Another cultural monument is coming to Airdrie next year.
During their regular meeting on July 4, City council unanimously accepted the Korean War Gapyeong Battle Victory monument as a gift to the City of Airdrie, to be erected at the Airdrie Cenotaph site next spring.
On May 6, representatives of the Korean War Commemorative Committee (KWCC) and the Airdrie Legion (Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 288) met with administration and Mayor Peter Brown to discuss their proposal to gift a monument that would commemorate the battle, which was an important episode in the Korean War.
Thereafter, KWCC requested a letter of support from Airdrie City council to accommodate application timelines associated with the project. The request was unanimously supported by council during a regular meeting on May 16.
“Acceptance of a monument that symbolizes sacrifice, honour, and gratitude for the important contribution Canada made to the Korean War during the Battle of Gapyeong is a gesture of friendship, cultural cooperation, and historical significance,” read the letter of support.
“Council sincerely appreciates the opportunity and there is a desire by council to accept this gift in principle and to support the placement of this monument in Airdrie.”
Furthermore, the July 4 council agenda report stated acceptance of gifts from foreign governments is a gesture of “friendship, cultural cooperation, and historical significance.”
According to the report, the stone for the Gapyeong Monument is mined and transported from the region in Korea where key battles were fought to successful bid locations (including Winnipeg, Man., Langley, B.C., and Brampton and Niagara Falls, Ont.) by the Government of South Korea.
Various locations within Airdrie were considered for the latest monument installation, including Nose Creek Valley Museum and Nose Creek Regional Park, but the Cenotaph location was suggested as the preferred site of both the KWCC and the Airdrie Legion Branch due to its relevance to the project.
“The Cenotaph serves as the location of the City’s Remembrance Day ceremony, so the addition of the Korea War Memorial would provide appropriate recognition for those who served and paid the ultimate price in a war often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War,’” read the report.
The proposed granite memorial stone would weigh nine to 10 tons, measure 3.7 to 4 metres tall (totalling 10 to 15 feet with a pedestal), one to 1.5 metres wide, and 70 to 85 centimetres thick.
The report indicates KWCC is contributing approximately $90,000 to bring the monument to the municipality.
Clay Aragon, manager of community social planning at the City of Airdrie, told council on Monday that accepting the gift offers an opportunity and location for the community to honour the contribution of local veterans, and demonstrates Airdrie as a “community that cares for people and heritage.”
During the meeting, Dominic Ku, project co-lead, Calgary Korean Association (CKA) president, and KWCC director; and Veronica Choi, project designer, and director of The Calgary Korean Cultural Centre (TCKCC) provided a preliminary design for the project.
According to Ku, approximately 15,000 Korean immigrants live in Calgary and the surrounding areas, including Airdrie.
“We think having a copy of the stone here in Airdrie would be an opportunity for all of us to continue honouring the contribution of our veterans,” he said. “CKA and Legion 288 and KWCC for the past numerous years have been putting quite a bit of effort to celebrate the Battle of Gapyeong.
“It will also demonstrate that Airdrie is a caring community – a true caring community that remembers and recognizes those who paid a huge sacrifice for the freedom of South Korea.”
Ku said in 2022, Canada and Korea will mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and a strong “people-to-people linkage.”
“Having Gapyeong stone in Airdrie next year will symbolize the true friendship between Canada and Korea,” he said. “Let us show our strong and positive relations with the community. Let us remember all of those veterans who paid so much sacrifice here in Airdrie.
“With Canadian soliders' sacrifice and all other allies' nations sacrifice South Korea has successfully transformed itself into one of the richest democratic countries from the poorest country in less than 50 years.”
Following the presentation, Deputy Mayor Al Jones thanked the presenters for their gift and highlighted the significance this holds for the Korean War veterans who live in Airdrie.
“I know there’s going to be an appreciation among old vets,” he said. “You could have placed this [monument] in a lot of different places in Canada. We are very grateful that you chose our community to gift this to.”
Similarly, Coun. Tina Petrow complimented the presenters on the visual renderings and drawings of the proposed monument, to which she remarked were “stunning.”
“I would be incredibly honoured to have this in our community," she said.
The proposed next steps for the monument include site planning and drafting of formal partnership agreements this summer-fall when a final site design will be agreed upon, along with budget deliberations.
The monument will arrive in Airdrie next spring, when groundwork will begin, followed by installation. A tentative unveiling and celebration of the monument is scheduled for June 24, 2023.
