With D-Day commemoration ceremonies underway across the country, the future of a local military cemetery in Pointe-Claire remains uncertain.
The Pointe-Claire National Field of Honour is facing mounting financial pressures and is looking for support to ensure its continued presence in the community.
Touted as the country’s largest military cemetery for Canadian and allied veterans, the national field of honour is currently in need of financial assistance as it faces bankruptcy within the next four to five years, according to the non-profit that owns the property.
Some 22,600 veterans lie in rest on the grounds of the tranquil manicured green space run by the non-profit Last Post Fund.
The service offers a proper final resting place for those who served — regardless of their financial situation.
But with the number of veterans dwindling and dependent on donations, the cemetery’s own future is uncertain.
Spokesperson Derek Sullivan said “it’s basic arithmetic.”
It currently costs half a million dollars to operate and maintain the cemetery, which is running an annual $200,000 deficit.
Additionally, the perpetual care fund stands at an insufficient $1 million, according to Sullivan.
With the financial pressures mounting, the non-profit has filed a request to the federal government to step in and take over full responsibility for the cemetery.
“This would be an appropriate responsibility for the government to take on,” Sullivan said.
Adding to the effort is a petition with more than 500 signatures that was recently presented to the House of Commons by local member of Parliament Francis Scarpaleggia.
Despite the inevitable financial crisis looming, members of the Last Post Fund, waiting for a response, remain confident the federal government won’t let the country’s veterans down.
“I think it’s unlikely that any government of Canada would allow the largest cemetery in the country to go out of business for a lack of resources,” Sullivan said.
“I am extremely hopeful that there will be a positive response from the government of Canada.”
With no clear timeline, Minister of Veterans Affairs Ginette Petitpas Taylor said in a statement that the government is “aware of the situation with the National Field of Honour.”
“My department is in the process of reviewing the report prepared. We look forward to working with the Last Post Fund on a path forward,” Petitpas Taylor said.