Growing Coast-to-Coast

The end of the First World War saw hundreds of thousands of Canadians return home as Veterans. The stresses of the war had been intense, and many found themselves in poor health and psychologically scarred by what they had experienced. This resulted in a notable increase in burials undertaken by the Fund as those who could not work due to physical or psychological injury were often left penniless when they died.

The early work of the Fund was exclusively supported by private donations. In 1921, however, the organization was federally incorporated as the Last Post Fund and began to receive regular government financial support. To receive this funding, however, the organization had to expand its operations to cover the entire country - a huge task spearheaded by Arthur Hair.

The first Last Post Fund burial outside Quebec took place in Toronto in November 1922. In 1923, the Last Post Fund’s profile was further enhanced when Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie, who had commanded the Canadian Corps during the First World War, became president of the organization.

Burials rose steadily across Canada during the 1920s, with local Last Post Fund branches arranging for grave sites for the Veterans in their area. Despite the upheaval of the Great Depression, the 1930s were a time of growth for the Fund. The harsh economic situation meant many Veterans were very poor, even having their lives shortened as a result of poor health brought on by poverty. This meant the Fund would be busy as more Veterans were in need of assistance for funeral costs.

The most striking development of the decade, however, was the establishment of the Field of Honour - a large cemetery in Quebec owned by the Last Post Fund.