Special Envoy to Military Affairs, MLA for Waverly, David Pankratz climbs on top of an armoured vehicle to inspect the interior as show by Lieutenant-Colonel Jesse Van Eijk, of 2 PPCLI, on Feb. 9. (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

K-J Millar
Shilo Stag News

Breaking down barriers and increasing communication pathways between Canadian Armed Forces members and the government is at the top of the action list for Special Envoy to Military Affairs, Waverly MLA David Pankratz, as he toured CFB Shilo on Feb. 9.

Accompanied on the junket by MLA from St. Bonniface, Robert Loiselle, the delegation received an overview and visits to the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC), 2 PPCLI and 1 RCHA.

As part of his new appointment in Oct. 2023, Pankratz has been touring various Bases and Wings to get a feel for all things military and to introduce himself to the members. His visit to CFB Shilo was to ascertain if it has any unique challenges affecting its members.

He explained to Shilo Stag News that it’s a “big thing” with the new government to open communication avenues for greater accessibility.

“I think that there’s sometimes barriers put up because we think of our government service members as these people that we can’t necessarily just call or get hold of. So I really want this position to be accessible to folks, to feel like they can reach out. I think that actually being there and people seeing my face and saying hi makes that a little bit easier.”

Already complete with background knowledge of the Brandon area from his early days working as a paramedic in the city, he said the role of Special Envoy is to act as a conduit between CAF member families and the government so any concerns can be heard, pushed through and addressed.

“[While military service members] fall under federal purview, we want to ensure they have a direct line to the provincial governments … but also provide ways to alleviate some of the strains.”

He said, for example, when CAF members move across the country, military spouses may have different challenges when they relocate from province to province, such as child care, employment or something as simple as wondering why car insurance is so high.

So far, he said the concerns expressed have been nothing alarming and are fairly consistent across the Bases and Wings he has visited.

“When I do these tours, I prefer to have the Base Commander show me the things that they want to show me. They have the best sense of what’s going on. These are the people I want to learn from.”

Pankratz said specifically to CFB Shilo that he was given good guidance from the Base Command team with issues that he sees across the board. He appreciated seeing the MFRC and the childcare center and hearing about challenges specific to the expansion happening in the area. With Shilo being some distance from the city and a “self-contained unit,” he said he can see how travel back and forth could be problematic at times, such as for a spouse who is single parenting due to a deployment.

“It seems like Shilo is doing a really great job of providing resources to its members … whether it be a grocery store that’s easily accessible or mental health services … We want to create an environment that supports its members.”

As a follow-up to his tours around Bases and Wings, Pakratz said he will attend the Seamless Conference in May in Ottawa. Seamless Canada is an initiative between the Department of National Defence (DND and the CAF as part of Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE) to alleviate stressors unique to CAF member families. Since 2018, the Seamless Canada Steering Committee has focussed on the three core objectives of healthcare access, child and youth education and spousal/partner employment.

Special Envoy to Military Affairs, MLA for Waverly, David Pankratz and MLA for St. Bonniface Robert Loiselle inspect the interior of a light armoured vehicle at their tour of CFB Shilo on Feb. 9.  (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

Special Envoy to Military Affairs, MLA for Waverly, David Pankratz is happy to receive a rations lunch by Lieutenant-Colonel Jesse Van Eijk, of 2 PPCLI, on Feb. 9. (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)

Special Envoy to Military Affairs, MLA for Waverly, David Pankratz and MLA  for St. Bonniface Robert Loiselle tour the MFRC with CFB Shilo Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel David Cronk on Feb. 9. (Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News)