Burdett (Burd) Sisler is not only Canada's oldest living person at 110 years old, but the Ontario resident also holds the distinction of being Canada's oldest living veteran.
Sisler became the oldest person in Canada following the death of 113-year-old Quebec woman Margaret Romans on Oct. 25.
In an address to the Ontario legislature on Nov. 6, NDP Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates called the 110-year-old veteran "a truly incredible and special person."
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"I have been extremely privileged to call Burd a friend," Gates said of the veteran who served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War.
News Niagara war veteran becomes Canada's oldest living person Ray Spiteri ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
"He is the oldest living Canadian veteran of the Second World War and is believed to be the sixth oldest living veteran of the war in the world," said Gates, adding Sisler spent three decades working for the Canada Border Services Agency and raised his family in Fort Erie.
Sisler has five children, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
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John Babcock, the last known First World War veteran in Canada, died at age 109 in 2010.
"It is important to remember our veterans on Remembrance Day because veterans want Canadians to understand the price of freedom," said Veterans Affairs Canada spokesperson Josh Bueckert. "They are passing the torch to the people of Canada, so the memory of their sacrifices will continue, and the values they fought for will live on in all of us."
Veterans Affairs Canada said while it was unable to independently verify Sisler's status as Canada's oldest veteran due to privacy reasons, it's likely that if he has been confirmed as the oldest living person in Canada -- and he is a Second World War veteran -- he would probably be Canada's oldest veteran.
How many veterans are alive today in Canada?
The number of remaining Second World War veterans and Korean War veterans continues to decline in Canada.
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Veterans Affairs Canada reports that for the first time in 50 years, Statistics Canada asked all respondents of the 2021 census to indicate whether they had served in the Canadian military.
As of 2025, the estimated population of Second World War veterans is 3,691 -- 667 women and 3,024 men, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
The estimated population of Korean War veterans is 1,909 -- 207 women and 1,702 men.
The estimated total Canadian veteran population is 444,077 -- 73,559 women and 370,518 men.
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