Military veterans are living on Ottawa's streets as their treatment by the government was protested Saturday.
A new veterans organization called Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) said it found two homeless veterans in their first day in the capital.
The organization said it wants to help veterans in trouble, especially with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"These things have got to stop and that's what we're here for," said Roland Lawless of VETS. "These guys fall through the cracks all the time – either they don't get diagnosed and they get released with no military or Veterans Affairs help at all."
His group was part of a small protest on Parliament Hill that matched similar gatherings around the country, protesting the impact of budget cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Veterans Affairs is facing a budget cut of up to half a billion dollars, that's extraordinary," said Michael Blais, president of Canadian Veterans Advocacy.
The federal government said there will be no cuts to benefit or services, but veterans are worried about increased delays for things like prescriptions.
"I can understand Veterans Affairs needs time to research and examine things, but they've been examining this thing since April or June of this year," said veteran Paul Stemmler. "It's now into November and they still can't get this stuff resolved and it's frustrating."
"It's only logical to assume that these delays and frustrations are going to rise exponentially," Blais said.
One Liberal MP said Veterans Affairs shouldn't be facing any cuts at all.
"Veterans absolutely should be spared, the books of the country should not be balanced on the backs of veterans," said Sean Casey, MP for Charlottetown.
The protest comes at the beginning of Veteran's Week, which runs until Remembrance Day on Friday.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Karen Soloman
