Ottawa Veterans Task Force

The Ottawa Veterans Task Force (OVTF) convened a Primary Healthcare Roundtable this week to focus on one critical issue: reliable access to primary care for Veterans in our community.

We brought together a cross-section of healthcare clinicians, system leaders, advocates, and Veterans with lived experience to identify where the system breaks down—and more importantly, where we can move forward together.

As Ottawa Veterans Task Force Co-Chair / Councillor Matt Luloff noted: “We didn’t bring this group together to restate the problem. We brought you here because you see the system every day, and you know where it breaks.”

And as Mayor Mark Sutcliffe reminded us: “We’re not, through any of this, trying to create new systems or duplicate the responsibilities of other levels of government … This is about connecting people to what already exists, identifying the gaps, and making sure those are being filled.”

That is exactly what this roundtable was designed to do. Four tables and two focused sessions were structured to first identify where friction exists in the current system, and then to converge on practical, locally actionable ways to improve access and coordination. Insights and areas of focus were reviewed and there will be follow-up in the coming months.

Ottawa Veterans Task Force Co-Chair Andrée Paige added, "We are grateful to every participant who contributed their time, expertise, and honesty to the discussion. The level of engagement in the room—and the willingness to work through complexity together—has been exceptional."

A sincere thank you as well to our sponsors, The Ottawa Education Group - OEG and Ottawa Print Services / SINIX Media Group, for supporting this initiative and helping us bring people together in a meaningful and well-executed way. OEG led the facilitation and contributed generously to the catered refreshments while SINIX provided the map, digital displays, and printing.

The work continues and we look forward to collaborating on removing barriers and bridging gaps for Veterans and their families in Ottawa.

National Volunteer Week is almost here! Every year, we aim to highlight and shout-out our exceptional Legion volunteers. All of our volunteers believe in supporting Veterans, their families, and strengthening their communities.

Know a Legion volunteer who’s been making a difference? Send in their story and a photo to [email protected] and we’ll share their story with our Legion community!

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La Semaine nationale du bénévolat approche! Chaque année, nous tenons à souligner et à remercier nos bénévoles exceptionnels de la Légion. Tous nos bénévoles croient en l’importance de soutenir les vétérans et leurs familles, et de renforcer leurs communautés.

Vous connaissez un bénévole de la Légion qui fait une différence? Envoyez-nous son histoire et une photo à [email protected] et nous la partagerons avec la communauté de la Légion!