The National Field of Honour in Pointe-Claire, Que., has expanded its criteria for burials, so more people who served in Canada’s military are included, along with their immediate family.

The cemetery, operated by the Last Post Fund, was established in 1930. In 2009, the year of the Last Post Fund’s centennial, the cemetery was declared a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. More than 22,000 burials have taken place there since its creation.

National Field of Honour Cemetary Gates. [Jean-Philippe Boulet, Public Domain]

Traditionally, the National Field of Honour was reserved for Canadian and Allied forces and Canadian Merchant Navy members who died while on duty.

Burial in the field is now available to any member of the Canadian Armed Forces who died while on duty as well as:

• Any Canadian or Allied veteran who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War, including the merchant navy;

• Any active or former member of the CAF or reserve forces who has completed the Basic Military Qualifications course and has been honourably discharged;

• Members of allied forces, residing in Canada for no less than 10 years and having participated in military operations where Canadian Forces were deployed;

• Any member or former member of Canadian police forces who served in a Special Duty Area or Special Duty Operation or who was appointed to serve under such special duty but died during pre-deployment training;

• Members of the immediate family of the qualifying person, and the dependents identified in the person’s military records, up to a maximum of six persons per lot.

Immediate family means father, mother, brother, sister, child or a person who had responsibilities and served as a father or mother.

Further information is available at www.lastpost.ca.