8 Veterans Affairs offices that could be closed

CBC News has learned the locations of eight district offices of Canada's Department of Veterans Affairs that could be closed.

There are 32 district offices across the country, set up to help veterans with questions about their benefits.

As part of the March 2012 budget, the federal government announced it would be closing several district offices, including the one in Charlottetown. In January, the department said that process eventually led to the cutting of 78 positions, but did not say where.

The Union of Veterans Affairs Employees told CBC News it has been informed by the department that offices in these cities will be shut:

• Charlottetown
• Corner Brook, N.L.
• Sydney, N.S.
• Windsor, Ont.
• Thunder Bay, Ont.
• Kelowna, B.C.
• Saskatoon
• Brandon, Man.

The union said the offices would close on Feb. 28, 2014.

CBC News followed up by email with the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the department would not confirm or deny the offices were closing.

"With respect to your inquiry regarding closures of VAC District Offices, we would like to indicate we are adjusting the presence of the department across the country to reflect the changing nature of the Veterans population and to serve Veterans in the most efficient and effective manner possible," wrote media relations adviser Janice Summerby.

The department is setting up what it is calling an access centre in Charlottetown for veterans to replace the district office. The department said that with the Veterans Affairs head office in Charlottetown, it seemed logical that veterans have direct access to the department.

It would not say if access centres would be established in other locations.