After being closed for more than two years, the Veterans Affairs Office in Windsor has reopened.
Located on the 6th floor at 1 Riverside Dr West, formerly known as the Canderel Building, it will help 2700 local veterans and provide benefit and support services.
The office will employ about 15 people.
"It is great to see it open," says Sergeant Bob Kelly who was a peacekeeper in Europe in the 1950s. "We don't have to travel to London and we can save some distance and some money."
Kelly points out the main concern with the new location is parking.
"Access might be a problem because a lot of veterans are older. They can't climb and come up the hill (referring to the parking along the riverfront) and climb the stairs, but all in all, it will be ironed out."
While the Windsor office was closed, many local Veterans had to travel to London for service.
The Veterans Affairs office in Windsor reopens (Photo by Teresinha Medeiros)
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning, Windsor West MP Brian Masse marched up to the podium and asked for a moment of silence to remembers the Veterans who have passed away and didn't get to see the office reopen.
Sherry Romanado, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs attended the opening.
"Our Veterans need to know when their service to this country ends, we are here for them," she says.
The old office, which closed in 2014 under the Harper government, was located on University Ave West.