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With Remembrance Day upon us, Light Horse Park in Edmonton stands as a living testament to the enduring bonds of history, sacrifice, and community. This park is not only a place for reflection on the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers during numerous conflicts, including both world wars as well as peacekeeping engagements, but also a symbol of the deep ties between Canada and the Netherlands — particularly through the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment and its role in liberating Holland.

Arcadis is honoured to contribute to this transformative project, situated in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona, which included relocating the park’s cenotaph and creating a new commemoration plaza and an obelisk which is a landmark at the corner of the park. The cenotaph is now more visible and the park more accessible. Plaques and storyboards that were added tell the rich history of the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment. The park is well established as a focal point for formal remembrance events and the interpretive features allow the story of the regiment and its links to Holland to be absorbed by park visitors in all seasons, for years to come.

These enhancements have not only made the park more accessible but have also deepened its significance as a place of collective memory and public commemoration.

Mark Nolan, principal at Arcadis and the project lead, noted that “as the park is located next to the former armoury building in Edmonton this was where the regiment’s horses were stabled and near the railway station where soldiers assembled before departing to the battle grounds of the First World War. Although the regiment’s headquarters have since been relocated, the historic building still exists, and the adjoining park was officially named Light Horse Park by the City of Edmonton.”

In 2021, Light Horse Park became home to an important new symbol of freedom and remembrance: a bronze statue of Anne Frank, unveiled by the Dutch Canadian Club Edmonton as part of their 75th Liberation Project. The statue, cast from the same mould used for the 1960 original in Utrecht, Netherlands, stands as a poignant reminder of the horrors of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

Anne Frank, whose diary captured the hardships of her family’s time in hiding from Nazi forces, symbolizes the triumph of hope and humanity over evil. Her legacy encourages us to remain vigilant in protecting democracy and freedom, particularly in today’s turbulent global climate.

Light Horse Park’s role as a central hub for Remembrance Day ceremonies has been reinforced with its new features. The park is used annually by the Dutch Canadian community, Canadian veterans, and local residents as a space for collective remembrance, often attended by representatives from the Dutch consulate and other organizations.

Nolan adds this played a role in how Arcadis approached this project since “the link between the regiment and local Dutch community has developed immensely since the Second World War, which made the park a logical location for the joint commemoration and resulting installation of the Anne Frank statue.”

As the project evolves, the hope is that a bell from Welberg in Holland that is regularly loaned from the Dutch Community will become a permanent fixture in the park. The potential addition would further enhance the park’s role as a symbol of commemoration and cross-cultural connection between Canada and the Netherlands.

Arcadis is a global design and consultancy organization for natural and built assets.