National Public Service Week 2021: A letter from Federal Retirees’ president

June 09, 2021
Federal Retirees’ president, Jean-Guy Soulière.
We hope you’ll join our president for a moment of gratitude and reflection for the excellent public servants who are helping Canada navigate the current public health crisis.
 

Retired public servants and veterans from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police all acknowledge the tremendous work of their current cohorts amidst a global pandemic. You have provided scientific and evidence-based advice to our government, and you have kept us safe during this difficult time. Pensioners continued to receive their pension payments on time. OAS recipients received their much-needed payments (and special payments) as well. Behind-the-scenes employees kept government departments operating seamlessly, and even CRA employees ensured that we were able to pay our taxes from a safe distance!

Kudos to those of you who developed and implemented the special programs, sometimes almost overnight, to help Canadians requiring special assistance and to keep our economy relatively strong. As federal retirees, we are proud of our accomplishments and our service to Canada and Canadians, but we also take pride in the ingenuity and innovation of our newest generation. There is an old saying: “Been there, done that.” However, with the pandemic, we can only say: “Been there, but never done that.”

Jean-Guy Soulière