Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC) is in hot water for commemorating Easter, a Christian holiday, as merely a holiday season.
“We want to wish Veterans, current members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP and their families a happy March holiday season!” wrote VAC in a March 29 post to X, formerly Twitter.
Some veterans voiced their frustration with the Department of National Defence (DND) over the post.
“This has gone too far,” Eddie Cornell, co-founder of Veterans for Freedom, said on X. “It’s called Easter!”
“What is the March Holiday Season?” wrote veteran Tom Quiggin. “Did you mean Easter?”
“Veterans Affairs, when they are not offering MAID to veterans, seems to hate Christians as well,” he added.
Sheila Gunn Reid reports on claims that veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces are being offered assisted suicide instead of support programs.
FULL REPORT by @SheilaGunnReid: https://t.co/HeKCWChhK2 pic.twitter.com/XhDjlxEajL
— Rebel News Québec (@RebelNews_QC) December 6, 2022
Many Conservative MPs, including non-Christians, condemned the glazing over the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Conservative deputy leader Tim Uppal called the post “woke nonsense.”
“It’s Easter. Have some respect. Stop this woke nonsense,” he posted to social media.
Michael Barrett, shadow minister for ethics and accountable government, joined the barrage of criticism.
“Is Veteran Affairs Canada too woke to acknowledge either the cultural or religious significance of Easter?” he said.
Happy Easter! Whether you’re celebrating this holy day by attending church services with your neighbours, hunting for Easter eggs with your kids, or spending time with your loved ones, I hope you find joy in the togetherness that Easter brings.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 31, 2024
Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commemorated Easter as a “celebration of rebirth and beginning anew.”
In October 2022, Statistics Canada reported that over half the Canadian population (53.3%) or 19.3 million people in the 2021 Census identify as a Christian.
“Today, millions of Christians in Canada and around the world will celebrate Easter,” penned Trudeau on Sunday.
“The resurrection of Christ provides hope for our past, present, and future. It serves as an enduring reminder of the power of belief, forgiveness, and resilience,” he said.
“As the holiest day in the Christian calendar, Easter invites us to reflect on the values Christ lived by and died for, and to reaffirm these values in our lives — from loving our neighbours to taking care of those most vulnerable.”
Veterans Affairs did not return a request for comment by The Epoch Time at the time of writing.
The move to eliminate priests from the Canadian Armed Forces military chaplain service is being made to ‘further promote diversity and inclusion.’
FULL REPORT from @SheilaGunnReid: https://t.co/cQ1MwDZHoK
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) January 18, 2023
The move follows more controversy within the department last year after informing military chaplains they could no longer refer to “God” during official ceremonies.
Last October 11, the Office of the Chaplain General issued a policy to usurp public prayer with non-religious “spiritual reflections.” They directed chaplains to avoid mention of a “higher power such as ‘Heavenly Father.’”
“This is to ensure that all feel included and able to participate in reflection no matter their beliefs,” a department spokesperson told the publication at the time.
Conservatives and chaplains condemned the measure, with the latter speaking anonymously to avoid reprisal, as first reported by The Epoch Times.
“This woke mentality, or I don’t know what you want to call it, has really taken over the chaplaincy and they’re using threats and fear to really control and submit everyone into obedience,” said one active-duty chaplain.
