Only one World War I veteran left in Canada
<noinclude>
{{date|May 10, 2007}}
{{Canada}}
[[Image:OttawaWarMemorial.jpg|left|220px|thumb|[[w:National War Memorial (Canada)|Canadian National War Memorial]]]]
Just yesterday the second-last [[Canada|Canadian]] [[w:World War I|World War I]] veteran died, leaving just one remaining alive in Canada. The 106 year old [[w:Dwight Wilson|Percy Dwight Wilson]] died in [[w:Toronto|Toronto]]'s [[w:Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre|Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre]]'s veterans residence, being there from June 2006.

Born, February 26, 1901, one of nine children in [[w:Elgin County, Ontario|Elgin County, Ontario]], Wilson enlisted in the Army in 1915 as a Bulgier. After his Basic Training, he was sent to [[England]] via a ship across the [[w:Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]]. As he was a minor, he was never sent to the front lines, and helped to dig trenches until being sent back to Canada.

However, he was still determined to be a soldier, and re-enlisted upon arriving home, and was then discharged from the service in 1918. He joined the forces once more, as a reserve Officer in the 1st regiment reserve. [[w:World War II|World War II]] began and Wilson enlisted for a third time but was not accepted due to age limits.

From 1919 on to his retirement in 1966 he worked for [[w:Bell Canada|Bell Canada]], he studied music and vocals at Toronto's [[w:Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto)|Royal Conservatory of Music]] and [[w:London, Ontario|London, Ontario]]'s [[w:University of Western Ontario|University of Western Ontario]] where he met his wife Eleanor Dean, who married in 1927 and later died at 94.

His death leaves [[w:John Babcock|John Babcock]], 106 years old, who currently resides in [[w:Spokane, Washington|Spokane, Washington, USA]] and [[w:Gladys Powers|Gladys Powers]], 108 years old, the last known female veteran of the First World War who served with the [[w:Britain|British]] and who currently resides in [[w:Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford, British Columbia]], as the sole living Canadians who once served in the First World War.

Wilson is survived by his two sons Dean and Paul, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

==Related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=One of Canada's last WWI veterans dies at age 107|date=February 22, 2007}}
*{{Wikinews|title=State funeral approved by Canadian House of Commons|date=November 22, 2006}}

== Sources ==
{{wikipediapars|[[w:Surviving veterans of World War I|Surviving veterans of World War I]] and [[w:Dwight Wilson|Dwight Wilson]]}}
*{{source-pr|url=http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&searchText=false&showText=all&actionFor=650753
|title=Dwight Wilson, First World War Veteran Dies At Age 106
|author=
|pub=CCNMatthews
|date=May 9, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=5640627c-73b0-427e-87e7-f938dce684d2&k=33129
|title=Second-last Canadian survivor of First World War dies
|author=Jennifer Campbell, CanWest News Service
|pub=Canada.com
|date=May 10, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.kxly.com/news/?sect_rank=1&section_id=559&story_id=10901
|title=Spokane man last surviving Canadian World War I veteran 
|author=Richard Brown
|pub=KXLY-TV
|date=May 10, 2007}}

==External link==
*[http://www.sunnybrook.ca/news?id=456 Images of Percy Dwight Wilson at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre website]

{{publish}}

{{Archived}}
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Ontario]]
[[Category:Toronto, Ontario]]
[[Category:World War I]]
[[Category:Obituaries]]


</noinclude>
Canadian National War Memorial
Just yesterday the second-last Canadian World War I veteran died, leaving just one remaining alive in Canada. The 106 year old Percy Dwight Wilson died in Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's veterans residence, being there from June 2006.

Born, February 26, 1901, one of nine children in Elgin County, Ontario, Wilson enlisted in the Army in 1915 as a Bulgier. After his Basic Training, he was sent to England via a ship across the Atlantic. As he was a minor, he was never sent to the front lines, and helped to dig trenches until being sent back to Canada.

However, he was still determined to be a soldier, and re-enlisted upon arriving home, and was then discharged from the service in 1918. He joined the forces once more, as a reserve Officer in the 1st regiment reserve. World War II began and Wilson enlisted for a third time but was not accepted due to age limits.

From 1919 on to his retirement in 1966 he worked for Bell Canada, he studied music and vocals at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music and London, Ontario's University of Western Ontario where he met his wife Eleanor Dean, who married in 1927 and later died at 94.

His death leaves John Babcock, 106 years old, who currently resides in Spokane, Washington, USA and Gladys Powers, 108 years old, the last known female veteran of the First World War who served with the British and who currently resides in Abbotsford, British Columbia, as the sole living Canadians who once served in the First World War.

Wilson is survived by his two sons Dean and Paul, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
North America Canada Ontario Toronto, Ontario World War I Obituaries