A new interactive walkway along Memorial Drive is sharing the stories of Calgarians who have served in the military across generations. The Veterans Walkway is a five kilometre route running from Mewata Armoury to the George C. King Bridge, marked by 31 bronze medallions that provide access to more than 100 stories through an interactive app and website. “The walkway is along Memorial Drive because (the road is) named in memory of soldiers,” said Carolyn Patton, chair of Veterans Walkway. “You have to ask the question, ‘Where are the stories?’ And that’s why we created Veterans Walkway, to tell those stories along this beautiful stretch of land and make those stories come to life.” The walkway is the first of its kind in Canada. Its free app features more than 100 written stories and 35 audio stories about service, sacrifice and military history. The content is available in English, French, Punjabi and Mandarin. The public can access the app by scanning QR codes on new wayfinding signs along the route. “The Veterans Walkway really is about turning Remembrance into a living experience and to tell those stories of Calgary’s soldiers from the First World War to today,” Patton said. “And really at the heart of it, it’s about veterans service and sacrifice and we include events and places in that robust storytelling.” Patton said the City of Calgary was instrumental in bringing the project to life, alongside several other partners. “Many people came together that were military historians from the Military Museum, from Valor Canada, from Field of Crosses from all organizations to collaborate,” she said. “The Royal Canadian Legion — this project would not have happened without them because they supplied some significant funding for us.” Maj. (Ret.) Kent Griffiths represents the War Story Society on the project and is chair of the Calgary Area Poppy Fund. He helped edit numerous stories to fit the app. “Many of the stories are long and had to be summarized,” he said. “Some of the stories didn’t make the cut, but because this is an ‘evergreen’ project, it’s forever, we’re going to be able to replace stories on a regular basis, leave some of them, some will be here all the time, but others will be replaced so that there’s always something fresh.” Griffiths said many young people and newcomers to Canada are unfamiliar with Calgary’s military history, including the connections between veterans and some of the city’s street names. He said the app and website help tell those stories. “Ever since the Canadian Forces Base Calgary closed and moved to Edmonton, people kind of thought of Calgary as not really being a military city, but it always has been,” he said. “Our very first military unit, the 103rd Calgary Rifles, which became the King’s Own Calgary Regiment and the Calgary Highlanders are still right here and always will be — those are Calgary soldiers.” Griffiths said the maple leaf featured on all 31 medallions also connects the walkway to Canada’s fallen soldiers. “The maple leaf that is used on our medallion is the same as the maple leaf that’s at the Soldiers Memorial and that is the image from the Commonwealth War graves headstones for all of our fallen, all of the Commonwealth fallen,” he said. “Especially in Europe, every headstone that you will see there that is Canadian will have that same maple leaf.” Patton said the walkway is designed to help people of all ages learn about Calgary’s military history. “Some of these stories of remembrance are slipping through our fingers,” she said. “And to be able to tell them through digital storytelling creates a real, true living memorial that we have access to beyond Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.” Learn more at veteranswalkway.ca.
