Help Build a Online Resource Hub for Veterans, Families and Caregivers
We need your valuable insight and opinions!
What information and resources do Veterans, families and care partners need?
What makes services and supports difficult to find or navigate?
How can an online resource hub be accessible, inclusive, and useful?
What are we building?
An Online Resource Hub:
A centralized place to find trusted information, resources, services, programs, and support for Veterans, families and care partners.
How are we building it?
Through interactive collaborative discussions (co-design session), we will explore:
- Experiences
- Needs
- Priorities
- Solutions
Who can participate?
- Veterans, families & care partners
- Service providers, organizations & individuals that support Veterans
- English or French speaking
- Ability to provide consent
- Be available to attend in person in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Attend our in-person co-design session
October 20, 2026 — 5–8 pm (ADT)
Halifax Convention Centre
1650 Argyle St., Halifax, NS, B3J 0E6
Room 605 on the Summit Level
To Participate
Contact: Muhammad Qureshi mqureshi@uottawa.ca
- Participation is voluntary. A $25 gift card will be provided.
- Dinner will be served.
- Unable to attend? Additional sessions, including a virtual session, to follow.
This study has been approved by the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board
File #: H-06-26-13038
Thank you for visiting us at CIMVHR 2026!
Filling the form above will enter your name into a raffle to win a 24"x16" print on canvas of artwork originally painted by Veteran artist, Warrant Officer (ret'd) Roland “Roly” Lalonde. By entering you agree to subscribe to the Centre of Excellence Newsletter and the Centre of Excellence Webinars Newsletter. You may unsubscribe from either anytime. Draw will be held on Friday, October 23, 2026. Winner will be contacted by email to arrange shipment of artwork, potentially saving space in your carry-on. The artwork is of a sunset at Peggy's Cove originally painted using acrylic paint on canvas.
“Peggy's Cove” art by Veteran,Warrant Officer (ret'd) Roland “Roly” Lalonde
Roland “Roly” Lalonde had never travelled east of his hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, until August 20th, 1943, when he arrived in Halifax as a 20-year-old soldier with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC). Waiting to board the RMS Queen Elizabeth for overseas deployment during the Second World War, Roly heard stories of the iconic lighthouse on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. He vowed to one day return and see it in person.
Later, following his wartime service with the Van Doos, that included participation in the Liberation of the Netherlands, Warrant Officer Lalonde ended a distinguished career with the Governor General's Foot Guards and discovered a passion for hobby painting. Decades later, in his early 90s, he fulfilled his vow during a memorable trip to Peggy's Cove with his nephew. He captured the memorable sunset on canvas, adding the lighthouse to a portfolio of more than 400 original works.
After moving to Perley Health in the fall of 2021, Roly connected with the Ozerdinc Grimes Family Therapeutic Recreation and Creative Arts Program, where the team helped him continue his artistic journey. Now in his 104th year, Roly paints his memories and favourite landscapes, proud to share his gifts with the world.
Watch a feature video on “The Master of His Brush”.