DIDSBURY - The Didsbury Historical Society has embarked upon a project that will see the installation of banners honouring local veterans installed on the town's lightposts along 20th Avenue.
Grant Hemmings, project coordinator, said that each banner will honour an individual veteran who has served our country.
"The banner will have a picture of the veteran, their name, the branch they served with as well as the name of the person, family or organization sponsoring the memorial," said Hemmings.
The Town of Didsbury will support the project by installing the banners each September and removing them after Remembrance Day each year, he said.
"I think this is an important project for our town and for our veterans," he said. "I heard about the project and then sought out the help of the Didsbury Museum to provide a charitable foundation to oversee all the finances. We're just starting it.
"There aren't any First World War vets left and not many Second World War vets. I think it's so important to remember what they did for us."
Hemmings said the project is pretty new and is being adopted by a handful of towns and cities throughout Canada reflecting the desire to remember the brave men and women who have served or currently serve our country.
The Didsbury and District Historical Society believes this project is a natural extension of its War Memorabilia display at the Didsbury Museum and notes that the timing of the project will coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy being remembered this year.
"What we're setting out to do is sell 10 banners this year in order to get the process going," he said. "We'll probably repeat 10 every year for the next two or three years. After that, we'll see how it goes. I think it's a very worthwhile project."
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Didsbury Museum at 403-335-9295 or by going online to the Facebook page for Didsbury Memorial Vet Banner.
