Petawawa, Ont. prepares for Remembrance Day

As towns across the Ottawa Valley get final preparations in place for Remembrance Day, the bond between military and community is unlike any other in Petawawa.

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That bond is on full display in a local businesses like Ottawa Valley Coffee, where owner Kelsey Goulet is a member of a military family herself.

"Here, we're going to be doing free Americanos for all of the military, and we're going to close as a team and go down to the parade so that we can show our support as well," the new coffee shop owner tells CTV News.

"The military is what makes Petawawa go-round. We, especially here, like the support for the military and everything, it's really nice."

Garrison Petawawa, a Canadian Army base, has operated in the region for over 100 years, helping grow the town's population and stimulate its economy. Petawawa has a population of roughly 18,000 people. Between military and civilian positions, the base employs approximately 7,000 people.

Notably, the town suffered great losses during the war in Afghanistan, when nearly a quarter of all Canadian lives lost in the combat being personnel deployed from CFB Petawawa.

Ahead of this November 11, the town of Petawawa installed a new Remembrance Day crosswalk, which will remain as a permanent fixture in the town even after the day has passed.

"We always look for ways that we can say thanks and show our serving military members how grateful we are for everything they're doing now and everything they've done in the past," said Petawawa mayor Gary Serviss.

Serviss says Petawawa is now part of just a handful of municipalities across Canada displaying such crosswalks. It is located at the intersection of Petawawa Boulevard and Canadian Forces Drive.

"To see it every time you go to the grocery store or even any time that we're driving down the main strip, I think it's just that reminder that the town does appreciate us, that they do care about us," said Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolas Forsyth, Deputy Base Commander at Garrison Petawawa.

This year, the Petawawa Legion is bringing back its Remembrance Day parade for the first time since the pandemic.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the parade will march down Petawawa Boulevard to the cenotaph at the Petawawa Legion, where the day's service will take place.

On Saturday evening, the legion is also hosting its Armistice Dinner, recognizing hundreds of local veterans.

"It is our way of thanking them for what they have done in the past and what some are still doing," says Legion president Lynn Mathieson.

Mathieson says this is the Petawawa Legion's busiest time of year, and most important in terms of fundraising.

"We've got wreath orders, we've got poppy boxes that go out, and we've got volunteers that take those out and deliver them to the businesses."

Throughout the community, symbols of thanks and recognition for veterans can be seen, from flags to banners, window and lawn signs.

"We also have a fantastic banner program, the veterans banner program," says Serviss. "Serving units and past units are honored with a banner in town for about a month in October and November."

These efforts, not only in the beginning of November but year-round, do not go unnoticed by military personnel and families, says Forsyth.

"Where so much of the townspeople are working on the base – whether they're military or civilians, as part of the defense team – to see that reflected, I think is super special."