In the 18 years since being first elected to Parliament, each Remembrance Day, Peter Stoffer has visited the legions in his Halifax, N.S. riding.

Despite being defeated in October’s federal election, this year was no different for the former NDP MP for Sackville-Eastern Shore.

On Wednesday, Stoffer visited various legions in his former riding to meet with veterans and present gifts.

This year, Remembrance Day was also an opportunity for Stoffer to say goodbye as the elected representative for the area he holds so dear.

“It’s a great day to commemorate, to honour, but most importantly, to remember,” Stoffer said. “It’s (with) a tinge of sadness as well, because I don’t get to be their representative in Ottawa anymore.

“But I will be telling (veterans) today and throughout that in one way or another, I will still be an advocate for them.”

He added that he had always planned on making the visits whether he won his seat or not.

"I just thoroughly enjoy getting out there and meeting my friends, those that wore the uniform and their families," said Stoffer.

Under NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Stoffer served as Veteran Affairs critic.

Stoffer was a frequent detractor of the Harper government's treatment of soldiers, particularly over changes to military pensions and disability benefits.

"When we send our heroes off to war, they expect to be cared for, and their families, when they come back injured, either physically or mentally," Stoffer said in the House of Commons last December.

"Yet the government is spending thousands of dollars on lawyers defending the argument that there is no moral or social contract to care for our veteran community," he added, referring to a class-action lawsuit by Afghan veterans over disability payments levelled at Ottawa.

And people in Halifax appreciate his work.

"Peter always has walked in here as a rock star, and people treat him here like that," said Sgt. Alex Othen, who served in two tours of Afghanistan.

"He's a big advocate of veterans and our military, so it's a great thing to see him coming back."

There's even a petition to land Stoffer a seat in the Senate, which as of Wednesday afternoon, had more than 440 signatures.

During many of his stops Wednesday, Stoffer was asked about potentially joining the Red Chamber. But he remained mum on his future.

"Am I going to retire? No. I'm not the type of guy to retire just yet, I'll advocate for veterans in one way or another," he said.

Stoffer also made an appearance at Pier 21, where he and a handful of Dutch-Canadians laid a wreath to honour wartime heroes. Every Remembrance Day, Stoffer begins his day at the Dutch Cenotaph at Pier 21, to honour the memory of 5,700 Canadians buried on Dutch soil.

Pier 21 is also personal to Stoffer, who was born in the Netherlands. He came to Canada via Pier 21 in 1956, when he was nine months old.

“My parents were liberated by the Canadians and our allies, and they told me everything that happened during the war,” Stoffer said. “Especially my dad being a (prisoner of war) for a couple of years.”

Stoffer said that his father chose immigrate to Canada because its military left a lasting impression on him during the Second World War.

"My dad said: 'If they have a military like that, you imagine what kind of country they come from,' " he said.

He added that he feels it is his duty to honour "those and their families who paid the ultimate sacrifice" during the liberation of the Netherlands, allowing his family to "eventually call Canada home."

"Canada and all its blessing have fallen upon our family, so it's the least we can do to pay our respects to the men and women who sacrificed so much."

With files from CTV Atlantic