A push for Signal Hill battalion numbers to be recognized nationally

Council’s priorities and finance committee endorses Jeff Davison’s notice of motion to seek national historic designation for Signal Hill battalion numbers. The site honours the sacrifice of Albertans in the Great War. Jackie Perez reports.

CALGARY (CityNews) – Several large numbers may not be the first thing you spot in a sea of big-box stores in Signal Hill, but the stones overlooking southwest Calgary are a daily reminder of the sacrifice of Albertans made during the First World War.

Now, one City Councillor is looking to give them the recognition he feels they deserve, having them classified as a national historic site.

“When you consider the population of Calgary and Alberta in 1914, in World War One and the fact that 45,000 soldiers went through that camp, that’s a significant population that would have gone through,” said Executive Director of Heritage Calgary, Josh Traptow.

It was once a training ground, known as Sarcee Camp and Heritage Calgary says soldiers carried stones up the hill to mark the battalion numbers that were there in 1915.

“It was a British tradition to mark what the numbers of the regiments were,” said Traptow. “Lugging boulders as big as basketballs up that hill. It was probably good training as well to carry heavy things to get ready for the war but it wasn’t part of their formal training.”

“Now more than ever we want to recognize the cultural and societal impact Calgarians and Albertans played in respect to World War One,” said Ward 6 Councillor Jeff Davison who is leading the charge, hoping city council will submit a proposal to the Canadian government.

The site is already recognized by the City and the province. This will be the second attempt at making the battalion numbers a federal historic site.

The notice of motion passed at committee Tuesday and it’s expected to be discussed at City Council in early December.

“Calgary is a young city,” said Davison. “I think it’s important future generations remember why these things were placed here.”

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