Do you participate in civilian sports competitions? Have you ever been injured? What if you were seriously injured to the point where you could no longer work; would you be covered from a pension perspective?
These and other related questions necessitate that all CF personnel who are participating in a sport competition outside of, or not affiliated with, a military sports program are aware of the necessary steps they should take in order to increase their chances of receiving appropriate CF pension in the event of the unthinkable. For this, you should read CFAO 50-3.
The purpose of CFAO 50-3 is to provide, where applicable, an approval mechanism for military personnel to ‘compete’ in eligible sports competitions (not all sports are eligible) where there is no military competition available. Please note that it does not apply to an individual’s personal recreational activities even though that activity may be a ‘sport’, but only to competitions. Closer reading of Ref B, paragraph 14, clearly indicates the substantiation required. It states in part that,
“Pursuant to subsections 21(2) and (3) of the Pension Act, an injury or disease, or aggravation thereof, resulting in the disability or death of a member is deemed to have arisen out of or to have been directly connected with military service is it was incurred in the course of:
- a. Any physical training or any sports activity in which the member was participating that was authorized or organized by a military authority, or performed in the interests of the service although not authorized or organized by a military authority.
- b. Any activity incidental to or directly connected with an activity described in paragraph a., including the transportation of the member by any means between the place the member normally performed his duties and the place of that activity;"
Therefore, where an individual or team, is competing in a civilian competition, they should make application for authority to compete. The link at the bottom of the page provides the form to complete and the latest references, since CFAO 50-3 is relatively out of date. Forward your application to the FFSD (Formation Fitness and Sports Director) who is the delegated approving authority for Formation Halifax. Please allow 21 days lead-time for regional or national events and 45 days lead time for international events since these must be approved by NDHQ.
While approval is no guarantee of pension coverage, it does improve your chances. So enjoy your sport and take all steps to protect yourself where applicable. Your future may depend on it.
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