For Cailey Nadeau, the decision to participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies was a natural.
"I would say it's a huge part of our history," he said. "The world would not be the way it is without these people in our lives."
Nadeau was one of 500 people who took part in the ceremonies on Nov. 11 in Dawson Creek.
The first portion of the ceremonies took place in the regular spot at Unchagah Hall. About 40 wreaths were laid in the front of the hall by a variety of community groups and individuals.
One of the last events to take place there was the marching off the colours, led by John Kennedy of the Dawson Creek Legion Branch #141.
Kennedy said that his family has a long military history. His grandfather was shot while fighting in World War I at Vimy Ridge, and his father served in World War II.
Kennedy served overseas during the late 1950s and 1960s. He was about to be sent home when the Cuban Missile Crisis called him back to defend Germany. As well, he served on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Cyprus between the warring Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
"It was only on one occasion that shots were fired over my men's heads," he said. "It was the Turks shooting the Greeks."
While there, he also saw the graves of soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and World War II.
He said he was struck by the fact that on those headstones, 25 years old could be considered an "old man," as most of the other buried veterans were between 19 and 20 years old.
Kennedy is one of many veterans that are a part of the local legion.
Branch President Peter Batchelor said that Remembrance Day is "the biggest day of the year" for the group.
"It's a day to remember and honour our veterans and those that are served and those that are still serving," he said. "Every penny we collect in our poppy sales goes back into supporting veterans."
While some visited the Legion after the ceremonies at Unchagah Hall, a smaller faction chose to travel to the cenotaph near City Hall for another portion of these ceremonies.
MLA Blair Lekstrom said that this was the original spot that people would meet in Dawson Creek, before it was changed to Unchagah Hall to better accommodate the seniors.
Members of the RCMP and the Air Cadets #353, Mile Zero Squadron, helped out with the ceremonies there.
Capt. Dana Braun, who leads the local Air Cadets, said that she thought her students did well at the ceremony.
"I think its important for cadets to learn to respect the sacrifice that the veterans have made and making it so that... we have the freedoms that we do," she said.
After a brief march by the Cadets, Lekstrom and Mayor Mike Bernier spoke to the crowd.
"Many of [these soldiers] have given the ultimate sacrifice... hopefully people will say thank you for what we enjoy and what they've done for us, which is a free and democratic society."
"Every single day when we wake up we should remember how absolutely lucky we have it," Bernier added later, "And we have to pass that on to the next generation."
