State Funeral Urged

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

This speaks for itself, methinks. It's a marvellous idea, in my humble opinion. To that end I have added my signature to the petition at:

http://www.dominion.ca/petition/index.php

Have state funeral for last WWI soldier, group urges

Last Updated: Monday, November 6, 2006 | 3:03 PM ET
CBC News

The death of the last Canadian veteran of the First World War should be marked with a full state funeral to commemorate the sacrifice of all those who served, the Dominion Institute says.

The national organization, which promotes Canadian history, launched an online petition Monday to drum up support for the idea.

Of the 619,636 Canadians who served between 1914 and 1918, only three are still alive: Percy Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106.

Rudyard Griffiths, the director of the Dominion Institute, says the death of the last veteran of the Great War — which claimed 66,655 Canadian lives — will be a watershed moment for Canada."

"A state funeral is the highest honour the government of Canada can bestow on our behalf on a fellow citizen," he said Monday.

Canadians, he said, shouldn't be timid or understated when it comes to this event: "Why not be bold? Why not be generous in the commemoration of the death of the last veteran of the Great War?"

Griffiths said he's heard the government has various plans in the works, but nothing official has been announced.

"I worry, if there's no plan in place, this event could be on top of us before we might like," he said.

Written tributes
Last year's death of Clarence (Clare) Laking, the last Canadian veteran to have seen combat in the war, occurred with little more than written tributes in national newspapers, Griffiths said.

"Let's not let the last Great War veteran pass on without a proper, solemn commemoration of their contribution and all of those who served with them," he said.

It is important to have a state funeral — as opposed to a military funeral or other commemoration — because state funerals include a religious church service, Griffiths said

Many of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who served in the war fought for a tolerant, peaceful and open idea of Christianity, Griffiths said, and failing to include a religious element would not properly reflect our own history.

Remembrance Day ceremonies are an important part of the memorial process, Griffiths said, but the death of the last WW1 soldier is "an event truly of national significance."

The final decision will be left entirely up to the veteran's family, he said, adding that the Dominion Institute is offering its full support. Hundreds of people have already logged on to the organization's website to sign the petition, Griffiths said.

Hi Geoff,

I recently clicked a YES for an online Poll about this and will also follow your suit and sign the petition. Thanks for the link for it!



Karmen

Done

I also sent the Petition to my Member of Parliament

Karmen

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
This speaks for itself, methinks. It's a marvellous idea, in my humble opinion. To that end I have added my signature to the petition at:

http://www.dominion.ca/petition/index.php

Its a pity there is no "other" line in the province pull-down or I'd sign it too since none of the available abbreviations are applicable here.

R.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Richard Notton
Its a pity there is no "other" line in the province pull-down or I'd sign it too since none of the available abbreviations are applicable here.

R.

Hmmmm..... you COULD make like a Canuckistani and just put 'Toronto, ON' in the appropriate slots...

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

24,447 names on the petition to this moment...

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
24,447 names on the petition to this moment...

Jif
How many did you recognize from MLU..
I'm there..

[mike mckinley]

i'm there as well. alex....it seems to me that you may be in the possession of a rather touching tribute to our vets....it certainly made 50+ people "reflect and remember" back in june, and i hope everyone gets the honour to reflect on it as i did.

lest we forget

m

Here is an article/news story from today. Lots of people have been responding to the Poll and doing it.

November 10, 2006

Canadians support state rite for WWI vet

By COLIN PERKEL

TORONTO (CP) - A strong majority of Canadians favour breaking with tradition by giving the last veteran of the First World War a state funeral, a new poll suggests.

The poll, done for the Dominion Institute and being released on Saturday to coincide with Remembrance Day, indicates that even Quebecers like the idea.

"The offer of a state funeral would be symbolic," said Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the institute.

"Not only is it commemorating the passing of the last living link to Canada's struggle in the mud and blood of Flanders Field, but it is also honouring and showing maximum respect for all of those that served."

Griffiths said he was especially pleased to see the level of support in Quebec, given that Quebecers are often less supportive when it comes to issues of Canada's military heritage.

While the federal government has said it plans to mark the passing of the last vet by honouring all vets, it has not provided details.

State funerals rank among the highest honour the country can bestow on a person. Traditionally, they have been the preserve of prime ministers and governors general.

With only three surviving veterans - Percy Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106 - the institute says it's time to rethink that approach.

"The passing of the last of the last Great War veteran is a watershed moment in our country's history," said Griffiths.

"If there ever was a time for Canada and Canadians to be bold and generous in commemoration of our history, in commemoration of our shared values, surely the passing of the last Great War veteran is that moment."

The poll indicates that three in four Canadians approve of a state funeral when the last veteran passes on.

Regionally, Atlantic Canadians are the strongest supporters of a full state funeral - with 82 per cent in favour.

Even in Quebec, 69 per cent support the option, the same ratio as in British Columbia.

"When the last First World War veteran passes, the nation should recognize that by holding a state funeral to honour that individual and all of those who went before," said Mike Farnworth, a New Democrat member of the B.C. legislature.

"People need to let their politicians know that this would be an appropriate act of recognition."

Other provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, were more in line with the national average of 74 per cent.

The institute also said it has been overwhelmed by the response to an online petition on its website, which had registered more than 45,000 signatures by late Friday - up from 30,000 the day before - with many people leaving expressions of support.

"Please give these men and women the dignity and respect that they deserve," Pia Augello of Hamilton wrote.

"If it wasn't for them we wouldn't have what we have today."

Liberal leadership contender Bob Rae is among those saying he supported the push for a state funeral.

In other poll results, 64 per cent of respondents said they would back a national day of mourning when the last veteran dies.

Also, only 27 per cent of those surveyed said they opposed any kind of special commemoration.

More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 60,000 of those were killed.

The poll of 1,013 Canadians was done by Innovative Research Group Oct. 26-31 and is said to be accurate within 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

75508 names posted to-date.

The country has spoken.

Hi all,

I was really surprized and pleased today to find 2 replies/acknowledgements to two emails I sent out, to our Prime Ministers office, and to our Local MPs office, regards the Sate Funeral for our last WW1 Vet.

Dear Carman Sinclair:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Thompson, so that he too may be made aware of your comments. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration. For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.

L.A. Lavell
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre


Mr. Harper,

Please help to make this happen for our last WW1 Vet when he passes, honouring and commemorating, as our last WW1 Vet, for ALL of our WW1 Vets. My heart feels that this seems the ONLY right thing to do.

www.dominion.ca/statefuneral <http://www.dominion.ca/statefuneral >

Thank You,

Carman Sinclair
BC
-------

Dear Carmen,

Thank you for your e-mail. Please be assured your e-mail will be brought to Mr. Abbott's attention.

Wendy Kemble
Constituency Assistant to Jim Abbott MP
Parliamentary Secretary to
Minister of Canadian Heritage

Carman aka Karmen

Good morning,

Just read this in the news!

November 21, 2006

State funeral for last Great War vet approved

OTTAWA (CP) — The Commons has voted unanimously in favour of offering a full state funeral to the last Canadian veteran of the First World War.

The House approved an NDP motion asking the government to honour all who served that war by sponsoring a state funeral when the last of its vets dies.

There are believed to be three Canadian survivors of the conflict, all well over 100 years of age.

The concept was first proposed before Remembrance Day by the Dominion Institute, which said such a funeral would help promote memories of the long-ago conflict.

More than 60,000 Canadians died in the fighting between 1914 and 1918.

Good news, I just received this update by email:

Dear petition supporter:
As you requested, we are emailing to update you on an important development with regards to the petition you signed asking the Government of Canada to offer a full State Funeral to the family of the last veteran of the First World War resident in Canada.
As reported by The Globe and Mail this weekend (see news story below) a motion to offer a State Funeral to the family of the last veteran of the First World War will be considered by Parliament on Tuesday, November 21.
We believe that the motion will be debated sometime between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, November 21.
You can watch the House of Commons debate the motion on Canadian Parliamentary Channel (CPAC).
Or, click on the link below to view the same on your computer.
Yours sincerely,

The Dominion Institute
www.dominion.ca/statefuneral
--

NDP seeks consent for state funeral
Last WW1 vet should be honoured
BY GLORIA GALLOWAY

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18

OTTAWA -- The New Democratic Party will ask Monday for all federal parties to agree to offer a state funeral to the last Canadian veteran of the First World War.
Just three of those men still are still alive, and all of them are 105 or 106 years old.
Their dwindling numbers and advancing years have created a surge of support for a Dominion Institute proposal to follow the example of Australia, which held a state funeral for the final survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli. By yesterday afternoon, more than 85,000 people had signed a petition on the institute's website asking that the Canadian government offer the family of the last veteran a similar honour.
"We are going to ask the other party leaders on Monday for unanimous consent to consider a motion to have a state funeral when the last of the World War I veterans passes away," NDP Leader Jack Layton said yesterday.
The war was "immensely significant" in Canadian history, Mr. Layton said, and a state funeral would provide "an opportunity for us to remember an entire generation that fought for our country in its early years and made enormous sacrifices."
Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute, said there is some urgency to say publicly that this is what Canada as a nation wants to do. The NDP motion would "get the ball rolling," he said.
"If we want to make this into a national, large-scale commemoration, that's going to take time and it's going to take resources," Mr. Griffiths said. "It's not something that any government can turn around in a matter of a few weeks."
But Mr. Layton will need the support of all four federal parties for the matter to be dealt with quickly. Without unanimous consent of all House leaders, it will go to the end of the queue of motions to be put to the House of Commons.
Obtaining that consent could prove problematic.
Rodger Cuzner, the Liberal critic for veterans affairs, said he believes a state funeral would be a noble gesture and he will urge his party to support the NDP proposal.
"Historians are unanimous in pointing to [the 1917 battle of] Vimy Ridge as the single military battle that allowed Canada to emerge as a true nation," Mr. Cuzner said. It's important, he said, to do what "we can do to bring us back and remind us of that."
The Bloc Québécois has also said it will support the motion.
But the Conservatives may not.
A spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said yesterday his department is consulting with veterans groups and other federal departments, and until the Conservatives actually see the NDP motion, they can't say whether they will back it.
The Canadian Legion, meanwhile, points out that Jack Babcock, one of the three surviving Canadian veterans, has lived in the United States since 1924 and would not be entitled to a state funeral in Canada, something Mr. Babcock says he understands.
"The Legion has asked the government for some time now to host a significant event on the passing of the last World Ward I vet," said Bob Butt, the Legion's director of communications. A state funeral would be an option for the other two, but it would have to be some other type of recognition if Mr. Babcock is the last survivor, he said.
A poll of 1,013 Canadians conducted last month for the Dominion Institute found that three out of four respondents agree with the proposal for a state funeral for the last First World War veteran. While support varied across the country, in no region was it below 69 per cent.
Mr. Layton said he has been persuaded by the arguments for the ceremony and he says he has seen the groundswell of support for the idea.
"I think the significance of that particular passing is one that really represents something fundamental in our history and a great gift that was given to all of us who never had to experience the horrors that they had to experience in those trenches and in those famous battles," Mr. Layton said.
Web citation:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...=state+funeral

Hi,

I received this Update today

Karmen

Dear petition supporter:
You did it!
Thanks to you and the over 90,000 people who signed our petition for a State Funeral for the last veteran of the First World War, the Parliament of Canada unanimously passed the following motion introduced by M.P. Peter Stoffer on Tuesday, November 21:
"That, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Canada should honour all who served Canada in the First World War by sponsoring a State Funeral on the passing of the last Canadian veteran of this Great War."
This binding motion will ensure that at the appropriate time the family of the last veteran of the Great War will be offered a full State Funeral to recognise the service and sacrifice of their loved one and the 600,000 fellow Canadians who served under arms from 1914 to 1918.
This brings to a conclusion the Dominion Institute's public campaign for a State Funeral for the last First World War veteran.
On behalf of all the veterans, staff and volunteers at the Dominion Institute thank you for supporting for this important national cause!

Rudyard Griffiths, Executive Director
The Dominion Institute
http://www.dominion.ca/statefuneral
_____

State funeral for last war vet wins approval
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, ONLINE EDITION - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21
BY SCOTT DEVEAU
The last remaining Canadian First World War veteran will be laid to rest at a state funeral, after Ottawa voted unanimously Tuesday in favour an NDP motion to bestow the honour, which is normally reserved for former heads of government.
Just three Canadian first World War veterans are believed to be still alive - the oldest being 106 years old.
While state funerals in Canada are normally reserved former Governors-General and Prime Ministers, there has been an enormous groundswell of support in recent weeks for honouring the passing of the last remaining First World War veteran with such a ceremony.
The campaign was launched by the Dominion Institute in the build up to Remembrance Day, and in just a few weeks drew more than 90,000 signatures from Canadians across the country on a petition in support of the initiative.
NDP critic for Veterans Affairs Peter Stoffer picked up the cause Tuesday by introducing a motion in the House, which required the consent of all four federal parties before a state funeral could be awarded. The motion received unanimous support Tuesday morning.
"Canada's veterans are our greatest heroes and our country's greatest volunteers," Mr. Stoffer said Tuesday. "Offering a state funeral for the last Canadian veteran of the First World War is a fitting and symbolic tribute to recognize the great personal sacrifices of those who have served and who are currently serving our country."
The move mirrors an Australian initiative that saw that country's last veteran buried in a state funeral in 2005.
In Canada, during a state funeral, the body arrives at Parliament Hill by hearse, where the deceased is brought to the centre block for a simple ceremony. After lying guarded in state for two days, the body is escorted to Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa, where the funeral service is held.
More than 60,000 Canadians died in the fighting between 1914 and 1918.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home