People from France who help preserve Canadian war memorials and gravesites were honoured in Whitehorse Friday.

The group included people living in villages close to Juno Beach in Normandy where Canadian soldiers landed during the 1944 D-Day allied invasion in the Second World War.

They continue to lay flowers at cemeteries and war memorials to honour them, and give tours to students.

On Friday, the delegates from France participated in a short parade through the downtown to City Hall. There, flags were raised and wreaths laid at the war memorial.

Raymonde and Roger Alexandre said they can never do enough to honour young soldiers who died liberating them.

“Very young Canadians died there and it's impossible to forget them,” said Roger Alexandre in French.

Raymonde Alexandre and her husband Roger, two of the delegates from the French group that cares for Candian war graves, said they can never do enough to honour the young soldiers who died liberating them in 1944. (Dave Croft/CBC)

He said they owe their 68 years of freedom to the young people who died. His wife Raymonde added they are grateful to all Canadians, so that's why they came.

Gord Reed, a Canadian Ranger in Yukon who lost two uncles from Toronto during the Normandy invasion, attended the march and ceremony.

“They're buried in Beny-sur-Mer which is close to Juno Beach, I understand,” he said. “I haven't been there, but I wanted to connect and be part of today's ceremony to see people who may be caring for my uncles’ graves.”

The group from France will be in Whitehorse for several days learning about local culture.

The visit, which was announced on Remembrance Day in 2011, is part of the national Canada Remembers Project. A joint effort of the City of Whitehorse, the Royal Canadian Legion, the France-Canada Association and the Association franco-yukonnaise, it is coinciding with the 62nd France-Canada Convention being held June 21-23 in Whitehorse.

It encourages the development of relations between people in Canada and France. It's the first time more than 100 delegates from France and Canada are gathering in the North.