Battalion Park

Battalion Park is a geoglyph site in south west Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located on Signal Hill, overlooking the Sarcee Nation, as well as lands formerly known as Camp Sarcee and later Sarcee Training Area, a military reserve used by the Canadian Forces from before the First World War up until the 1990s. The park extends over an area of, north of the Elbow River. 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.GeographyThe park on Signal Hill overlooks the Sarcee Nation. It is situated to the north of the Elbow River, beside the Westhills shopping complex, on the city's western outskirts.HistoryEarly historyThe 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 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 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 Fort Calgary, it took a day's ride to approach the camp.

Tags : #Education, #LandmarkHistoricalPlace, #Landmark&HistoricalPlace