Executive - The National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada

Maj. (Ret'd) Bruce Henwood, MSM, CD, Chair

Maj. Bruce Henwood is the Chair of the National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (NCVA). He was born in Exeter, Ontario, as the son of an RCAF pilot. After being in the army cadets and the army reserves, he enrolled in the regular officer training program at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario, before graduating in 1980 with an honours bachelor of arts degree in history. He then served in various capacities with the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Calgary, the South Alberta Light Horse in Medicine Hat, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) in Lahr, Germany, and across Canada.

In 1995, Maj. Henwood was posted to the UN in Croatia as a military observer. It was while he was on patrol in September 1995 that Maj. Henwood was severely injured after his vehicle struck an anti-tank mine in an unmarked minefield, suffering life-altering, traumatic injuries. After spending six months in the hospital, followed by 12 months as an outpatient, he underwent multiple surgeries, extensive therapy and rehabilitation to regain his independence, mobility and adapt to the "new normal" of being a double leg amputee. In 1996, Maj. Henwood was awarded the Army Commander's Commendation for his actions in Croatia and for his determination during his recovery. He was subsequently medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1998 after 24 years of service.

In 2003, following a seven-year struggle with the Department of National Defence, Maj. Henwood was instrumental in having the CAF disability insurance program overhauled, providing tangible compensation to all soldiers severely injured in the line of duty, regardless of rank. Later, Maj. Henwood was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his action in changing the military's compensation plan. In the summer of 2009, Maj. Henwood retired from his second career as a project manager in the defence industry.

Since 2005, he has chaired several Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) ministerial advisory groups providing advice as it pertains to the needs of seriously disabled veterans and their families. In addition, he also continues to provide advice to VAC and The War Amps.

Maj. Henwood hasn't let his catastrophic, life-altering injuries slow him down. He has been recognized many times for his continuing advocacy for seriously disabled veterans, including being made a Rotary Club of Canada Paul Harris Fellow and having a street named after him in Calgary. He was also awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2011. In September 2025, Maj. Henwood was further honoured with being named to the RMC Wall of Honour in recognition of his years of advocating on behalf of seriously disabled veterans.

In November 2025, Maj. Henwood became the Chair of the NCVA in order to continue his work for seriously disabled veterans.

Maj. Henwood resides in Calgary with his wife Judy, and they have three sons and four grandchildren. He is the president of his model train club and has a passion for model trains, travelling, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku and Canadian military history.

Derrill Henderson, Vice-Chairman

Derrill Henderson has served as Vice-Chairman of the NCVA since 2010. He is the National Secretary and Administrator for the Hong Kong Veterans Association, as well as founder and President of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association, an organization dedicated to educating Canadian youth about Canada's participation in the Far East theatre of the Second World War.

Following his retirement from Export Development Canada in 1993, Derrill has actively assisted and advocated for veterans, notably prisoners of war in Japan. As a descendant of a Hong Kong veteran himself, Derrill was instrumental in achieving a formal apology in 2011 from Japan to the remaining Canadian veterans who were PoWs during the Second World War. Though he does not consider himself a veteran, his personal military experience includes five years with the Army Cadet Corps and one year as Trooper with the Reserve Army.

Derrill graduated from Sir George Williams University with a degree in Electronic Data Processing and went on to pursue Business Administration studies at York University. He returned to university after his retirement to obtain a degree in Theology. Derrill was married for 63 years to his late wife, Vivian. Their two daughters and five grandchildren are all involved with the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association themselves.

Paul Baiden, Vice-Chairman

In addition to serving as Vice-Chairman of the NCVA, Paul Baiden is the National Chairman of the Canadian Naval Air Group, the current President of the Maritime Air Veterans Association, and a member of the Order of St. George, the Royal Canadian Legion, the National Association of Federal Retirees and the Royal Canadian Air Force Association.

Paul joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1963, where he became an Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator. He retired after 32 years of service in 1995. During his extensive maritime operational flying career, he accumulated a total of 7,115 flight hours and has been recognized several times throughout his military career for performance above and beyond the call of duty. He received the Star of Courage, awarded in recognition of an act of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril, for his heroic rescue efforts off Cape Breton on February 16, 1972. In 1986, he became a Member of the Order of Military Merit, and in 1993 he became a Member of the Order of St. John for his numerous years as a first aid and CPR instructor trainer for both military and civilian programs.

Paul continues to be an active advocate at VAC stakeholder summits and was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2012 for his work on behalf of veterans. He lives in Ottawa with his wife, Debbie.