaw Class Action page.
Mr. Art Connolly obtained the cost of the BGAFFP (Base Gagetown & Area Fact Finding Project) which can be read here.
These 2 financial expenditures show that up til May 2009, the government (DND/VAC) expenditures concerning the Chemical atrocity at Gagetown NB totalled $7,372,343.06 while so many veterans/civilians received little or no assistance due to their illnesses.
The Government could have owned up to their mistakes and permitted this money to be pooled to assist the victims....
Marlene Jennings holds News Conference on AGENT ORANGE MOTION
OTTAWA
- Liberal Deputy House Leader, the Honourable Marlene Jennings, will hold a news conference to discuss her recent motion calling on the Conservative government to hold a full public inquiry for the v...ictims of Agent Orange.
Date: December 8, 2009
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington Street, Ottawa
WHO:
-- The Honourable Marlene Jennings, P.C., M.P.,
Deputy House Leader for the Official Opposition and
Liberal Critic for Democratic Reform and Government Ethics
--The Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, P.C., M.P.
Defence Liberal Critic for National
--Affairs Mr. Rob Oliphant, M.P.
Liberal Critic for Veterans
--Mrs. Carol Brown Parker
Agent Orange Association of Canada. Inc.
The National Press Theatre is only accessible to journalists accredited through the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
Our Association would like to thank the Hon. Marlene Jennings for taking our suggestion of using the $48 million previously allocated to ex-gratia to the victims of Agent Orange, to be used for a Full Judicial Public Inquiry and to conduct medical testing including Genetic changes due to exposure to Dioxin.
We would also like to thank the following Members of Parliament for their help and support!
The Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, P.C., M.P.
Defence Liberal Critic for National
Affairs Mr. Rob Oliphant, M.P.
Liberal Critic for Veterans
Carol Brown Parker
Co-President
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. AKA AOAC Inc.
LIBERALS INTRODUCE PARLIAMENTARY MOTION CALLING ON GOVERNMENT TO HELP AGENT ORANGE VICTIMS
By Dave Pugliese Thu, Dec 3 2009
Liberal Deputy House Leader, Marlene Jennings
has introduced a motion calling on the Conservative government to assist those Canadians who were affected by the use of Agent Orange. Press release from Jennings’ office:
“Between 1956 and 1984, countless Canadians have been exposed to the effects of toxic herbicides including Agent Orange, Agent Purple and Agent White,” said Mrs. Jennings. “It is the duty of this government to rectify this situation and to assist these victims and their families.”
Agent Orange is a highly toxic chemical herbicide that when used on plants, causes their leaves to fall off. Although it commonly used by the United States during the Vietnam War, according to documents obtained through the Access to Information Act in 2005, over three million litres of these toxic herbicides were sprayed as part of a testing program in the area surrounding Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, in New Brunswick, between 1956 and 1984.
“Approximately 315,000 Canadian soldiers trained at CFB Gagetown during this period of time,” said Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal Critic for National Defence. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians, who used this training area for recreation, may also have also been exposed to these chemicals.”
Exposure to Agent Orange has been linked to numerous medical diseases, including various forms of cancer, tumours, and mental and physical disabilities. Victims, and their children, have repeatedly demanded that the federal government hold a full public inquiry on the issue.
Mrs. Jennings’ motion, which is endorsed by the Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc., calls upon the government to conduct this inquiry. In particular, the motion demands that the federal government use the remaining $48 million previously allocated for ex-gratia payments to Agent Orange victims for an inquiry, as well as that this money be used for the medical testing of victims.
Mr. Rob Oliphant, who is the Liberal Critic for Veterans Affairs, expressed his support for the motion. “The Prime Minister, in 2006, promised to conduct an investigation into this matter. Now, almost four years later, victims continue to wait, while this government continues to sit on its hands,” said Mr. Oliphant.
Mrs. Jennings has reiterated her support for the victims. “These individuals were serving their country, and now are experiencing life-threatening medical conditions,” said Mrs. Jennings. “The Harper government has an obligation to get to the bottom of this issue and to stand up for all victims of this tragedy.”
Nov 11, 2009 -
Veteran wins groundbreaking claim for Agent Orange exposure at Georgia military base
A U.S. veteran living in Tennessee has won what's thought to be the first Veterans Administration claim for exposure inside the continental United States to Agent Orange, an herbicide that was used by the military to clear jungles during the Vietnam War.
Click here to read more
At least some of the US Senators are applying common sense and attempting to move forward in a positive way which our Canadian Government officials can and should do. It is obvious the Agent Orange issue with the American government is moving forward and is getting more political focus. We need our Canadian Government to act in a similiar manner and recognize the injustice that they imposed on our Canadian Military and Civilians of CFB Gagetown and Surrounding areas.
Gillibrand seeks change in Agent Orange policy
By Brian Tumulty • Journal Washington bureau • October 23, 2009
Wayne Rademaker underwent prostate cancer surgery in 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs denied him coverage, even though he'd been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1969.
"They changed the wording, saying if you didn't have feet on the ground, you weren't part of the war,'' Rademaker said.
Until that policy shift, Rademaker had received a free annual VA physical to check for service-related illnesses.
Some New York lawmakers want to reverse the VA policy.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation this week in the Senate to cover Navy, Air Force and other personnel who came into contact with Agent Orange at sea or while loading aircraft used to deliver it. Veterans who received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal automatically would be covered.
An identical bill introduced in May in the House has 180 sponsors, including New York Reps. John Hall, D-Dover, Eric Massa, D-Corning, Mike Arcuri, D-Utica, Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, and Nita Lowey, D-Harrison.
Gillibrand said she became aware of the issue from a veterans' advisory committee she set up while serving as a House member representing the Hudson Valley.
"These veterans are being treated very poorly,'' she said.
Passage of the legislation - which would increase the VA's health care costs - may be difficult.
Recent scientific findings, such as a study this year by the Institute of Medicine, have added to the large body of evidence that exposure to Agent Orange increases the risk of health problems such as heart disease or Parkinson's.
New York's junior senator also has introduced another bill, the Agent Orange Children's Study, that would require the VA to examine the possibility that chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and asthma in children can be traced to their parent's exposure to Agent Orange.
The American Legion praises VA for "overdue but welcome" help for more Agent Orange victims
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
WASHINGTON -- The American Legion's national commander says he is pleased by the Department of Veterans Affairs' just announced recognition of the herbicide Agent Orange as a culprit in three more illnesses plaguing Vietnam veterans. The VA's decision was in reaction to the latest in a series of "Veterans and Agent Orange" reports from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
"The VA's establishment of exposure to Agent Orange as a contributor to hairy cell leukemia (HCL) -- a rare form of cancer -- Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease (IHD) is perhaps overdue, but welcome, said Clarence E. Hill. "It means many more Vietnam veterans will be afforded the VA health care and benefits they deserve. I offer sincere thanks to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki for this action. As a Vietnam veteran himself, I am sure General Shinseki's interest in this matter was intense and personal."
Agent Orange is a herbicide that was employed during the Vietnam war to defoliate heavily forested areas and thus remove concealment for enemy troops. It is estimated that more than 21-million gallons of the highly toxic chemical were sprayed over rural areas of South Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. Its poisonous effects were not restricted to vegetation, as intended, but sickened and killed humans as well.
American troops exposed to Agent Orange began showing various symptoms of illness early on, but the military service connection to defoliant-caused disease was not readily made. The American Legion played a significant role in making that connection and lobbying for its official recognition by the Department of Veterans Affairs. HCL, IHD and Parkinson's disease will soon join a long list of illnesses thought to plague Vietnam veterans who came in contact with Agent Orange.
"While we are happy with the announcement, we will continue to work with medical experts to explore connections between Agent Orange and respiratory disorders such as asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia and tuberculosis as well as gastrointestinal diseases, liver toxicity, thyroid disease, homeostasis, endometriosis and others," Hill said. "We will also be anxiously awaiting VA's long overdue official decision on the suspected connection between herbicides and hypertension - the harbinger of so many other serious disorders.
"It should be remembered that Agent Orange exposure was not limited to just ‘boots on the ground' in country," Hill continued. "Veterans exposed to Agent Orange included blue water Navy sailors, among others. They, too, deserve the care and benefits to be afforded other victims. "There are 900-thousand Vietnam-era veterans in Legion ranks alone, so we have a huge stake in this," Hill said.
With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.
AGENT ORANGE PAYOUT PROGRAM UNDER BUDGET
OTTAWA - As of May 28, the federal government had spent $48.5 million, paying $20,000 ex-gratia payments to 2,426 eligible victims of the spraying of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown. The government had estimated 4,500 people could be eligible for the payment. The cost of payouts so far has been $38.9 million less than the government budgeted.
Clearly the Ex-Gratia Canadian Government Payout scheme was too restrictive! What the government should do with the remainder of the budget is allocate the funds for a Full Judicial Public Inquiry! The results of this type of inquiry would then provide all those deserving of help the assistance they need and deserve.
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc. (aka AOAC Inc.) is working with the goal of achieving the Full Judicial Public Inquiry. We will not be deterred from our mission!!
CBCNEWS! Sept 23, 09
"The federal government and two chemical companies went to court Wednesday in a bid to stop a class-action lawsuit launched by people who claim they developed cancer after being exposed to Agent Orange at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick."
Read the full report.
THIS is the reason we need YOUR SIGNED PETITIONS!!!
We need your signed Petitions to show our government that the citizens of Canada WANT and NEED a " Full Judicial Public Inquiry" into the spraying of TOXIC Chemicals at CFB Gagetown and Surrounding Communities.
Therefore, please forward your government approved petitions you are working on as soon as possible and if you have not started, please print the ENGLISH / FRENCH (Ottawa Approved Forms) petitions and have as many people sign as you can, to show your support!!! We need thousands to be heard!
Thank "YOU" for your help.
WE NEED YOUR INVOLVEMENT !
Do you believe there have been confusion and a lack of complete openness by our Government?
Do you have 18 friends?
If you believe in our request for TRUTH by asking for a Public Inquiry and you have 18 friends, then you can help by obtaining 19 signatures on a petition sheet.
There are online petitions for many things, our cause included, BUT online petitions cannot be presented in the House of Commons because they do not have ‘written signatures’, therefore online petitions result in no formal response. We desire a formal response from the Government on this topic.
This call for your assistance is to allow us to obtain legal written signatures on ‘approved petition sheets’ which will then be presented to the Government via the House of Commons.
English and French copies of our petition which have been approved for format and wording by the Procedural Clerk, Private Members’ Business, House of Commons, Centre Block, Ottawa.
Click on “ENGLISH” or “FRENCH”, print a copy or copies and obtain ‘Canadian Citizen Signatures’ and mail the completed petition(s), as soon as you have 19 signatures, to:
Agent Orange Association of Canada Inc.
42 Sunnyside Drive
GrandBay-Westfield, N.B.
E5K 3M4
Those that have had these approved petitions since early May, 2009 should continue with getting signatures and mail the competed petition(s) to the above address….
THANK YOU !!.. for your help in obtaining a Full Transparent Judicial Inquiry!!
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