It was a day of remembrance across Canada, as hundreds of people gathered at sites across the country to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic.

In Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park, hundreds of soldiers stood at attention, taking a moment to remember those who came before them.

"It's very emotional, we had some very good times in the Navy, and we had a few trying times, but most of my career was peaceful. We had the Gulf War when I was still in, and it's just a good reminder," says Chief Petty Officer First Class (retired) Steve Ambrose.

Ambrose spent 32 years in the Navy and served during the Gulf War. His father before him sailed on D-Day.

On Sunday, Ambrose took a moment to remember his father and all the other sailors who served during the Battle of the Atlantic.

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous battle of the Second World War, running from 1939 to 1945. Dozens of Canadian war ships were lost over the six year battle, sunk into the murky waters off the Atlantic Ocean.

"It was emotional in a way, some of the ships were renamed and I sailed on the Ottawa, I sailed on the Columbia, and the original ships were sunk in the Second World War, so that part was hard," remembers Ambrose.

The memorials honoured members of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Merchant Navy and the Air Force who served during the war.

The ceremonies were also an opportunity for today's sailors to pay their respects.

"I'm grateful for the people who came before us, the sacrifices they made, obviously we have big shoes to fill," says Master seaman Brad Burden.

"To understand our history and to really cherish that history and understand where our roots truly lie," adds Captain Paul Forget of CFB Halifax.

In Sydney, N.S., Army-Navy Force Unit 117 hosted an event, with young Sea Cadets joining Naval veterans on a march through the streets of the community, to a ceremony at Calvin United Church.

"We have lots of veterans that belong to each community, North Sydney, Louisbourg, all over Cape Breton, so it's important to get out to those smaller communities," explains David Keeping of the Cape Breton Naval Association.

Back in Halifax, officials and dignitaries laid wreaths at the monuments, with representatives from the city, province and country taking time to remember.

The Halifax memorial ended with a march along the shoreline, with hundreds of footsteps falling in unison, many taking the chance to remember those who are no longer marching.

"On the shoreline, having the monument here is critical in that sense, because it's the link to the sea, and Halifax was that link for the Second World War, so it's very important to remember that," explains Captain Forget.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Emily Baron Cadloff.