June 6th, 2013
A Nanos national survey released today by Commissionaires, revealed a growing concern among Canadians with the plight of modern veterans, many of whom are struggling to make the transition from the Canadian Forces to civilian life.
An astonishing 94 per cent of those surveyed (an increase from 89 per cent in 2009) believe that Canadians have an obligation to ensure our modern veterans find meaningful employment after they've finished their service in the Canadian Forces.
“We have always observed Remembrance Day in this country to remember the sacrifice our veterans have made in defence of Canada,” noted Ted Barris, military historian and bestselling author. “This survey tells us that Canadians not only honour our soldiers who have fallen, but they care about our modern vets who have faltered in the transition from the Canadian Forces to the next stage in their lives.”
The survey probed Canadians on their views and attitudes towards the hardship many modern veterans confront when their military service draws to a close and they begin to look for their next career. The survey reported that nearly 43 per cent of Canadians feel that today's veterans have a more difficult time making the transition to civilian life compared to veterans in the past, while only 28 per cent thought they have an easier time of it today.
More than half of Canadians (51.8 per cent) believe that the support veterans affected by conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are receiving today is inadequate. Finally, the survey showed that while 82.1 per cent of Canadians think primarily of veterans of the first and second world wars on Remembrance Day, 88.9 per cent believe that all vets, whenever and wherever they served, should be honoured on November 11th.
“These survey results don’t surprise us,” said Bill Sutherland, National Board Chair, Commissionaires. “Every day we see the challenges that many modern veterans face when they finish their military service. But we know that veterans have an unparalleled work ethic and they are loyal, disciplined and dedicated given the challenges they’ve faced at home and abroad. They have the skills that any employer would want. They deserve to be supported for all they’ve done for us.”
Since 1925, Commissionaires has been providing meaningful employment for veterans as they make the transition from the Canadian Forces to civilian life. With 16 divisions and more than 20,000 men and women employed across the country, Commissionaires is a leading national provider of security services.
The Nanos survey was conducted between October 4th and 11th with a sample size of 1,000 Canadians. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
A video by Commissionaires entitled “Thanks” will be airing in Cineplex Odeon theatres across Canada from November 3-11 this year in honour of Remembrance Week.
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About Commissionaires
Commissionaires is one of Canada's leading security providers and the largest private sector employer of veterans. Founded on the core military values of dedication, responsibility and sense of mission, it employs 20,000 people from coast to coast to coast. It offers a wide range of security services including professional guarding, monitoring and surveillance, threat risk assessment, bylaw enforcement, identification and fingerprinting services, and security training. The completely self-funding not-for-profit enterprise generated $500M in annual revenue in 2010, of which approximately 95% was returned to its employees. Its clients include an array of public and private sector organizations.
To arrange an interview, contact:
Mandy Chepeka
Managing Director Communications and Marketing
Commissionaires National Office
T 613 688 0714
[email protected]
Jennifer Fox
Senior Consultant, Thornley Fallis Communications
T 416 515 7517 ext. 350
C 416 473 9565
[email protected]