The Club has re-opened with normal hours of operation. Please stay home if you feel unwell.
The Halton Naval Veterans Associations was a Veterans club from its inception as the name implies. Several Veterans from the Burlington, Oakville and Hamilton areas gathered to reminisce about their past experiences while in the Canadian Armed Forces. They were mainly Naval Veterans at the beginning but eventually encompassed all branches of the CAF. They subsequently invited their families and friends to join them which substantially expanded the membership base. Then, they successfully reached out further to members of the general public. All Veterans are welcome to join our group regardless of their branch of CAF service.
Our HNVA currently has approximately 40 Veterans in good standing. We invite any Veterans or current Canadian Armed Force Members who are reading this to join us.
The Burl-Oak Naval Veterans group meet at the club every Wednesday in the “Messdeck” for an informal lunch during which time some hilarious stories from both their past and present unfold.
Past Events
The Remembrance Ceremonies on November 11th, held both at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington as well as the one held at the City Hall, were well attended by our members despite the brutal weather. Kudos to those who attended.
The Halton Naval Veterans Club are members of the National Council Veterans Association (NCVA). This organization consists of over 60 groups of Veteran Organization and is recognized by the Federal Government as a strong voice for all Veterans. They put forward several recommendations for the benefit of Veterans, many of which are enacted in the Veterans Pension Act. They are also a strong voice at the Provincial level as well.
The President’s Levy on January 1st was a great success with both our Veterans and members of the HNVA doling out the free “Moose Milk” which was enjoyed by the more that 200 members and others that attended.
Upcoming Events
Friday May 3rd
Friday May 3rd is the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic (BOA) Week in Canada. The Burl-Oak Naval Veterans will be raising the White Naval Ensign at Burlington City Hall.
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest running battle in World War Two. It lasted 6 years and cost the lives of 2200 Canadian Naval Seamen as well as 1700 Merchant Naval Seaman. The Canadian Navy lost 24 ships and the Canadian Merchant Navy lost 58 ships.
Sunday May 5th
The Annual Battle of the Atlantic Ceremony will take place at Spencer Smith Park commencing at 11:00 a.m. Many dignitaries are expected to attend. We also welcome the members of the public to come along and pay their respects to the aforementioned Canadian Naval and Merchant crew members that gave their lives in the Defence of Freedom.
Thursday June 6th
There will be a D-Day Ceremony held at Spencer Smith Park commencing at 11:00 a.m. All HNVA members as well as members of the public are invited to attend.
Sunday July 28th
The Annual Ceremony commemorating the Canadian Ships that Served in Korea will be held at Spencer Smith Park commencing at 11:00 a.m. Special homage will be paid to the 9 crew members of those ships that gave their lives in supporting the Freedom that South Korea enjoys today.
Other Veterans Events
Navy Week May 3rd to May 10th
Ceremonies
Raising the White Ensign May 2nd, 1100
Battle of the Atlantic May 5th, 1100
D-Day June 6th, 1100
Korean Service July 28th, 1100
Merchant Navy Service Sept 4th, 1100
Remembrance Day Nov 11, 1100
Citizenship Ceremonies
Veterans from the Burl-Oak Naval Veterans also participate at Citizenship Ceremonies (CC) as the Duty Veterans. They are tasked with marching on the Citizenship Judge as well as offering a few very brief comments towards the end of the Ceremony.
School and Social Club Visits
Members of the Burl-Oak Naval Veterans also provide Veterans for visits to schools, Senior’s Homes and other Social Clubs.
Please ask the HNVA club staff to reach out to Mike Vencel or Andy Barber should you wish to avail yourself of one of our visits.
Meeting and Listings
The 41 recommendations relating to the wellbeing of the Veterans have been forwarded to the Minister of Veterans Affairs as well as the Prime Minister. These recommendations are shown below.
Both the Executive and Monthly Membership Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month.
The Executive meeting is at 5:30pm prior to the Membership meetings which commence at 7:00pm.
At our meeting on December 6th, 2019, the Chairman introduced the proposed NCVA Legislative Program for the upcoming year, presented in four parts with extensive discussion after each part. You can learn more about these recommendations on the NCVA Legislative Program website by following the links below:
- Pension for Life
- 2019 Election Platforms
- Legislative Achievements
- Veterans Legislation and Policies
- Long-Term Care/Intermediary Care
- VIP For Life for Surviving Spouses
- Last Post Fund/Veterans Burial Regulations
- Public Service Pensions and Health Care Programs/Marriage After Sixty
- Aboriginal Veterans
With regard to partial entitlements, the Chairman suggested that all NCVA groups should canvas their members to determine whether they have something less than four-fifths for their disabilities. Is so, these could potentially be increased. Increases are not automatic, and the VAC has said that they require “new evidence”, but the Chairman noted that he is discussing this requirement with department officials.
It was MOVED and SECONDED that the 2019 Legislative Program be adopted as presented.
Contact us
The Halton naval Veterans Association is located at 2444 Industrial Street Burlington Ontario, L7P 1A5. You can call us at 905 336-3326 or reach us by email at haltonnavalveterans@gmail.com. Please feel free to contact us should you require more information.
The Halton Naval Veterans Club re-opens on Monday, March 22, 2021. See our hours of operation.