The House of Commons voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of an NDP motion asking the government to sponsor a full state funeral when the last First World War veteran passes away. Only three surviving First World War veterans - Dwight (Percy) Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106 - are still alive…
The veterans’ advancing years created a groundswell of support for the proposal to follow the example of Australia, which held a state funeral for the final survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli. By Tuesday morning, nearly 100,000 people had signed a petition on the institute’s website asking that the Canadian government support the proposal…
State funerals are one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they’re traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general. More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 60,000 of those were killed.
