Question Period Note: WARTIME SERVICE

• The Government is grateful for the dedicated service of all Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans.
• There are no provisions within current legislation that provide authority to designate a period of service as Wartime Service.
• Service in high risk conflicts, operations, and deployments since Korea to present day are designated by the Minister of National Defence as Special Duty Service.
• This classification does not signal lesser respect for the service of modern-era members and Veterans, nor is it indicative of a lesser degree of risk on the part of those deployed.
• Military service across all eras and conflicts holds profound significance for Canadians.
• By engaging in ongoing consultations, the Department will gather perspectives from Veterans organizations and individual Veterans to ensure their voices are heard in shaping the most effective and meaningful ways to recognize the service and sacrifice of Canada’s Veterans.

A petition on this issue was introduced in the House of Commons in June 2023.
o The Minister of National Defence tabled the response in August 2023 (Petition e-4399 - Petitions (ourcommons.ca).
A report on this issue was tabled by the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs in June 2025, entitled “The Persian Gulf War Was a War”. This followed a study by the committee in 2024 during the previous parliament. The official Government Response was tabled in the House on October 10, 2025.
Recommendation 1- that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) abolish the category of “wartime service veteran” in its Policy on Disability Benefits in Respect of Wartime and Special Duty Service – The Insurance Principle and list only those areas of conflict or military operations that qualify for disability compensation under the Insurance Principle.
The Government agrees with this recommendation. VAC will update the policy to remove all references to “Wartime Service” and list only those areas of conflict or military operations that qualify for disability compensation under the Insurance Principle.
Recommendation 2 - That the Minister of Veterans Affairs introduce a bill amending sections 69 and 70 of the Veterans Well-being Act to add to the powers of the Minister of National Defence the power to assign to past, present or future military operations the following designations:
i. “war emergency operation” when a military operation takes place further to a proclamation of a “war emergency” under the Emergencies Act (such a designation would be applicable to both the First and Second World Wars); and
ii. “war zone operation” when a military operation is carried out in defence of a state other than Canada and the situation would likely have justified the proclamation of a “war emergency” by that state if the criteria of the Emergencies Act were in force there, without a “war emergency” having been proclaimed in Canada (such a designation would be applicable to, among others, the Korean War, the Gulf War, the war in the former Yugoslavia and the war in Afghanistan).
The Government takes note of the recommendation. Prior to making any changes to the designation of military or other operations, additional work is required. This includes broader understanding of the point of view of additional stakeholder groups, including those who participated in peacekeeping missions, as well as consideration and understanding of the potential impacts to the authorities of the Minister of Public Safety to make service designations.
Even if the Government made the recommended changes to the categorization of those who served in the Persian Gulf from “Special Duty Service” to “Wartime Service” it would not result in any change to offered benefits.
On November 7, 2025, the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Minister of National Defence received a letter from Members of Parliament James Bezan and Blake Richards calling on the government to take action for Persian Gulf Veterans.
On November 10, 2025 the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Minister of National Defence received a letter from the members of Parliament Gord Johns and Lori Idlout calling on the government to take action for Persian Gulf and Afghanistan Veterans.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES
Service Type – Wartime service and special duty service
• Service during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War are included in the Pension Act as service during war.
• Service in other conflicts, operations, and deployments where Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans have been exposed to higher than normal levels of risk are designated by Order of the Minister of National Defence, in consultation with the Minister of Veterans Affairs, as either a “Special Duty Area” or “Special Duty Operation” (commonly called “Special Duty Service”) under the Veterans Well-being Act.
• In addition to the Persian Gulf, service in the Balkans and Afghanistan have been classified by Order of the Minister of National Defence as “Special Duty Service”.
• Changing the categorization of those who served in the Persian Gulf from “Special Duty Service” to “Wartime Service” would not result in any change to offered benefits.
Persian Gulf Veterans eligible for Veterans Affairs Canada benefits
• Depending on when they applied for benefits, members and Veterans with service in the Persian Gulf could be eligible under both the Pension Act and the Veterans Well-being Act.
• Those who applied for benefits on or after April 1, 2006, are eligible under the Veterans Well-being Act. Those who applied prior to April 1, 2006, and received a decision, continue to hold some rights under the Pension Act related to the condition for which they received that decision.
Government of Canada and Persian Gulf Veterans
• On June 20, 2025, House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) released a report entitled, The Persian Gulf War Was a War. The report made five recommendations to address the requests from Persian Gulf Veterans for greater recognition of their roles during this conflict, both in terms of commemorating their efforts and of receiving financial compensation.
• The official Government Response was presented to the House on Friday, October 10, 2025.