Updated at 5:00 yesterday.
The National Field of Honor, Pointe Claire Cemetery, where 22,500 soldiers of all ranks are buried, has experienced significant operating deficits for several years and is seeking help from the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure its sustainability.
The problem is that much of the cemetery’s income comes from the sale of land. However, as fewer and fewer former soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are still alive, there are fewer and fewer funerals.
“There are far fewer burials than there were 20 or 30 years ago,” points out retired Lt. Col. Michel Crowe, outgoing president of the Last Post Fund. In the 1990s there could be more than 300 funerals per year. Eight or nine years ago we fell below 200. Today it’s about 120, 130 a year. As costs and wages rise. »
Other military personnel who were part of the Canadian Armed Forces after the Korean War may be buried in the Field of Honour. But they are younger and the annual number of deaths is lower. “Those we call modern veterans often prefer to be buried in their hometown with their family,” adds Edouard Pahud, director general of the Last Post Fund.
Mr. Pahud says he expects a deficit of about $200,000 for fiscal year 2023 on an operating budget of $458,000. “In 2022 our deficit was $140,000 and in 2021 it was $95,000,” he explains. For now, we are covering our deficits with our reserves. »
“We would like to be able to convince the government of Canada to cover the costs of maintaining the National Field of Honor,” said Michel Crowe, who worked in the office of the advocate general of the armed forces.
With the exception of two cemeteries in Halifax and Esquimalt, British Columbia, the federal government does not own the graves where veterans are buried.
Even Ottawa’s famous Beechwood Cemetery, home to the National Military Cemetery, is managed by a charitable foundation, as is the case with Field of Honor.
Result: Canadian veterans are dispersed regardless of the time they served. There are around 250,000 of them in more than 8,000 cemeteries in Canada.
Veterans Affairs Canada knows
At the Department of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), we are aware of the financial difficulties facing the Field of Honor.
“The Last Post Fund plays an important role in ensuring veterans receive the recognition they deserve. We will continue to work with them to ensure that the sacrifices of Canadian veterans are properly honored through the maintenance of these graves and headstones,” says Mikaela Harrison, Communications Director for Minister Ginette Petitpas. Taylor. Edouard Pahud expects a meeting with the minister. “That’s in the plans,” he said.
On the VAC page we assure that we are “working in collaboration with the Last Post Fund to determine the way forward” on this matter.
“To ACC’s knowledge, no other cemetery has requested its assistance,” added spokesman Marc Lescoutre. There are hundreds of Honor Fields across Canada that are privately owned and operated by communities, churches, non-profit and for-profit organizations. »
Renovations of steles
VAC manages some programs related to burial sites and burials of former soldiers. For example, the Burial and Burial Program administered by the Last Post Fund helps cover the costs of funerals, funerals and memorial services for certain military personnel, particularly those who have lived in precarious financial circumstances.
Over the past five years, ACC has also restored or replaced more than 110,000 headstones across Canada (11,050 in Quebec) thanks to a $24.4 million program. The Field of Honor of Pointe-Claire received 1.3 million as part of this project.
“This allowed us to replace some broken gravestones and, most importantly, level several plots where the ground had sunk,” says Michel Crowe.
However, this project has now been completed and ACC has an annual budget of 1.25 million for the maintenance of the steles. This amount was classified as insufficient in an internal audit report published in April 2023. The authors estimated that such a sum would lead to “a further backlog of maintenance work.” But ACC sticks around and signs. “ACC continues to pursue efficiencies within its $1.25 million annual budget,” we were told.
At the Canadian Legion we say we want more. “We are pleased with the significant reduction in the maintenance backlog recorded from 2018 to 2023 and equally pleased that it has been reduced by twice the expected number,” says spokesperson Nujma Bond. However, knowing the work that still needs to be done, we hope that the upcoming budget negotiations will result in adequate and permanent funding to enable long-term care and ensure a dignified remembrance of those who have served our country. »
Learn more
110,355 Approximately 110,355 Canadians who died during World War I and World War II are buried abroad in 75 countries. Canada contributes to the preservation of its graves through an annual payment (10.9 million in 2022-2023) to the Commonwealth Graves Commission.
Source: Veterans Canada