The solemn beauty of the Last Post National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Que., where privates and high-ranking officers lie side by side in dignified, uniform graves was officially recognized June 21 as a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

The unveiling of a plaque by the board took place during the annual commemoration ceremony held each June in the cemetery adjacent to the Lakeview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Pointe-Claire, just west of Montreal.

More than 1,500 people showed up for the ceremony which not only included the designation but also marked another milestone—the 100th anniversary of the Last Post Fund.

Thousands of small Maple Leaf flags marked the graves of veterans as the crowd gathered along with a military guard of honour, a band and several Legion colour parties.

Guest of honour Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, representing both Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson and Environment Minister Jim Prentice, who as head of Parks Canada is also responsible for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, arrived passing through the magnificent Gate of Remembrance accompanied by Last Post National President Lou Cuppens.

Together they inspected the troops before taking their seats under a canvas awning by the five-metre Cross of Sacrifice dedicated in 1934 in honour of General Arthur Currie who led Canadian troops through the First World War.

Veterans from Ste-Anne’s Hospital in nearby Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue were seated under a tent to shield them from bright sunshine and occasional dark clouds which threatened but did not produce any rain during the event.

The Royal Canadian Legion was well represented by Dominion President Wilf Edmond, Dominion Secretary Duane Daly and Quebec Command President Robert Groulx. Also in attendance, as they are each year for the commemoration ceremony, were Dominion Chairman Tom Irvine and Dominion Vice-President Paulette Cook.

Welcoming everyone to the ceremony Cuppens said, “In this our centennial, I am proud to say that our organization has never deviated from the principles of dignity, compassion and respect which presided over its creation by Arthur H.D. Hair a hundred years ago. Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming his grandson, Arthur Hair III. We salute the vision of our founder who had the audacity to acquire those six acres of land decades ago and we feel privileged to pursue his work. Today, more than 20,000 veterans and their spouses rest in this majestic site.”

The Last Post Fund was founded in Montreal in 1909 by Arthur Hair after he interceded to prevent an impoverished South African War veteran from being buried in a pauper’s grave. He formed the non-profit organization to see that no veteran was denied a proper, dignified burial because his or her estate lacked the means. The fund was supported entirely by voluntary funds throughout the First World War until 1922 when the Government of Canada began to support the fund.

Today the fund has offices across Canada and is supported by Veterans Affairs Canada as well as private donations. The Last Post Fund also administers VAC’s Veterans Burial Regulations for those veterans who are entitled to a burial because of a disability caused by military service.

The Field of Honour at Pointe-Claire was consecrated on Sept. 21, 1930. Among those buried there are veterans from the Indian Mutiny, the Fenian Raids, the rebellions of 1870 and 1885, the Zulu War of 1878, the South African War, the First and Second World Wars and Korea. Alongside Canadians are veterans from Britain, the United States, Poland, France, South Africa, Russia, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Australia and New Zealand. More than 300 women are buried there as well.

“As I passed through the Remembrance Gate, I was struck by the splendour of the site,” said Nolin. “The Last Post Fund has created a place worthy of our veterans, granting them equality in death and honouring their sacrifices for our country. In designating the National Field of Honour a National Historic Site of Canada, the Government of Canada has helped to safeguard the unique heritage represented by these facilities for future generations.”

A remembrance ceremony followed with Last post lament the silence and Reveille. The Act of Remembrance was read in both official languages by Groulx. Wreaths were placed, including one on behalf of The Royal Canadian Legion by Edmond.

Michel Audy, a former executive secretary the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, read the inscription on the plaque: “Inaugurated in 1930, this cemetery is the work of the Last Post Fund to provide honourable burials for indigent veterans at a time when the government did not assume this responsibility. It exemplifies the tradition of military cemeteries in the simplicity of its axial plan, orderly placement of tombstones, and uniform treatment of graves, elements symbolic of military discipline and the equality of soldiers in death. A place of remembrance, this cemetery and its monuments are a poignant and powerful evocation of the sacrifices of the men and women who served their country.”

He then joined Nolin and Cuppens in unveiling the plaque to great applause.

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada was established in 1919 to identify and commemorate nationally significant places, persons and events. It acts as an expert advisory body with members from each province and territory. More than 900 historic sites, almost 600 historic persons and more than 350 historic events have been recognized as having national importance.