OTTAWA, ON, February 19, 2004 - The National Council of Veteran Associations expressed both pleasure and surprise at the announcement of the Federal Government regarding compensation for soldiers who were exposed to toxic elements on an experimental basis in World War II.

We have been working on this situation for more than seven years,” Cliff Chadderton, Chairman of the 48-member NCVA, stated today.

He indicated that, in his opinion, the decision of the Government was prompted primarily by the threat indicated in the filing of a Notice of Intent to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The gist of that notice was as follows:

Canada was guilty of violating three sacred principles, namely:

• the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the use of soldiers in human experiments;
• transgressions of the established rules of warfare; and
• the acceptable protection which should be afforded to military personnel.

Chadderton indicated that it was impossible to say whether the amount would be sufficient, as it would depend upon a number of factors. Firstly, a large percentage of the veterans would already have passed on. Secondly, their widows would be eligible under certain circumstances and, in this particular instance, it may include members of the extended family of the injured veteran.

The use of Canadian soldiers for experimental testing for toxic chemicals was the only instance of its kind in World War II in the Allied nations,” Chadderton concluded.