The Canadian government declared the Merchant Marine an essential arm of our fighting service during the Second World War. Yet, after the war, the government did not recognize merchant seamen as veterans and withheld from them many veterans benefits. The compensation package announced since, removes the "black mark" that hung over Canadian veterans programs.

• Merchant Seamen Compensation
• War Amps Rebuts Veterans Affairs
• Presentation to the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs
• Backgrounder - Essential Facts and Time-Line

News Releases

2002

• 02-11-16 - War Amps Cliff Chadderton to Speak at Victoria Ballet Honouring Merchant Navy 
• 02-03-06 - Ossie MacLean, Merchant Navy Leader Dies 

2001

• 01-05-07 - National Veterans Organizations Thank Government For Full Funding For Merchant Seamen 

2000

• 00-08-14 - NCVA Asks for Immediate Merchant Navy Payments 
• 00-08-08 - NCVA Opposed to Merchant Navy Hunger Strike 
• 00-04-06 - Merchant Navy Will Apparently Receive Full Benefits 
• 00-02-02 - Merchant Navy Compensation Granted 

1999

• 99-12-21 - Gov't May Have Inflated Merchant Navy Numbers 
• 99-12-15 - Agreement by Veterans Organizations on Merchant Navy Compensation 
• 99-10-28 - NCVA Statement re: Merchant Navy Compensation 
• 99-10-12 - Merchant Navy Group and NCVA Do Not Support Hunger Strike 
• 99-07-13 - Merchant Navy Vets Advised to Take "Statesman-Like" Approach 
• 99-06-10 - Veterans Were Supportive of Merchant Navy Despite Committee Chair's Claims 
• 99-06-09 - NCVA Says Parliamentary Committee Report Perpetuates "Black Mark" Against Merchant Navy 
• 99-05-19 - Veterans and Government Officials Battle on the Internet 
• 99-04-29 - Veterans Group Urges Government to Remove Black Mark in Failure to Provide Merchant Seamen Benefits
• 99-02-17 - NCVA and Merchant Navy Groups Approve Plan for Committee Study 
• 99-01-25 - War Amps Video Claims Government Purposely Denied Veterans Benefits to Merchant Seamen 

1998

• 98-11-26 - Government Statement: Lauds Merchant Navy 
• 98-11-03 - Merchant Seamen Reject Veterans Affairs Consultation Offer 
• 98-10-30 - NCVA Backs Merchant Seamen 
• 98-10-01 - War Amps Presents Cheque to Merchant Navy Protesters 
• 98-09-29 - National Council of Veterans Approves of Merchant Navy Demands 

Submission

The Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs - April 29, 1999

1. Briefing Notes (PDF)
2. Précis (PDF)
3. Critique (PDF)

War Amps Documentaries & Videos

• "Sail or Jail": Merchant Seamen's Claim for Benefits

Links

• Veterans Affairs Canada