This article provides a descriptive account of the history of Canadian veterans and veterans legislation focussing upon five time periods: pre–1918; 1918–1939; 1939–1950; 1950–1980; and the present time. Emphasis is placed on issues and legislation relating to aging and elderly persons, with particular concentration on pensions and health. It is shoivn that veterans legislation and veterans issues have played a facilitating role in the development of Canadian health and social services, and argued that a social historical perspective on aging provides for an enhanced understanding of current age-related institutions, services and policies.
