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.

First World War veteran gunner Dwight Wilson, 105, waves goodbye after meeting with the media in the veteran's wing at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto last week.
(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

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.