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OSHAWA, 14 March 2007 –
Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa is pleased to
confirm that for the first time in history, a pension plan for
Canadian Forces Reserve Personnel, including those serving in Oshawa and
Durham Region, is now in place.
 Last
fall, the Honourable Gordon O’Connor, Minister of National
Defence and General Rick Hillier, Chief of Defence Staff
announced that the Federal government would be creating a
pension plan for Canada’s reservists. On March 1, 2007, that
commitment became reality.
“These
landmark changes to the Canadian Forces (CF) pension plan will
ensure that current and future members of Canada’s Reserve
Forces, including members of the Ontario Regiment in Oshawa, are
properly recognized for their dedicated service at home and
abroad,” said Carrie.
Canada’s reservists including several former senior officers of
Oshawa’s own The Ontario Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured
Corps) had fought for reservists’ pension rights for a
generation. Despite promising to make pensions for reservists a
reality, the previous Liberal government showed little interest
in implementing this long-overdue program.
“Getting things done for our local reserve soldiers is a
commitment I made during the 2004 election campaign and restated
during the 2005-06 campaign,” said Carrie.
“These
important changes represent real progress and demonstrate our
steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life for
Oshawa’s reservists, who have served at home and abroad in
Germany, Cyprus, the Golan Heights, Cambodia, the former
Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.”
Regular Force members will also see positive changes to their
pension plans as their coverage will be increased to the
standards enjoyed by other federal public sector employees.
Currently there are more than 21,000 Reserve Force members
serving across Canada in land, sea and air elements. Oshawa is
home to “The Ontarios”, one of Canada’s most senior armoured
regiments and oldest continuing reserve army units. Officially
known as The Ontario Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps),
the unit celebrated its 140th anniversary in
September 2006.
With a
140 year history in both infantry and armoured (since 1936)
roles, the Ontarios were recently re-tasked as an armoured
reconnaissance unit. Several members of the unit have just
returned home from a tour of Afghanistan and several more
soldiers are expected to rotate into the Afghan theatre over the
coming weeks and months.
“Being
a member of the Reserve Forces demonstrates a strong sense of
duty and commitment to our country and all Canadians. The
creation of a pension plan for these special people was long
overdue,” concluded Carrie.
More
information on the Reserve Pension Plan may be found online at
http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dgcb/cfpmp/.
Additional information on history of The Ontario Regiment RCAC
in Oshawa, Ontario County and Durham Region is available online
at
http://www.ontrmuseum.ca. | 
