News Release

Poll Reveals Canadian “Obligation” to Ensure Jobs for our Veterans

Commissionaires survey sheds light on “New Canadian Veteran”

November 10, 2008, Vancouver, BC – Nearly 90 per cent of Canadians (89 per cent) believe we have an obligation to ensure our veterans find meaningful employment after they’ve finished their service in the Canadian Forces, according to a poll conducted for Commissionaires by Nanos Research. The survey also revealed that 88 per cent of Canadians believe that reservists serving their country should have their civilian jobs protected while they are on duty with the Canadian Forces. Currently, a patchwork of provincial policies means that only some reservists’ civilian jobs are protected.

“Some Canadians hold this narrow view of veterans as aging heroes from the Second World War. But in reality, we have thousands of “new veterans” in their twenties and thirties who have served with distinction here and abroad, and have retired from the Canadian Forces (CF). They deserve a place in the workforce,” noted Paul Guindon, Chairman of Commissionaires’ National Business Management Committee. “True to Commissionaires’ mandate, we’re recruiting many new veterans and non-veterans to fill jobs we have available right now.”

Commissionaires, an organization established in 1925 to provide meaningful employment for Canadian veterans returning from war, released the survey on Remembrance Day to focus public attention not just on our soldiers’ past sacrifices, but also on our national obligation to help veterans make the transition to civilian life. For more than 80 years, Commissionaires has been employing veterans in a broad range of civilian roles. Commissionaires is currently recruiting for many open positions across the country in security, digital fingerprinting services, bylaw enforcement, security consulting and training. As well, Commissionaires’ standing policy has always been to keep reservists’ jobs open when they are away serving their country. In fact, Commissionaires will also work to the greatest extent possible to hire any reservist who returns without the security of a job.

The poll also showed that slightly more than 66 per cent of Canadians imagine someone over 40 when they think of the term “war veteran” while less than 25 per cent think of someone in their twenties or thirties. With the Canadian Forces now active in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, it is timely to begin to reorient Canadians’ perceptions of veterans.

In western Canada, the results were similar:

  • 86 percent of respondents believe that employers should guarantee reservists jobs while they’re serving, compared to the national average of 88 percent.
  • As well, 62 percent of those surveyed in the western provinces imagine a war veteran as someone over 40 while the national average was 66 percent.

 

“The results show what we already believed – British Columbia stands behind Canada’s veterans and shows a stronger awareness of the thousands of young veterans in Canada than the national average,” says Allen Batchelar, CEO of Commissionaires British Columbia. “We hope that even more BC residents will begin to recognize Canada’s new veterans as the young and vibrant individuals they are. It’s what we see every day,” he concluded.

See regional survey results for Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

The national random telephone survey of 1,000 Canadians was conducted by Nanos Research between August 20th and August 27th, 2008. A sample of 1,000 Canadians has a margin of accuracy of plus or minus 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.

“Canadians clearly feel strongly about the need to support our troops when their service in the forces draws to a close,” commented Nik Nanos, founder of Nanos Research.

About Commissionaires
Commissionaires was founded to provide meaningful employment for former Canadian Forces and RCMP personnel. The organization has long been recognized as Canada’s premier security provider, protecting people and property for public and private sector clients from coast to coast. While employing leading-edge technology in delivering security services, Commissionaires has remained true to its roots by providing employment to those making the transition to civilian life after active service in the military and police forces. Commissionaires’ services and security solutions include: security guarding, enforcement, identification services, training and security consulting. The integrity, strong work ethic, proven skills and discipline of Commissionaires give clients confidence and security everyday, everywhere.

For more information, please contact:

Allen Batchelar
Commissionaires British Colombia
T 604 646 3331
C 604 219 0733
ceo@commissionaires.bc.ca

Patricia Robitaille
PR Strategies
T 604 873 0080
C 604 230 0530
probitaille@shaw.ca

Donna D’Arcy
Commissionaires
T 416 364 4496 E444
C 416 458 0276
ddarcy@commissionaires.ca

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