Norwegian vet finally makes move to Camp Hill Memorial Hospital

After more than a year of fighting red tape, Norwegian war hero Petter Blindheim finally moved into Camp Hill Memorial Hospital in Halifax on Wednesday morning.

The 94-year-old gave a salute before he was wheeled through the front doors. His son, Peter Blendheim, said his dad was feeling a bit emotional.

"He wanted to make sure he had on his best clothes, his jacket with his medals spread across," Blendheim said in an interview outside the hospital.

"Actually, we were leaving the house and he was looking for his white hankerchief."

Hard struggle

He said his father's biggest concern, however, was that Veteran Affairs' about-face in his case last week, and the decision to provide greater access to beds at Camp Hill, would also apply to other veterans in similar situations. 

"He doesn't want to get any special treatment and this never was an intention to get special treatment," Blendheim said.

"We were just trying to follow the legislation, as hard as it is, to get a veteran in a veterans' hospital with empty beds."

Ottawa had repeatedly told the family Blindheim was not eligible to live in Camp Hill, eventually pushing Peter Blendheim to take his father's plight public.

"CBC was the first station to take the story and I really didn't think it would go much further than that," he said.

"It's made changes now, I've been told, [that] could spread out across the whole country and impact maybe future generations as well." 

More compassionate rules

Last week, Halifax MP Andy Fillmore notified the family about the federal government 's plan to work with Nova Scotia to create what it calls more compassionate and flexible rules for veterans seeking long-term care in the province.

Now the family's only concern is getting Blindheim settled into his new surroundings. 

"I'll be in here all the time to visit you," his wife Marilyn told him with a smile. "You won't leave me."