A 100-year-old Second World War veteran on Nova Scotia’s South Shore is still waiting for a transfer into one of the few hospital beds designated specifically for veterans, as family members, advocates, and elected officials push for action.
Loraine Reinhardt is currently staying on the third floor of Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg, but not in the hospital’s veterans’ unit. Advocates say three of the four beds in that unit are occupied by non-veterans, while Reinhardt remains outside the ward despite being eligible.
Dan Hennessey, president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 24 in Bridgewater, says the situation has been complicated by paperwork requirements and confusion over which level of government has final authority. He described the process as “a game of hot potato — nobody seems to want to take ownership of this,” adding there is growing concern time could run out. “We’re afraid we’re going to get to a point that Mr. Reinhardt’s not going to need a bed anymore,” he said.
Hennessey said Veterans Affairs Canada funds the beds but does not control who is admitted, leaving the decision with the province and the health-care system. He also argued the case reflects a broader, long-standing issue around long-term care access for veterans whose service occurred after the Korean War, describing Reinhardt’s situation as “the battle,” while the wider policy gap is “the war.”
Political response highlights broader system concerns
South Shore–St. Margarets MP Jessica Fancy says her office became involved after being contacted by Reinhardt’s family and has spent more than a week navigating federal and provincial processes.
She said she is “very upset in regards to the responsiveness from both my own ministry at Veterans Affairs, but also in regards to the province’s response,” and noted it took days to learn the province — not the federal department that funds the beds — has authority to approve transfers. “That would have been nice to know day one and not day eight,” Fancy said, adding Reinhardt “served our country, and now we should be serving him — not having all of this bureaucracy take place.”
Fancy confirmed her office has contacted multiple provincial officials and ministers while continuing to press federal counterparts for answers. She said the situation has exposed “communication gaps, and no one wants to put their name on this,” suggesting the issue points to systemic problems rather than a single isolated case.
Lunenburg MLA Susan Corkum-Greek says she met with Reinhardt and obtained signed consent forms allowing her to make inquiries on his behalf. While Reinhardt is a resident of Bell’s Island and therefore technically outside her constituency, she says she will pursue the matter because, as a veteran, he deserves support. Corkum-Greek says she will provide further updates once she receives information from Nova Scotia Health.
For now, Reinhardt remains in a non-veterans bed while efforts continue to secure a transfer supporters say would grant the centenarian his final wish — and spotlight broader gaps in how veterans’ long-term care is coordinated in Nova Scotia.
