Veterans are heroes, but even heroes need help sometimes. Do you know an Ontario Veteran in financial need? The Soldiers’ Aid Commission provides up to $2,000 a year to help with the costs of essential needs including securing or maintaining housing, health-related items and services, specialized equipment and employment support. It can also help family members, including surviving children and spouses.

To apply, people can contact one of the following organizations:

• Royal Canadian Legion at info@on.legion.ca.
• Veterans Affairs Canada at information.acc@canada.ca.

For more information about the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, eligibility and how to apply, visit ontario.ca/SoldiersAid or call 416-327-4674.

The Soldiers’ Aid Commission provides financial assistance to Ontario’s eligible Veterans and their families in financial need. The commission supplements support offered by the Royal Canadian Legion and Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Lieutenant Governor established the Soldiers’ Aid Commission in 1915 through an Order in Council to help returning First World War Veterans and their families with problems they faced as they re-entered civilian life, such as finding work and housing.

Through the decades since its inception, the commission has continuously supported Ontario’s Veterans and their families. Following the Second World War and the Korean War, the commission expanded to provide supports and services to these returning Veterans and their families.

The Soldier’s Aid Commission Act, 2020 and accompanying regulations that came into force on January 1, 2021 modified eligibility for financial assistance from the commission, expanding it to include all Ontario Veterans and their eligible family members regardless of where and when the Veteran served.

You can read more about the history of the Commission here: Ontario’s Soldiers’ Aid Commission: 100 Years of Assistance to Veterans in Need 1915-2015