Flame of Remembrance 2013 and the Field of Crosses
The centre-piece of our efforts this year was the “Field of Crosses” along Memorial Drive in Calgary, Alberta, as well as our inaugural Flame of Remembrance at the Calgary Tower in downtown Calgary.
The Flame of Remembrance
The external natural gas-powered torch at the top of the Calgary Tower is rarely lit, but when it is, there is a good reason. In our opinion, there are few better reasons than commemorating and honouring our veterans. Thus, for the first time in the Calgary Tower’s history, the torch was lit for that very purpose on Sunday November 10, 2013. More information on the event can be found here.
This event had attracted the attention of media groups, some of whose coverage are linked below:
- *Global Calgary interviews Valour Canada’s President: http://globalnews.ca/video/958067/thomas-leppard-valour-canada
- *CBC’s article on the Flame of Remembrance: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-tower-flame-ceremony-marks-remembrance-day-1.2421898
- *Calgary Herald’s article on the event: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Valour+Canada+Flame+Remembrance+event+stirring+commemoration/9171181/story.html
- *A publicly-accessible Facebook album from the Calgary Tower with photos of the event: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.689949067689997.1073741830.249487708402804&type=1
- *As well as radio announcements.
Below are two more images of the Flame of Remembrance:
The Field of Crosses
Scanning the QR Code on Captain Goddard’s cross would take you to her Monumental Canadians video.
The Field of Crosses, as noted on their website, “is an annual display of white crosses on Memorial Drive in Calgary, Alberta. The display memorializes soldiers from Southern Alberta who lost their lives fighting for our country. Approximately 3,000 crosses are placed in the memorial park from November 1 – 11 to signify the ultimate sacrifice so many made fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today. The project is now entering into its fifth year.”
This year, Valour Canada cooperated with the McCann Family Foundation and the Calgary Poppy Fund to incorporate “QR Codes” onto some of the crosses commemorating our veterans. Specifically, these Codes link to our Monumental Canadians series of videos so that visitors with smartphones at the Field of Crosses can easily learn more about the soldiers and airmen whose names are on the crosses.
As with the Flame of Remembrance, you can find some media coverage below::
- *Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet program detailing the QR Code initiative: http://watch.discoverychannel.ca/#clip1041784
- *A CBC article on the QR Code project: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/remembrance-day-goes-smartphone-friendly-in-calgary-1.2421742
- *CBC’s interview of Valour Canada’s President, detailing some of the military men and women on the Field of Crosses: http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/features/remembrance-day/