The Unknown Soldier represents all those Canadians, men and women, who died with no known grave in all Canada's wars. He is a young Canadian killed in World War 1 at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France in 1917, where the Canadian Corps won a magnificent victory. It is said that Canada was born as a nation during this action. The body of the Unknown Soldier was exhumed from an anonymous grave in a cemetery near Vimy, where it had lain for 83 years, and brought back to Canada. It was interred in a simple tomb in front of the National War Memorial, Ottawa, in an Act of Remembrance on May 28th, 2000. Kelly Funeral Homes and Chapels is honoured to have been selected by the Funeral Service Association of Canada, to receive and transport the body of the Canadian Unknown Soldier, from its arrival on Canadian soil to the Cartier Square Drill Hall. The casket and remains of the Unknown Soldier were transferred to Canadian possession at a ceremony held at the Canadian war memorial at Vimy Ridge on the morning of May 25th, 2000. The Minister of Veterans Affairs, Mr. George Baker, and General Maurice Baril, Chief of Defence Staff, represented Canada at this ceremony. The Veterans' Affairs Canada party included a number of distinguished veterans. The casket and remains were received by a Bearer Party composed of members of all three environments of the Canadian Forces (sea, land and air) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They were then flown to Ottawa, accompanied by the veterans representatives, the Chaplain-General, Brigadier-General Murray Farwell, and the military contingent. Lorne Kelly, owner of Kelly Funeral Homes, and his son Mark, were on hand at the Canadian Reception Centre at Ottawa airport to assist with the transfer of the casket to the Cartier Square Drill Hall. The Bearer Party transferred the casket from the military aircraft to the Funeral Coach provided by Kelly's. Under escort from national, regional and military police services the casket was driven by funeral procession to the Cartier Square Drill Hall, where veterans from the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre came to pay their respects. The casket was placed on a motorized gun carriage and escorted from the Drill Hall to Parliament Hill. There, in front of the Peace Tower, the Central Band of the Canadian Forces and the funeral guard composed of members of all three environments (sea, land and air) extended full military honours to the Unknown Soldier as his casket was carried into the Hall of Honour for public visitation. It lay in state there for three days. Officers and non-commissioned officers of the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police mounted a continuous vigil. The casket was then taken on a horse-drawn gun carriage to the National War Memorial in a funeral procession under the command of Brigadier-General Michel Maisonneuve. A combined band from the Central Band and the Band of the Royal 22e Regiment led the procession, followed by the Chaplain-General and the flag-draped casket of the Unknown Soldier. Commanders and officers of the Canadian Forces and the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police joined prominent veterans as honorary pallbearers, who accompanied the Bearer Party to the Act of Remembrance. The chief mourner party was led by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, accompanied by Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other Parliamentarians, including the Minister of National Defence, Art Eggleton. The mourners procession included officers of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP, and a large contingent of veterans. To the sound of a 21-gun salute, the funeral procession marched to the War Memorial, where thousands of ordinary Canadians waited to pay homage. The Chaplain-General conducted a brief committal service, and the Governor-General gave a moving eulogy. "The only One who does know his name," she said, "will keep his secret for eternity." The Bearer Party that had brought the remains of the Unknown Soldier all the way from France lowered his casket into the sarcophagus. The army firing party fired three rifle volleys. The bugles of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry sounded "The Last Post". As the sarcophagus was being covered, Canadian Forces aircraft flew past in "missing man" formation and a lone piper played a lament composed for the occasion. Representatives of Kelly Funeral Homes and Chapels were on hand in the background throughout the Act of Remembrance, to ensure that the transfer of the remains of the Unknown Soldier to the National War Memorial proceeded successfully. This event was a very special one for Kelly Funeral Homes, not only because of its unique significance to the nation but also due to Lorne Kelly's long history with the development of military funeral protocol. Between 1967-1977, Kelly Funeral Homes liaised with the Federal Government on behalf of the Funeral Directors Association of Canada. Between 1968 and 1972, Lorne Kelly worked with Department of National Defence representative, Lieutenant-Colonel Doug Digby, and Veteran Affairs representative, Wing Commander Arthur Bradshaw, in the revision of funeral regulations for Canadian veterans. To go to 'The National Military Cemetery'... www.dnd.ca/cemetery Home - About Us - About Funerals - Locations - Services - Pre-Arrangements FAQ - Bereavement Services - Canadian Independent Group - Contact Us

KELLY FUNERAL HOMES AND CHAPELS Proudly serving the National Capital region for over 40 years (613) 235-6712 Website by Academy Design