An ailing 94-year-old Second World War vet鈥檚 bid to get a bed at a veterans鈥� hospital has been thwarted by the federal government.
鈥淭his issue is really tantamount to a slap in the face to the men and women that served,鈥� former Halifax MP and veterans advocate Peter Stoffer told 麻豆传媒 Channel on Tuesday.
鈥淚 cannot believe that the government would do this.鈥�
Petter Blindheim of Halifax served in the Royal Norwegian Navy during the conflict. His application to stay at the federally funded Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial hospital in Halifax was rejected, despite there being 13 empty beds at the facility.
鈥淭hey based it on a technicality,鈥� Stoffer, who fronts the Veterans Legal Assistance Foundation, said. 鈥淗e has to literally be almost dead before he鈥檇 be allowed into Camp Hill.鈥�
According to Blindheim鈥檚 son, Peter Blendheim, Veterans Affairs refused to admit his father because he was a 鈥渞esistance鈥� fighter -- not a veteran of Allied forces. After Germany invaded Norway in 1940, the Royal Norwegian Army fled to the United Kingdom, which it used as a base for the duration of the war.
"My family is shocked,鈥� Blendheim said in emailed statement. 鈥淲e thought we made a strong case for Camp Hill鈥� My family will keep fighting. We will not give up hope."
Blendheim says that the family plans to appeal the decision, although this could take months.
Blindheim moved to Canada in the 1940s. He had received a commendation from the Royal Norwegian Navy for his bravery when a torpedo sunk the vessel he served on in 1942. After torpedoes barraged the ship, Blindheim was able to remove primer from depth charges on the deck to ensure they wouldn鈥檛 explode and kill sailors as the ship sank.
Stoffer said that despite promises to the contrary, the Liberals have proven to be no different from the Conservatives when it comes to taking care of veterans.
鈥淭here are not many World War Two overseas veterans left in this country, whether they be Canadian or allied, and the fact is we should be doing everything we can to provide comfort for this gentleman and his family in the final stages of his life,鈥� Stoffer said.
With files from The Canadian Press
