Transcript

(J) The remains of a Canadian First World War soldier, Private George Alfred Newburn, were laid to rest in the presence of family and Government of Canada representatives during a ceremony held at the Commonwealth War Graves Loos British Cemetery in France.

(S) After the ceremony, Casualty Identification Coordinator Dr. Sarah Lockyer spoke about how they were able to honour Private Newburn’s sacrifice through their identification process.

(SL) Each case is very different. There are a number of different variables for each case, but for Private Newburn it was a little bit different and special. For this particular case we already had the family reference DNA sample on file. We had previously tested the DNA donor for Private Newburn for other cases. Those results all came back excluded. But for the new sets of remains that were discovered in July 2017, Private Newburn was a potential candidate for those five sets of remains as well as fifteen other soldiers so we were able to immediately test the DNA from the families because we already had them. And it allowed us to move the case forward that much quicker as we already had the information and the data that we needed.

(S) The Canadian Armed Forces has changed how it calculates Reserve Force pay.

(J) What`s changed is the calculation method. Regular Force pay is comprised of two parts: base pay, plus Military Factor. The Military Factor is meant to compensate members for additional requirements that do not affect most public servants.

(S) In the past, Reserve Force pay was simply 85 percent of that total. Now, reservists will have the same base pay as the Regular Force, plus the elements of Military Factor that apply to them.

(J) This important change is outlined in Canada’s defence policy Strong, Secure, Engaged, which committed to ensure Reserve Force members are fairly compensated for their service and dedication.