Yes, there will eventually be a new licence plate for Veterans.
On March 13, 2019, there were two separate meetings with the representatives of the "Comité d’amélioration de la plaque pour les Anciens combattants du Québec (CIPACQ)", representatives of Quebec Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion, and the Directeur général de l’intégration des changements de la Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), to drive the project to the Quebec Ministry of Transport and the SAAQ.
The project is progressing well, and the final product was presented to each group which will be submitted to the Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, and the Premier of Québec, François Legault. By professional obligation, we are unable to describe the licence plate, but I assure you that Veterans in Quebec will have a distinctive Veteran licence plate that will be the envy of other provinces. It is a very beautiful licence.
Here are the modalities foreseen for the announcement and the distribution of the new Veteran licence plate; this can be changed by the announcement of the emission of the new Veteran plate.
The SAAQ will:
- At the official announcement to the media and the Quebec public, they will start distributing the new veteran plate the same day in the branches;
- Nothing changes for fees. Stamp free;
- Those who already have a Veteran licence plate will be contacted by letter with a coupon to find out if they want a new plaque or keep the old one. It will be replaced without charge. No mailing of plates. Must pick it up at a SAAQ office. Allow a delay of one to two months.
This new license plate for Quebec Veterans is made possible by the hard work and struggle that CIPACQ has been doing for ten years. A few years after the issuance of this first plate, this group has continuously made representations to the various governments to be modified with the addition of the word "VÉTÉRAN" so that it can be identified to Veterans of Quebec. Their efforts paid off because, on November 8, 2018, the new Quebec government announced that a new licence plate would be issued bearing not only the poppy but also the word "VÉTÉRAN".
It is with great pleasure that the Quebec Provincial Command has joined this project and fully supports the goals of the “Veterans plaque improvement committee”.
We owe a big thank you to the "Comité d’amélioration de la plaque pour les Anciens combattants du Québec (CIPACQ)". In the last 10 years, various groups and many Veterans have worked on this licence plate improvement project. They are:
- The Canadian Military Motorcyclists Association (CMMA), represented by Mr. Pierre Dugal. He oversees the project and is the spokesperson of CIPACQ; Alan Rioux, founder of CMMA; and Michel Parent, National President CMMA and Christian Matte;
- Branch 265 LCol. J. Charles Forbes RMWO, represented by Comrades Jacques Gosselin and Christian Matte;
- Veteran Canada, represented by Mario Grenier, CD.
We must not forget also the support of Éric Caire, MP for La Peltrie Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) and Delegated Minister for "Transformation numérique gouvernementale" and Deputy Government House Leader. It must be noted that the Coalition avenir Québec has kept its election promise.
Since 2004 there have been 9207 Veteran licence plates issued. Administering eligibility certification for Provincial Veterans' licence plates will still cost $ 15, and it is the Provincial Service Officer who administers it. In 2018 there were nearly 1468 applications for eligibility for a total amount of almost $ 18,900 including donations. Of this amount, 75% of the deposits accumulated during the year are retained for the administration of the Direction and 25% of these deposits are reserved for our Cadets Medals of Excellence Program. This calculation is based on figures before bank charges. This was approved by a resolution at the provincial convention, proposed in 2005 by Comrade Jean-Robert Pépin who started this program for Command. With respect to the 75%, it was agreed that in order for the Provincial Service Officer (the person responsible for the administrative licence plate record) to administer the program, one day of their salary will be paid from this amount taken in part from the 75% of the previous year.
The official presentation of the new Veteran licence plate will be in Quebec City at the end of March 2019.
Kenneth R. Ouellet, Provincial President and Comrade, Me Pierre Saint-Louis
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