Veterans Walkway will tell stories of service along Memorial Drive pathway

A section of pathway near Memorial Drive will highlight over 100 years of veterans’ stories of service and sacrifice with the Veterans Walkway’s official opening this weekend.

The walkway is a five-kilometre long interactive tribute that runs from the Mewata Armoury to 14th Street, along Memorial Drive towards the George C. King Bridge.

It honours Calgarians who have served in conflicts from the First World War to the present day through over 100 stories of service and sacrifice, said Veterans Walkway chair Carolyn Patton.

“There are 31 bronze medallions that are bedded in the pathway, new interpretive signage and a free companion app that connects over 100 stories to each of those medallions that helps bring the stories of Calgary’s rich military history to life,” Patton said. “Visitors can walk as if the soldiers and veterans were beside them.”

Many Veterans’ Walkways exist across Canada but Calgary is the first to incorporate this geo-located technology, she said.

The first organization to support the creation of the walkway was the Royal Canadian Legion through the Calgary Poppy Fund, Patton said.

“They contributed and believed in the project because it’s the centennial anniversary for the Legion this year in 2026, and this fits nicely into their anniversary celebrations,” she said. “And we spoke to a number of other partners and stakeholders, including the City of Calgary, who have been absolutely fantastic. They’ve contributed to installing the medallions and creating wayfinding signage and without them this project would not happen.”

A whole village of volunteers helped with this project, including military historians and curators from The Military Museums, to organizations like Valour Canada and Field of Crosses that helped make the walkway a reality, Patton said.

She emphasizes that several organizations really came together to make this possible, including the Calgary Foundation, Tourism Calgary and the CPKC.

The walkway was a legacy city-building project that will really advance commemoration and remembrance in a way youth can access, Patton said.

“It will be open 365 days a year, not just around Remembrance Day and I think that’s how we can share the stories year-round and not just during one day of the year,” she said.

An opening ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Saturday along the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial with speakers Mayor Jeromy Farkas, Royal Canadian Legion/Alberta-NWT Command Executive Director Tammy Wheeler, former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Honourable Lois Mitchell and Indigenous Elder Clarence Wolfleg.

It will also include a Royal Canadian Legion youth literary winner will also be reading their poem, the Calgary Police Service honour guard and a performance by the King’s Own Military Band.

The companion app for the walkway will be available for download on Saturday, and more information available on the Veteran’s Walkway website.

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