1974 Valcartier Grenade Incident Program

On March 9, 2017, Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan announced a comprehensive program of financial recognition and health care support for the victims of the 1974 accidental grenade explosion at the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier cadet camp.

Program eligibility

Cadets who were in the room at the time of the explosion and those non-professional first responders who came to their assistance immediately following the incident and were not Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members at the time (affected individuals) were eligible for the program.^{Footnote 1} Estates of the six cadets who tragically perished in this incident and of the victims who have passed away since were also eligible to apply for elements of the program.

Financial recognition

In recognition of their pain and suffering, a universal benevolent payment of $42,000 was awarded to affected individuals, specifically, each cadet who was in the room when the explosion occurred and to non-professional first responders involved immediately following the explosion. The estates of the six cadets who tragically perished in this incident and of the victims who have passed away since were also eligible to apply for this payment.

In recognition of loss, an additional benevolent payment of $58,000 was available to the estates of the six deceased cadets. This payment was in addition to the universal benevolent payment of $42,000, for a total of $100,000 for each of the six estates.

Affected individuals could also apply for an individualized benevolent payment for both physical and mental injuries sustained as a result of the incident. The maximum amount awarded was $310,000, including the universal benevolent payment. The estates of former cadets who had passed away in the years since the incident were also eligible to apply for this payment.

These benevolent payments were not subjected to Canadian income tax deductions.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submitting an application for financial recognition, medical support, or both, was 9 March 2019. Applications are no longer accepted for this program.

Program Conclusion

The VGIP concluded on 28 June 2023.

Health care support

Although the VGIP program itself is concluded, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) continue to cover all incident-related health care costs incurred by affected individuals, not funded by provincial health care systems, for the remainder of their lifetime. This means that medical treatment, prescription medications, physiotherapy, psychological care, prosthetics, medical accessories, or other required health-related equipment that have been identified in the affected individual's health care plan and pre-approved by CAF medical personnel, now or at a later point in time, will be funded for as long as they are needed.

Peer support and resiliency training is also made available to affected individuals and to their spouses and children, if required. Reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed in the event that travel is required to take part in these sessions.

For more information

Any former cadets currently receiving medical support related to the 1974 incident may reach the health care team toll-free at: 1-844-800-8566 or by email at: medical1974@forces.gc.ca.