Carter Fisher skipped his swimming lesson to help clean veterans headstones at the Murrayville cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 5.

As the nine-year-old carefully scrubbed grime from a granite grave marker, his mom, Nicole, explained how Carter鈥檚 great grandfather, Stanley Fleming, was a pilot with the RCAF.

鈥淗e left England when he was 16, to fight for Canada,鈥� Nicole Fisher said.

Four scout groups took part in the annual pre-Remembrance Day event in Murrayville, bringing the number of participants to 30.

It was the highest turnout yet for the annual event, said Alexis Parks, Second 91原创 Mavericks troop leader.

鈥淭he first four years, it has just been our own troop,鈥� she told the 91原创 Advance Times.

Kirby Adams, a member of the Murrayville Remembrance Day committee, welcomed the young volunteer cleaners.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to say 鈥榯hank you鈥� to all of you for coming in today,鈥� Adams told them. 鈥淚t鈥檚 because of people like you, these ceremonies carry on in respect of our veterans.鈥�

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Scouts tend to veterans鈥� headstones at Murrayville cemetery

One of the adult volunteers, Jeff Knoblauch, tended to a few isolated veterans headstones in a side lot of the cemetery.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a few over here that kind of get forgotten,鈥� Knoblauch remarked.

Lucas Parks, 12, was glad to pitch in.

鈥淚 just think that this is nice, cleaning the headstones,鈥� Parks said.

Scouts and Guides were also at work on Saturday at the Fort 91原创 cenotaph, where, for the sixth year in a row, scouts from the First Walnut Grove, First Fort 91原创, and First Willoughby scout troops were tending to veterans graves with gentle applications of soap and water, cleaning cloths, and toothbrushes, while others were raking up leaves in advance of the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day service.

This year, they were joined by two Girl Guide districts, about 50 youth in total, what Scout leader Jonathan Meads, whose troop began the tradition, described as 鈥渇antastic.鈥�

It was good to be 鈥済etting beyond COVID,鈥� Meads remarked.

鈥淸It鈥檚 great] being able to reach everybody again. Everybody hunkered down [during the pandemic]. And now we鈥檝e been able to reach out and everybody鈥檚 on board with getting back out and doing things in the community.鈥�

It was the first time the Second Willoughby Girl Guides had taken part, and guider Danielle Karman was beaming.

鈥淚 love it,鈥� Karman told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淭hese poor girls have had such severe restrictions [during the pandemic]. One thing we鈥檝e been trying to do is get them outdoors and out into the community.鈥�

Gavin McLean did some research before he arrived at the Fort 91原创 cemetery to make sure he understood the different abbreviations on the headstones, like RCN VR (Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve).

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Scouts honour the fallen of Fort 91原创 by cleaning their headstones

McLean鈥檚 interest in history was recognized when he was left the medals of his great-grandfather, Raymond St. Claire Swinimer, who had served in both the navy and air force.

鈥淲hy did they pick me?鈥� McLean remembers wondering when he found out about the medals, but his mother Shauneen called it 鈥渇itting,鈥� given her son鈥檚 interest in history.

More images from the day in and can be found at the 91原创 Advance Times Facebook pages.