The Calgary Parks 100 Project is a partnership between the City
of Calgary Parks, and the Calgary Area Cachers to celebrate Calgary
Parks 100th anniversary. Calgary Parks has supplied cache
containers and swag for 100 caches, and we have placed these 100
caches in 100 parks around Calgary. These caches have some cool
swag and trackables when placed, so make sure to find them as soon
as they are published.
The Veterans Field of Honour is located in the heart of Queens Park
Cemetery. In the centre of the area there are monuments dedicated
to each of the branches of the armed forces - navy (anchor), army
(Howitzer) and air force (prop).
The gravestones are simple with nearly all of them headstones set
into the ground at ground-level.
The Queen's Park Cemetery only dates back to 1940, so its
history is relatively recent. It was built with two original
sections: one for graves with monuments, and one where the only
markers would be flat stones set flush to the ground to lessen
upkeep costs.
Upkeep has always been a challenge for cemetery management. On
July 28, 1943, one headline read, "Women to Cut Grass for Parks
Department" and followed it with an article stating that four women
were to begin employment at the Union and Burnsland Cemeteries
hoeing weeds and clipping grass around grave stones. "They will be
paid at the regular rate of 50 cents an hour," said the newspaper,
"in order to release four teenage boys for more necessary
employment."
Albert Hunter, who was the manager of City cemeteries in the
mid-Seventies, predicted that Calgary's cemeteries would soon
become popular places for quiet recreation. At the time, residents
of the North Hill were already enjoying the park-like surroundings
of Queens Park Cemetery as a place to stroll and walk their pets -
or using the city bicycle path system that ran through the grounds.
A quarter of a century later, the now-mature Queen's Park Cemetery
is a favourite spot for the walkers, runners and nature lovers from
neighbouring communities.