The Canadian Armed Forces are remembering those who lost their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic.
The HMCS Hunter and members of the Royal Canadian Air Force held a ceremony in honour of those who lost their lives in one of the longest naval battles of WW2.
Soldiers and sailors in full dress uniform filled Dieppe Gardens at the foot of Ouellette Ave. and Riverside Dr. W. beside the Battle of the Atlantic monument Sunday.
From 1939 to 1945, thousand of Canadian's died fighting to keep allied supplies and reinforcements flowing over to the European front.
Captain Mike Hopper, with the Royal Canadian Navy, says it's important to remember those who fought valiantly for their country.
"It's important to keep these folks and their memories to honour their service and to make sure that their memory and their efforts are not forgotten," he says.
Hopper says moving forward can't be done without remembering the past.
Lt. Cmdr. Robert Head says it's important to honour those lost at sea. #cklw pic.twitter.com/E6P274o7WD
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) May 7, 2017
"For us as a navy, we were built on tradition, and we need to honour our past as we move forward with our fleets and we need to honour the sacrifices that were made, that made us who we are today," says Hopper.
A small group of veterans from several wars sat flanking the podium.
Hopper says losing more and more veterans of the Second World War each year makes remembrance ceremonies like these imperative.
"We had a dinner last night where we had actually two surviving members of the Atlantic Campaign. Unfortunately we lose more and more of them every year as time marches forward, but I believe we had about six or eight out today," Hopper says.
Several veterans chimed a bell for every ship lost in the Battle of the Atlantic before the ceremony closed with a prayer for the dead.
Vets ring the bell for ever ship lost at sea in The Battle of the Atlantic. #cklw pic.twitter.com/ghr64Akasy
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) May 7, 2017