Airdrie City council voted unanimously in favour of looking into installing a new permanent veterans' memorial in the community, during their latest meeting.
The proposed future site would pay tribute to local veterans past and present who have served to protect the rights and freedoms Canadians enjoy today, according to the notice of motion brought forward by Mayor Peter Brown on Oct. 17.
The mayor’s notice stated the site would also serve as a community focal point and a place for residents to honour the local men and women who “selflessly serve their country.”
“Such a permanent memorial is viewed as a highly visible reminder for the community’s heroes and the part these people played in our community’s history,” the notice read.
“It reminds us to pause our thoughts to remember and honour the veterans and their memories by living in harmony with one another in our daily lives.”
Brown said the site in its proposed location – Veterans Boulevard – would also present an opportunity for the public to learn a little bit more about Airdrie and the people that helped build the community.
He said the idea for a new memorial came to him considering recent renovations that were completed on the main thoroughfare and the passing of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 288’s last surviving World War II veteran, Jim Shave, earlier this year.
“We, unfortunately, lost our last surviving member of World War II. He died a day before his 97th birthday,” Brown said during the council meeting. “Mr. Jim Shave was just a wonderful man.”
Following the Oct. 8 memorial service for Shave, Brown began conversations with local veterans who are responsible for the annual cross-laying ceremony on Veterans Boulevard, and leaders at the Airdrie Legion to determine the feasibility and interest in a new memorial site.
According to the mayor, much of the funding for the proposed site could come from federal grants and government funding, but conversations and decisions are still needed to this end. He said the municipality is just in the beginning stages of conversing with the applicable personnel about the new site.
“Let's start the conversation and then we can figure out the best way to recognize our amazing veterans, past and present on a yearly basis versus just through that week of November,” he added during the council meeting.
During the mayor’s presentation, he showed an example of a popular veterans’ memorial wall in Okotoks to council, and mentioned there are similar sites across the province.
“With council’s support, we are able to move forward to start conversations with the Airdrie Legion and veteran’s groups about creating a memorial that could be more visible and accessible,” he said in a statement.
“I am thankful to my council colleagues for their support, and I am excited for the potential of this project.”
Following Brown’s presentation, Coun. Ron Chapman commended the notice of motion but called into question the proposed location of the new veteran’s memorial, at or near the site of the legion’s annual cross-laying ceremony.
“It’s hard to actually visit that site, it’s in the middle of a very busy thoroughfare,” Chapman said during the meeting. “Doing it justice to go and pay your respects is very hard to do. I think it’s a great idea, but I’m not sure whether we should limit it to Veterans Boulevard.”
While Chapman said he appreciates that the name of the roadway holds significance regarding the proposed memorial site, he said he would prefer a site where families could “get out and pay their respects.”
Coun. Al Jones echoed Chapman’s sentiments, citing significant growth in the city and potential road redevelopment at the site as a potential future issue.
“With those thoughts in mind, I would hate for us to set something up only later on to have to either move it or dismantle it because of progress within the city,” Jones stated.
In response, Mayor Brown said he is open to alternate site suggestions and even proposed brainstorming the expansion of the municipality’s existing cenotaph in the Jensen neighbourhood, which he argued is “under-utilized” at this time.
