HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia's premier has joined a growing chorus of voices supporting a 94-year-man seeking a bed in a veterans' hospital after facing a series of regulatory hurdles from federal bureaucrats.
Stephen McNeil said Petter Blindheim, who served with the Norwegian Royal Navy in Second World War convoys, should be admitted to Camp Hill Veteran's Memorial hospital if it's the care he requires.
"Let's be frank, I think all of us think this veteran should be treated with the respect veterans deserve," he said after a cabinet meeting Thursday.
"If he requires support in a long-term care facility and is a veteran, we should be providing it."
Ottawa first refused entry to Blindheim on the grounds that Norway's navy didn't qualify as full-fledged allies, but after retreating on that stance officials told the elderly man he must show he requires special care that provincial facilities couldn't provide.
Blindheim was assessed on Tuesday by a Veterans Affairs nurse and his son and daughter were awaiting word on the outcome on Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, Blindheim's struggle to get into the Camp Hill Veteran's Memorial Hospital has been attracting high-profile support.
In Norway, national news services have broadcast his story and veterans advocates have been criticizing the Canadian government.
In Halifax, veterans advocate Peter Stoffer weighed in on Thursday, calling on federal Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr to use his ministerial oversight to ensure Blindheim gains one of the 13 empty beds.
Standing in front of the hospital, Stoffer said Blindheim is an allied hero who has been insulted by statements suggesting he didn't qualify.
According to the Norwegian embassy, Blindheim served with distinction on several ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy, including two ships sunk by the Nazis. On the first occasion, he successfully disabled a depth charge whilst the ship was sinking, preventing further loss of life.
He was awarded the third highest Norwegian war decoration on Sept. 3, 1943.
Stoffer said the delays in refusals are likely tied to Ottawa's determination to begin winding down the federally funded "contract" beds that provide some of the country's best nursing home care.
"It's a cost-saving measure. ... This is nonsense. It's not how we treat heroes," he said.
The Camp Hill hospital is considered the "platinum" of nursing care homes in Canada and Blindheim should be permitted to take advantage of it, said Stoffer.
According to a spokesman for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, which operates the veteran's hospital with the federal funding, the daily amount devoted to patients at Camp Hill is about $400, while residents of provincial nursing homes are cared for with an average of $250 daily.
