On March 24, 2020, Second World War Métis Veteran Donald Russell Linklater received thanks and a $20,000 recognition payment on his 101st birthday.
The payment to Linklater is part of the $30 million Métis Veterans Recognition Payment Contribution Agreement reached between federal government and the Métis National Council in September 2019. An apology was also issued by Trudeau’s government for the injustices Métis Veterans faced upon returning home to Canada.
At the wishes of his family and adhering to emergency measure protocols surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Métis Nation Minister of Veterans Affairs David Chartrand was not able to personally present the Recognition Payment to Veteran Linklater.
“I apologize for not being permitted to present myself personally,” Minister Chartrand stated in a letter to the veteran, “I look forward to meeting you in person in the very near future and to capture your experiences to share with the young your lifetime of wisdom.”
