For me, Remembrance Day is hard to forget.

As a member of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and having participated in parade ceremonies for the past three straight years, I look forward to paying my respects and I embrace the feeling of pride that overcomes me every Nov. 11.

After hours of preparation the eve of the big day, I wake up when the sun rises and make sure everything is intact before I head off to one of the ceremonies. Uniform clean, kilt pressed and shoes shined—this means I’m ready to take on the day’s activities.

In a sense, the ceremonies are the same every year. There’s a gathering, a couple speeches by some of the veterans and the local politicians, a moment of silence and the laying of the wreaths on whichever monument or cenotaph.

Once the usual is said and done, the crowd moves over to the closest legion—that’s where it gets interesting.

One thing that does vary is the length of the ceremony. This year, it was heart-warming to see a surprisingly long list of organizations and individuals pay their respects. Not only did they show up with a poppy on their collars, they had prepared decorative wreaths to lean against the memorial. This idea of these people coming and making donations is usual, but the numbers they came in this year was astounding.

Finally, your experience becomes unique thanks to the war veterans themselves. Sure, the free snacks and a beverage of your choice are nice, but the small chat with a man covered in medals is why I attend Remembrance Day. 

Leaving the legion knowing a certain veteran has a smile on his face thanks to me is one of the better feelings I’ve ever experienced. What he doesn’t know is that he made my day too.