Canada's last known WWI vet has died at 109, PMO says.

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OTTAWA - Canada's last known First World War veteran has died, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement, John Babcock was 109.

"As a nation, we honour his service and mourn his passing," Prime Minister Harper said in a statement issued from Ottawa. Babcock was the last link to the 650, 000 Canadian men and women who served in the First World War, Harper noted.

"The passing of Mr. Babcock marks the end of an era," Harper said in the statement. "His family mourns the passing of a great man. Canada mourns the passing of the generation that asserted our independence on the world stage and established our international reputation as an unwavering champion of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."

Babcock joined the military at the age of 16, but because of his age wasn't allowed on the frontlines.

He spent his final years living in Spokane, Washington.