Portage La Prairie's Remembrance Day ceremony took place at 11 this morning at the PCU Centre.

There was a strong presence on the part of the community as well as on the part of military organizations including the Air Cadets and the RCMP. Mayor Irvine Ferris says Portage has shown tremendous support.

"Portage has a long history and we've had many, many of our citizens serve our country over the years so I think that's a given that Portagers understand the sacrifice that was made. They acknowledge it, they respect it and they certainly turnout today to show that."

Daniel Boyse was this morning's master of ceremonies and he explains it was very good to have so many people come out.

"The city of Portage La Prairie and the rural municipality can be very proud of the fact that we had a large turnout, a lot of people still care about the veterans. It was overwhelming, I loved it, it was great."

He adds this morning's ceremonies ran very smoothly thanks to months of planning by many individuals and organizations.

As a part of the ceremony wreaths were laid at a cenotaph to honour those who had served. Afghanistan mission veteran Jean-Marc Nadeau laid the Silver Cross Mothers wreath in memory of fallen comrades. Nadeau notes the importance of keeping the memory of fallen soldiers alive.

"It's very important to keep the memory alive of our fallen comrades, but also the sacrifices that the families have made to support our soldiers and our service men and women who continuously step up to the plate to serve our country and ensure our freedom is carries for years ahead."

All those in attendance observed a moment of silence to honour those who served.

Lest we forget.