The Okotoks Royal Canadian Legion Branch 291 has donated $18,000 towards the completion of phase two of Salute to our Veterans Memorial Wall on Veterans Way.
“The Legion’s donation is part of the Okotoks Legion Poppy Trust Fund's support for Remembrance in the community,” said former Okotoks Legion President, Bob McLeod. “Through the efforts of members, Maureen Haberstock and Malcolm Hughes, the Okotoks Salute to our Veterans Wall has qualified as a monument that can be supported by this fund.”
Phase two will focus on memorials from the Boer War, WWI and the Korean War and will be integrated into the current memorial. It will include research, design and installation of granite tiles engraved with the names of veterans, records of service, conflict timelines, and, when possible, photographic portraits of Okotoks and area residents who served in these conflicts.
Phase two also includes new sections of the handrail on the north end of the wall, extending the rail to the top of the hill for safety and accessibility.
It is expected to cost a total of $36,000 and be completed by September 2021.
The Town completed phase one of the Salute to Our Veterans Wall in 2017, with financial support from the Okotoks and District Historical Society and Veterans Affairs Canada. Since then, the wall has become a community focal point – a place to honour the local men and women who selflessly served their country. It is a highly visible reminder of the community's heroes.
The wall is an integral part of a larger corridor called Veterans Way, which includes the community's cenotaph located in Frederick Price Memorial Park at the foot of the hill.