Battalion Park is a
geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif (generally longer than 4 metres) produced on the ground by durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth. A positive geoglyph is formed by the arrangement and alignmen ...
site in southwest
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, Alberta, Canada. It is located on
Signal Hill, overlooking the
Tsuu T'ina Nation (formerly Sarcee Nation), as well as lands formerly known as Camp Sarcee and later Sarcee Training Area, a military reserve used by the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
from before the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
up until the 1990s. The park extends over an area of , north of the
Elbow River
The Elbow River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River.
Course
The Elbow River originates at Elbow Lake in the Front Range of the Canadian Rocky ...
. Its heritage value is associated with its dedication to the heroic efforts of Albertan soldiers during the First World War. The site contains four geoglyphs, numbered 137, 113, 151, and 51. The large, whitewashed stones, totalling 16,000 in all, form the centrepiece of the park. Arranged on the side of the hill, and visible from various parts of the city, they represent the battalions numbered
137th,
113th,
151st, and
51st.
Geography
The park on Signal Hill overlooks the Tsuutʼina Nation.
It is situated to the north of the
Elbow River
The Elbow River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River.
Course
The Elbow River originates at Elbow Lake in the Front Range of the Canadian Rocky ...
, beside the Westhills shopping complex,
on the city's western outskirts.
History
Early history
The then-Sarcee Indian Reserve leased a part of their land in the summer of 1914 to the
Canadian Militia to enable them to establish a prospective training site for military personnel. It was then known as Sarcee Camp (as it overlooks what was then called the
Sarcee Nation), and it was an exclusive area in Alberta to provide training to the soldiers who were to be assigned to fight during the First World War. The military reserve was used by the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
from before the First World War up until the 1990s.
In all, 45,000 men were trained at the military camp. With this strength, the camp was the largest military training establishment in Canada during the war time. The 30 various units, housed in tents, included trainees drawn from various parts of the province. From
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, it took a day's ride to approach the camp.
Army engineers mapped the area. Each unit established its identity within its prescribed area by using stones that were hauled in sacks by hand from the river by soldiers as part of their training programme, over a distance of during off-duty hours. Several military units collaborated in collecting the stones to create the battalion numerals. They were gathered from the river and carried it to the site as part of the training exercies.
Among those who did so were the four battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (Members of the Calgary, Lethbridge, Central Alberta, and Edmonton battalions) who were trained in the area.
![Colonel Harwood and staff of 51st Battalion, Sarcee Army Camp, Calgary, Alberta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Colonel_Harwood_and_staff_of_51st_Battalion%2C_Sarcee_Army_Camp%2C_Calgary%2C_Alberta.jpg)
After their training was over, the battalions were assigned to war regions abroad to fight in the First World War. The
151st (Central Alberta) Battalion, raised in the Red Deer, Battle River, and South Edmonton districts, trained at the Sarcee Camp from December 22, 1915, until October 4, 1916; Lieutenant-Colonel J.W. Arnott commanded. The
137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF
The 137th Battalion, CEF, was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Calgary, Alberta, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in that city. After sailing to England in August 1916, the battalion was abso ...
, which was composed of the men of "Calgary's Own", were trained in the Sarcee Camp from December 1915 to August 1916; they were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel George W. Morfitt. On August 21, 1916, they embarked to Europe to participate in the war. They were amalgamated with the 21st Reserve Battalion for service. Those men who survived the war met at the park, until the 1960s, to carry out weeding operations and also to repaint the stones of their battalion number which they had erected. The
113th Battalion (Lethbridge Highlanders), CEF, consisted of 883 men and officers who were trained at the Sarcee Camp from late May 1916 until September. The battalion used painted rocks to construct their battalion number on Signal Hill. The
51st Battalion (Edmonton), CEF
The 51st Battalion (Edmonton), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The 51st Battalion was authorized on 7 November 1914 and embarked for Great Britain on 18 April 1916. It provided reinforcement ...
, under the command of Colonel Harwood, was also at the Sarcee Army Camp, in 1915.
Later history
With the battalions gone, the numbers were almost forgotten, overgrown by shrubs and grass. The stones were almost obscured until a local historian found them; he found the stones prior to grading as part of a protection strategy for the hill which was subject to erosion, and to enable construction activity in the area.
Getting the site its present historical status involved concerted efforts by the cadets of units, particularly of the 157th Battalion, stationed in Calgary; this effort stretched to several years of pursuing with the authorities. The stones were safely kept by Stewart Green Properties Ltd until they were restored.
Development involved work on a gravel pit by Richmond Road, slope grading, rock replacement, and stairs construction.
Battalion Park officially opened on 3 November 1991.
The 51st Battalion is perpetuated by an existing reserve unit, the
Loyal Edmonton Regiment
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry), or L EDMN R, is a Primary Reserve infantry unit of the Canadian Armed Forces based in Edmonton, Alberta. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is part of 3rd Canadia ...
. The 137th Battalion is perpetuated by another reserve unit, the
King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)
The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC), (''The King's Own'' or ''The KOCR''), is a Canadian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces Primary Reserve. Headquartered at the Mewata Armoury in Calgary, Alberta, the KOCR is ...
. The 151st Battalion was perpetuated by the
North Alberta Regiment
The North Alberta Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). In 1936, the regiment was disbanded as a result of a country-wide reorganization of the Canadian Militia.
L ...
, which disbanded in 1936, and the 113th Battalion of the Lethbridge Highlanders is perpetuated by the
South Alberta Light Horse
, colours =
, march = "A Southerly Wind and a Cloudy Sky"
, mascot = Heine the Pony
, battles = North-West RebellionFirst World WarSecond World WarAfgha ...
.
Features
The glyphs, which form the centre piece of the park, are large whitewashed stones (16,000 of them), arranged on the side of the hill and represent the battalions numbers 137, 113, 151, and 51.
The numbers, serif-type numerals, were created using 16,000 stones.
While the numerals 137, 151, and 51 are in a cluster, the glyph representing number "113" is further away in an undisturbed state as made in-situ initially from July 1, 1916, to August 31, 1916, but located within the park.
Number "113" is at its original location, on a high ridge, while the others had to be shifted from their original location to the present site because of the need to develop the area for roads and other economic activities. The glyph with number "113" is located on area of land on a high ridge, and each numeral of "113" measures in length and in width.
The number is made up of white-painted stones. The park consists of a walkway up the hill along paved and mud paths with several interpretative displays of the numerals and a "lookout landing".
Commemoration
In a homage paid by 104 cadets who gathered at the Battalion Park Monument, a plaque was erected as dedication to their ancestors who were part of the action during 1915 and 1916 in the First World War. The names of the battalions are mentioned on the plaque. On this occasion they also painted the stones which mark the numbers of the battalions. The units involved in its assembly, mentioned on the plaque, are: 85 RCSCC Calgary, 604 Moose Squadron RCAC, 22 Undaunted RGSCC, 781 Calgary Squadron, RCAC 1292 LdSH (RC), RCACC 2554, PPCLI CC 1955, Service Battalion RCACC, Buffalo Squadron 538, RCAC 2509, Royal Cdn Signals, CC 2137 Calgary Highlanders, and CC 52 City of Calgary Squadron RCCA.
Members of The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC), who perpetuate the 137th (Calgary) Battalion CEF, commemorate the sacrifices of their fallen comrades each Remembrance Day by sending a contingent to the memorial and conducting a ceremony of remembrance.
See also
*
Hillside letters
Hillside letters or mountain monograms are a form of geoglyph (more specifically hill figures) common in the Western United States, consisting of large single letters, abbreviations, or messages emblazoned on hillsides, typically created and main ...
*
Military history of Canada
The military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and interventions by the Canadian Forces, Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, t ...
*
Fovant Badges
The Fovant Badges are a set of regimental badges cut into a chalk hill, Fovant Down, near Fovant, in southwest Wiltshire, England. They are located between Salisbury and Shaftesbury on the A30 road in the Nadder valley; or approximately sout ...
References
External links
*
History of the Canadian Forces Museums 1919—2004
{{coord, 51, 01, 13, N, 114, 10, 17, W, scale:5000_type:landmark_region:CA, display=title, name=Battalion Park
Parks in Calgary
Buildings and structures in Calgary
Museums in Calgary
Military and war museums in Canada
Geoglyphs
Hill figures in Canada