Veterans Affairs

The committee met to study barriers to entrepreneurship among veterans. Witnesses were Jocelyn Démétré, President of Hero Lodge, appearing as an individual; David Howard, President and CEO of the Canadian Legacy Project, appearing by video conference; John Proctor, a Partner in Cybersecurity at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, appearing as an individual; and Caleb Walker, Director of VBNI.

Jocelyn Démétré described founding Hero Lodge, a remote fishing and outdoors refuge on Great Slave Lake, to help veterans fill the emotional void after service and avoid destructive coping mechanisms. He stated that despite repeated requests, Hero Lodge has never received financial assistance from Veterans Affairs Canada, particularly for accessibility upgrades to accommodate veterans with reduced mobility, and that the lack of support for applications and operations threatens the lodge's sustainability. He noted that many veterans referred by VAC are surprised the experience is not subsidized, and that the model is well-suited for Indigenous veterans but requires resources to partner with them.

David Howard outlined the Canadian Legacy Project's free business boot camp, which has graduated over 300 veterans, and the shopveteran.ca network for veteran-owned businesses. He identified key challenges for veteran entrepreneurs as training, funding, isolation, mental health, and marketing, and noted that while VAC has recently begun referring people to his programs, the organization has not received VAC funding. He emphasized that the program costs $600 per student and that expanding it to meet demand requires more funding for instructors.

John Proctor argued that the root barrier to veteran entrepreneurship is not access to capital but interconnected gaps in perception, networks, and skills translation, which create a high-risk profile for veterans in the eyes of lenders. He recommended establishing a centralized national program for veteran entrepreneurs, reinstating a formal mentorship network modelled on the Prince's Trust, and ensuring veterans can use their education and training benefit for high-quality business courses. He noted that his own request to use the benefit for a board governance qualification was denied, leading to a Federal Court of Appeal case.

Caleb Walker, drawing on his experience as a serial entrepreneur and founder of VBNI, recommended three policies: a 3% federal procurement target for veteran-owned small businesses, similar to the Indigenous target and U.S. policy; adjustments to Canada's industrial and technological benefits policy to incentivize large defence contractors to work with veteran-owned businesses; and funding for the University of Ottawa's entrepreneurship program. He argued that the U.S. has over 1,000 times more veteran-owned businesses selling to the federal government, and that changing incentives is key to building a veteran business ecosystem that can deliver on Canada's generational defence investments.

During questions, witnesses agreed that changing the national narrative about veterans, showcasing successful veteran entrepreneurs, and providing clear, unified pathways and mentorship are critical. Démétré noted that administrative support for grant applications would be a game changer, while Howard and Walker emphasized the importance of peer networks and procurement incentives. Proctor and Walker both highlighted that the U.S. and U.K. have stronger cultural perceptions of military service as a foundation for business success, and that Canada lacks a similar pull from the business community. The committee did not debate any motions or procedural matters.