The Last Post Fund Begins

The patriotic Hair had found a cause he believed in strongly, but solving the problem would take much work. In a letter to The Gazette newspaper, Hair suggested a fund be organized to prevent a situation like Daly’s from happening again in Montréal. A man of modest means, Hair knew the only chance to do this was by enlisting the support of the city’s wealthier citizens. Through great effort, the pieces fell into place and the ‘Last Post Imperial Navy and Military Contingency Fund’ (as it first was known) was established in April 1909.

Official recognition came quickly. Governor-General Albert Grey became the honourary patron of the fund, the first of a long line of Governors-General who would fill this role. The first formal burial sponsored by the Fund was later that month for A. Walter Walters, a Veteran of the South African War. Public awareness of the organization slowly grew and the Fund established a small burial ground on the slopes of Mount Royal. Protestants were interred in Mount Royal Cemetery and Catholics in the adjoining Côte-des-Neiges Cemetery, the two plots separated only by a wrought-iron fence. The Last Post Fund’s first formal interments in these cemeteries took place on May 7, 1910.

World events soon provided a powerful backdrop to the work of the Fund. The First World War began in August 1914 and Canada was quickly swept up in the conflict. The Fund contributed to the war effort in many ways, assisting needy families of servicemen, helping men in uniform and supporting recruitment efforts. The Fund also sought to erect monuments in Canada and overseas and support convalescence homes for injured soldiers. Many of the organization’s members and employees would even enlist in the military

It was a busy time for the Fund - and one that would be followed by many changes.

The Last Post Fund

"The Last Post Fund is not a charity, it is a duty."