The measure was announced Monday as new figures showed almost 50,000 claims for disability benefits were sitting in the queue at Veterans Affairs Canada at the end of March

Wreaths were laid and the call of a single bugle rang out near Parliament Hill this morning as a subdued ceremony was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

Veterans and their advocates have been calling for Ottawa to automatically approve roughly 44,000 claims that have been sitting in the backlog at Veterans Affairs Canada, a request that the federal government has so far rejected.

Veterans Affairs Canada is reinstating funding of mental health services after a government policy change meant family members were denied benefits.

The call comes amid fears about the financial and emotional toll the pandemic is taking on veterans struggling with mental and physical wounds.

Royal Canadian Legion branches are adapting their services to support veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the national organization warns financial pressures could result in the closure of some branches.

There is a huge gap between what the government is promising Canadian veterans and what is being delivered, Bill Kelly says.

"Many of our veterans live alone in long-term care facilities. This Valentine's Day, they'd love to hear from you. It would mean so very much."

“It's certainly an honour … to receive the salute. But being a cadet, I represent the future," one cadet told Global News.

"I think there's been quite a spike in terms of people coming out," said Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Vance.