Mishall RehmanThe final resting place for soldiers who may have fought in the War of 1812, the Second World War or the Korean Conflict, the National Field of Honour is the perfect place to honour the fallen at the Last Post Fund’s Remembrance Day Ceremony.
“The National Field of Honour, in Pointe-Claire, is a beautiful, peaceful location for a commemoration ceremony. Designated as a National Historic site by Parks Canada in 2007, it is a meaningful and historically rich location,” said Arianne Deschênes, Communication Advisor for the Last Post Fund (LPF).
This year’s ceremony will recognize the 100th anniversary of the poem In Flanders Field with a choir on site. The LPF is also, for the first time in Quebec, participating in the “No Stone Left Alone” initiative. Children from local schools, like Vincent-Massey, have crafted paper poppies that will be placed on grave markers before the ceremony. Close to 500 poppies will be placed on Remembrance Day.
“It is a fantastic educational initiative that we are looking forward to collaborating with in the future,” said Deschênes.
This year the guest of honour will be Georges Bourelle, the mayor of Beaconsfield, Quebec.
Loved ones of soldiers buried at the NFH are welcome to attend this ceremony.
The National Field of Honour, in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, was purchased by the founder of LPF, Arthur Hair, in 1930. The NFH, owned and maintained by LPF, is a cemetery for Canadian and Allied veterans and their spouses. Memorials for the Air Force, Army and Navy, can be spotted around the cemetery.
The D’Urban circle, located at the back of the Field, is a plot that contains graves dating back to the Fenian Raids, Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Waterloo and the War of 1812. These soldiers were originally buried at the Papineau Military Cemetery in downtown Montreal but were later moved during the construction of the Jacques Cartier Bridge in 1944. The history of this cemetery makes it the perfect location for a Remembrance ceremony.
Founded in April of 1909 in Montreal, the Last Post Fund’s mission is to ensure no veteran is denied a dignified burial and military gravestone due to insufficient funds at the time of death. The Last Post Fund also supports other initiatives to honour the memory of Canadian and Allied veterans including the annual commemorative ceremony held on the first weekend of June for the anniversary of D-Day. Families of veterans buried at the NFH are invited to attend the ceremony.
