About EJ MacKenzie
Benefits Navigation Consultant | Veterans Affairs Advocate | Author | Educator
I’m not a lawyer, and I’m not a bureaucrat. What I am is someone who has spent years learning how the systems work — VAC, CRA, CPP, ADHD supports — and helping people find their way through them without losing their minds in the process.
I do this work because I’ve seen what happens when people don’t have anyone in their corner. Veterans who served this country waiting years for benefits they’re entitled to. Adults who’ve managed an undiagnosed ADHD brain their whole lives, finally getting answers at 50 — and then having no idea what to do next. People who are capable, resilient, and completely lost in a maze of forms, referrals, and silence from offices that were supposed to help them.
That’s where I come in.
Background
I’m a Nova Scotian by roots — East Coast practical, Maritime stubborn, and constitutionally allergic to nonsense. I spent a stretch of years working and living in the Canadian Arctic, which does something to a person. You learn fast what actually matters, what community means when it’s not optional, and how to function when the systems you’re used to simply don’t exist.
I came home from the North with a different set of eyes, and eventually found my way into advocacy work — first informally, then deliberately. I have a background in education and consultation, and I hold Red Cross Emergency Response certifications that reflect something I believe in: you show up prepared, you stay calm when things are hard, and you don’t leave someone on the ice.
That instinct runs through everything I do, whether I’m helping a veteran untangle a VAC claim, supporting an adult who just got an ADHD diagnosis at 55, or walking someone through what the T2201 actually means for their tax situation.
What I Bring to the Work
Years of experience working with adults navigating disability claims, government benefits, and the particular exhaustion of dealing with systems that weren’t designed to be user-friendly. I’ve sat with the paperwork. I know which forms are required, which ones are optional, what the sequence looks like, and where things typically fall apart.
I also live with ADHD. That’s not incidental — it means I understand the experience from the inside, not just in theory. I know what it costs to keep up when your brain is wired differently, and I know what a real difference the right support can make.
And I’m a grandmother, which means I have a fairly high tolerance for chaos, a strong preference for plain language, and no patience whatsoever for people being talked down to.
Training & Credentials
Background in education and adult learning. Experience in consultation, program delivery, and advocacy. Red Cross Emergency Response certified. Ongoing professional development in AI tools, benefits navigation, and veterans advocacy. Author of An Accidental Journey North and the Duster Adventures series.
When I’m Not Working
I’m on the water, in the garden, or somewhere on a trail that probably requires four-wheel drive. I have animals, strong opinions about the outdoors, and a deep appreciation for communities where people still know their neighbours’ names.
If you’re trying to figure out what you’re entitled to and where to start — that’s the conversation I’m here for.
On the Page
Jeani is also known as the author EJ MacK — or “GiGi” to her grandkids. An Accidental Journey North is a memoir about what happened when I went North looking for something and found considerably more than I bargained for. The Duster Adventures series is for children — stories about big feelings, busy brains, and the kind of adventures that happen when you pay attention to the world around you. Click here to view all my published books.