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Sunnybrook's commitment to supporting Canada’s Armed Forces and Veterans

September 4, 2025

Since our beginnings as Sunnybrook Military Hospital in 1946, we have partnered with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the Department of National Defence (DND) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Established to care for returning Second World War soldiers, Sunnybrook has grown into a world-renowned academic health sciences centre and Canada’s leading civilian trauma and burn hospital.

Today, Sunnybrook supports CAF members and Veterans across the spectrum of care—from training and deployment to recovery and rehabilitation. We are home to Canada’s largest Veterans care facility, a key training site for military medical personnel, and a designated repatriation centre for critically ill and injured soldiers.

Pre-deployment: training, simulation, and readiness

Sunnybrook serves as a core training hub for CAF personnel, strengthening operational readiness for deployment through hands-on education and simulation.

  • Simulation Centre: Through the Sunnybrook Canadian Simulation Centre, military and civilian clinicians alike access world-class trauma scenarios replicating battlefield conditions.
  • Military MOUs: Sunnybrook maintains two formal agreements with DND including the Maintenance of Clinical Skills Program which supports trauma skill development for military personnel, and the Educational Certification with the Regional Base Hospital Program which supports ongoing training for military paramedics.
  • Chaplain Resilience Training: Sunnybrook developed a trauma resilience training program to prepare military chaplains for deployment.

Deployment: trauma, burn, and crisis surge capacity

Sunnybrook physicians are not only educators, but also active members of the CAF, delivering frontline care during deployment.

  • National Leader in Trauma and Burn Care: Sunnybrook is Canada’s only Major Burn Centre and first ACS-verified Level 1 Trauma Centre. Sunnybrook is already an active trauma and burn training site for Canadian Armed Forces physicians, nurses, medics and Special Forces personnel.
  • COVID-19 Surge Partnership: Sunnybrook partnered with the CAF to deploy one of only two DND Mobile Health Units nationally. CAF and Sunnybrook staff worked side by side in the unit and across inpatient floors.
  • Exercise Trillium Cura: Sunnybrook participated in this multi-sector simulation to prepare for mass casualty repatriation. Following the exercise, Sunnybrook took a leadership role in Ontario’s trauma and burn surge planning.

Post-deployment: Veteran care, mental health, and long-term support

Sunnybrook continues to honour its founding mission with comprehensive supports for Veterans and personnel transitioning out of service.

  • Canada’s Largest Veterans Care Facility: Sunnybrook cares for over 200 Veterans from WWII, the Korean War, and Cold War—with nearly 50 over the age of 100.
  • Clinical Research Leadership: The Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation is pioneering treatments for Operational Stress Injury (OSI), including deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound.
  • Complex Rehabilitation: Post-deployment care includes treatment for burns, amputations, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions.

Sunnybrook is proud to be a long-standing partner in military medicine — preparing Canadian Armed Forces members for deployment, supporting them during service and providing care throughout their lives. With a strong legacy, cutting-edge innovation and a bold vision for the future, Sunnybrook stands ready to serve those who serve Canada.