Special Grave Marker Program (SGMP)

One of the initiatives of the Last Post Fund is to place military markers for eligible Veterans who lie in unmarked graves under the Special Grave Marker Program, commonly referred to as the SGMP.

What criteria must be met for the SGMP?
To qualify for the Special Grave Marker Program, a deceased Veteran without a permanent headstone or foot marker must have passed away for at least five years.

Who is eligible to receive a grave marker under the SGMP?
To satisfy the service criteria, a person must fall within one of the following categories:

• Canadian Veteran of the South African War, WW1, WW2 or Korea.
  

• Former member of Canadian Forces who passed basic training and was honourably discharged.
  

• Allied Veteran who was entitled to receive a War Veterans Allowance at some time before February 28,1995.

Who may initiate an application under the SGMP?
SGMP applications can be initiated from a variety of sources, such as a Veteran’s family member or estate, friend of a Veteran, Legion Service Officer, other Veterans’ organization, cemetery official or an official from a city, town or municipality.

What information is needed to start an application?
To process an application, the following information is necessary:

• Proof of military service that states rank and military unit*
  

• Cemetery form that declares grave to be unmarked
  

• Document showing date of death, such as a death certificate, cemetery interment record, newspaper clipping or obituary

* The Last Post Fund may be able to assist with obtaining military service record from Library & Archives Canada if supplied with the name and date of birth of a Veteran.

Where can an application be made?
Applications should be made through the Last Post Fund Branch in the province where the Veteran lies.

What type of grave marker will be placed under the SGMP?
Grave markers are ordered by the Last Post branch (through an LPF supplier) to ensure they conform to the inscription standards of Veterans Affairs Canada. Depending on the type of marker allowed at the cemetery**, the Last Post Fund may place an upright or flat grey granite military-style marker.

Upright Grave Marker-Barre Grey Granite
Dimensions: Height 100cm x Width 38cm x Thickness 7.5cm (39in x 15in x 3in)

Example of an upright marker for a WW1 Veteran

Flat Grave Marker-Barre Grey Granite
Dimensions: Height 50cm x Width 31cm x Thickness 10cm (12¼in x 20in x 4in)

Example of an inscription on a flat marker

**Special order markers of varying dimensions or materials may be ordered to comply with cemetery regulations when necessary.