Calgary is getting a new way to honour veterans, with an interactive 5-km walkway set to open along Memorial Drive this weekend.
The Veterans Walkway will feature bronze medallions embedded in the ground, connecting visitors to hundreds of stories about Calgary’s military history through a free companion app.
According to Carolyn Patton, the chair of Veterans Walkway, the project has been in the works for two years, bringing together stories of veterans, significant events, places, and life on the home front.
“It came about with the idea of: how do we tell Calgary’s veteran stories and connect everything on Memorial Drive to create an immersive experience for Calgarians, and how do we tell those stories of veterans’ service and sacrifice from the First World War to today?,” she said when speaking with Daily Hive.
The 5-km stretch spans from the Mewata Armoury to the George C. King Pedway Bridge along Memorial Drive. The walkway will feature 31 bronze medallions embedded in the ground, each connecting visitors to stories through the free companion app.
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Using the companion app, visitors can access more than 140 stories highlighting Calgary’s military history, which Patton says were carefully selected with input from military historians and curators.
“We chose the stories by bringing together a group of well-informed people, from military historians to curators at the Military Museum, all representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and we looked deep into Calgary’s history,” she said.
Patton hopes the walkway will give visitors a deeper understanding of Calgary’s veterans and their sacrifices, while inspiring younger generations to learn about those who came before them and give back to their communities.
The app will also be available in four languages: English, French, Punjabi, and Mandarin, making the stories accessible to a wider audience.
Patton said community support made the project possible, describing the walkway as a lasting contribution to the city.
“The Veterans Walkway came together with citizens creating this idea for citizens, and I think that’s the beauty of Calgary: everyone just being able to support a good idea and making it accessible to not only the people that live here but the people who come to visit from around the world,” she said.
The Veterans Walkway’s opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. at the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial. The walkway will remain open year-round.