A teen cadet has been standing guard at the Sydney, N.S. cenotaph for five days to pay tribute to two fallen Canadian soldiers.

Fifteen-year-old Ceilidh Bond says she has been standing at the cenotaph each day to pay tribute to Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, who were killed in separate attacks on home soil last week. Since taking up her guard post on Saturday, Bond has been part of local tributes to the two fallen soldiers, and has received numerous hugs and thanks from mourners in her community.

“It was honestly the least I could do,” she told CTV’s Canada AM from Sydney on Thursday. She says her four-hour daily guard duty is about being a “good citizen” and showing respect for the fallen.

Bond recalls hearing about the death of Cpl. Cirillo while at school. Upon hearing the news, she became emotional in class and wanted to do something to express her grief.

“I decided to go out in my uniform and stand guard and take Cpl. Cirillo’s place,” she said. She adds that she checked with military personnel and reservists first to make sure her gesture would show the proper respect. They encouraged her to do it, and she says most military members have been supportive of the gesture.

Some cadets have criticized her for standing guard, but she says they’re entitled to their opinions and she’ll continue to do what she thinks is right.

Bond has no family connections to the military, but she says she’s always been interested in the cadets. She recalls being curious about them after seeing them marching in parades and selling poppies at Remembrance Day.

“I wondered why they did that, and now I know,” she said.

She joined the cadets on her 12th birthday -- the minimum age to sign up for the organization.

Bond says the community reaction to her standing guard this week has been “phenomenal,” and she did not expect it to get as much attention as it has.

She shed tears when the town’s mayor gave her a plaque to honour her dedication, and a veteran who once served in Afghanistan told her earlier this week that she was his “hero.”