“Mr. Bruyea’s column was nothing less than an outstanding effort to raise the profile of a very subtle yet essential deficiency in our care for the new generation veterans.”–Senator and General Roméo A. Dallaire
“Sean Bruyea is familiar with [the Veterans Affairs] bureaucracy. He’s a retired intelligence officer from the first Gulf War and he’s a long-time advocate of disabled veterans. He was also instrumental in establishing the veterans ombudsman’s position.”-Laura Lynch CBC Radio, AS IT HAPPENS
” Mr. Bruyea is a retired Canadian Forces officer and a tireless advocate for the fair treatment of veterans. He is a frequent commentator on veterans affairs in the media throughout Canada.”-Senator Michael A. Meighen, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs
Biography
Captain Sean Bruyea, retired, is one of Canada’s leading advocates for the fair and just treatment of veterans and their families.
A graduate of the Royal Military College, (Class of 1986)Sean Bruyea served as an Intelligence Officer in the Canadian Air Force for 14 years and was deployed to Qatar during the first Gulf War (1990-91).
He retired due to medical consequences of that war, but remains a tireless advocate in the defense of serving and retired Canadian Forces members and their families injured in military service from not only the Gulf War and subsequent ‘peacekeeping missions’ but all those who have proudly worn a Canadian military uniform since Korea.
He was instrumental in the creation of Canada’s “Veterans Ombudsman” and hopes that the ombudsman will one day be truly independent of Veterans Affairs Canada by being a legislated as well as potent officer of Parliament.
Bruyea has defended Veterans’ interests by fighting against the unfair deductions from injured soldiers long term disability (a.k.a. SISIP) standing alongside Dennis Manuge, the plaintiff who launched the class action law suit against Canada’s government.
Sean was the first Canadian to publicly point to the flaws of the so-called “new veterans’ charter” and the lump sum. He has worked closely with the ‘matriarch’ of modern veteran advocacy, Lt(N) Louise Richard, in multiple projects such as facilitating the reminting and distribution of the Government of Kuwait of “Liberation Medals” to those Canadian Forces military members who helped liberate that country.
Sean has repeatedly defended the interests of Canada’s veterans before Parliamentary Committees, and has written and had published well over 100 articles to promote the welfare of Canada’s serving injured soldiers, Veterans and their families as well as highlighting government malfeasance and lack of accountability. He has been published in every major Canadian daily newspaper including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Free Press, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, Victoria Times Colonist, Halifax Chronicle Herald and is regularly featured in the Hill Times. Sean’s writing has been carried by the CBC, MacLeans Magazine, IPolitics, and Esprit de Corps. He has made numerous academic presentations in peer-reviewed forums as well as presentations to various groups advocating for veterans, retirees, and government accountability.
Sean is also a published author, recently being featured in a peer reviewed practitioner’s manual on the ethical practices of mindfulness. Sean’s chapter “Mindfulness and Minefields: Walking the Challenging Path of Awareness for Soldiers and Veterans” opens not-seen-before aspects of military culture and its interaction with not just practitioners of mindfulness but it has widespread implications of any organisation or individual wishing to understand military culture and the veterans who struggle to rejoin society.
He is recognized as a “go-to” resource by Canada’s media and appears frequently on TV, Radio and in print, always standing up for the concerns of Canada’s veterans. More recently, what ails Canada’s bureaucracy in treating and (mis)treating Canada’s men and women injured in uniform, Sean has learned that similar problems manifest themselves in the way our nation governs itself throughout the federal bureaucracy.
Although Sean’ s work often takes him through the hallowed halls of Parliament Hill, Sean has worked with all political parties, attempting to lift the issues of good government and the care of injured soldiers, veterans and the families of both beyond the reach of political partisanship.
Quite simply if Canada’s soldiers are willing to sacrifice so much in Canada’s name while defending Canadians, our system of government and our proud values, Canada’s government must be willing to stand up and defend our injured soldiers and their families in their time of greatest need, that is when the uniform comes off.