On October 29, 2026, Beechwood unveiled the General H.D.G. Crerar Memorial Wall at the National Military Cemetery. The permanent tribute honours a Canadian military leader and carries forward his message about our responsibility to welcome home those who serve.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, families and community partners gathered for the unveiling. Attendees included Major-General J.R.S. Boivin, Deputy Commander Canadian Army; Brigadier-General Serge Ménard, Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group; and Omar Abouzaher, Regional Vice President at BMO and Honorary Colonel of the Governor General’s Foot Guards.
Made possible with support from Bank of Montreal (BMO), Veterans Affairs Canada and MCM Granite. the Memorial Wall reflects a shared commitment to preserving Canada’s military history and recognizing veterans and their families.
A Welcome Home That Still Matters
As Canadian troops prepared to return home following the Second World War, General Crerar asked them to remember those whose homecoming would come later:
“See to it that those Canadian units and drafts which follow after you get just as good a ‘welcome home’ when they also get back.”
His words speak to a responsibility that continues today. Recognizing military service extends beyond the end of a deployment or conflict. It includes the welcome veterans receive, the support offered to their families and the care taken to preserve their stories.
For those returning from the Second World War, homecoming marked the beginning of another significant transition. Families had spent years apart. Communities had changed. Many service members carried experiences that would remain with them throughout their lives.
Crerar’s message asked returning troops to look beyond their own homecoming and help ensure their comrades received the same recognition and welcome.
A Canadian Leader Who Rests at Beechwood
General Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, often known as Harry Crerar, served Canada through both World Wars. An artillery officer during the First World War, he continued his military career in the years that followed and helped prepare the Canadian Army for another global conflict.
During the Second World War, he commanded the First Canadian Army. Its Canadian and Allied formations fought through the closing stages of the Normandy campaign, advanced across Northwest Europe and played a central role in the liberation of the Netherlands.
Behind those achievements were thousands of people who had left their families and communities to serve far from home. Some returned to civilian lives interrupted by years of war. Others never came home.
General Crerar rests at Beechwood in Section 27. His burial here gives the Memorial Wall a direct connection to the man it honours and places his message among the generations of service members and veterans whose stories are entrusted to Beechwood’s care.
Carrying His Message Forward
The unveiling marked the beginning of Beechwood’s annual Remembrance period leading to November 11. It reinforced the National Military Cemetery’s role as a place where Canadians can connect military history with individual lives and family memories.
Visitors are encouraged to spend time at the Memorial Wall and reflect on the responsibility General Crerar asked his troops to carry home.
A conversation with a veteran, an interest in a family’s military history or an opportunity for a student to learn about someone who served can help sustain that recognition.
As Remembrance Day approaches, we invite you to visit the National Military Cemetery and join us on November 11 to honour those who have served Canada. By learning their names, sharing their stories and helping younger generations understand their service, we carry remembrance forward.
Photo Credit: Richard Lawrence Photography.
