Memorial Drive Landscape of Memory

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Memorial Drive Landscape of Memory

Postby newsposter » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:42 pm

Memorial Drive Landscape of Memory

City history on the Memorial Drive Trees and project info:

http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall ... erview.htm

Memorial Drive trees to be replaced by clones (Herald story)

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/new ... 234340d7ef
Last edited by newsposter on Sun Jun 24, 2007 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby newsposter » Sun Jun 24, 2007 6:30 pm

Memorial tree clones planted
Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 22, 2007

Calgary soldiers killed during the First World War were remembered Thursday as the city planted clones of the poplars originally planted in their memory in the 1920s along Memorial Drive.

Ald. Druh Farrell and Dave Breckon, the city's director of parks, planted three of 500 replacements cloned from the original trees in a special ceremony.

Farrell, who was joined by veterans and other community members, said it was the perfect way to remember the fallen soldiers.

"It was a re-enactment of the original May 10th in 1922," she said. "It's important we remember the commitment made by these young men and it continues that legacy."

The first tree was planted on Arbour Day 1922 in front of the home of a local midwife known as "Ma" Brown, who lived at 932 Sunnyside Blvd. -- the street that later become Memorial Drive.

A total of 3,278 trees were planted over seven years, but only half of those survived drought, vandals and car wrecks along the road.

The trees only have an 80-year life span, and so most of what were left of the degenerating poplars were removed in the spring of 2003.

"When the trees were removed, the community reacted with grief," said Farrell. But a program to clone the original trees from sample cuttings started shortly before the last cull.

The clones, with a direct genetic link to the original memorial trees, will be planted along the inner-city corridor from the community of Parkdale east at least as far as the Langevin Bridge.

Breckon said there will be a total of 500 trees planted this summer.

cderworiz@theherald.canwest.com
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Postby newsposter » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:50 am

Summer 2008 - more progress on the Memorial Drive Landscape of Memory project. A great cultural landscape project. Information at the link below.

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/ ... erview.htm
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Postby newsposter » Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:16 am

Memorial Drive regaining its stature
Valerie Berenyi, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Excerpt:

"We're finally recognizing the importance of Memorial Drive and putting the memorial back into Memorial Drive." (says Ald. Druh Farrell)

Its historic importance dates to May 11, 1922, when mayor Samuel Hunter Adams planted a cottonwood tree on Sunnyside Boulevard -- later renamed Memorial Drive -- to honour soldiers killed in the First World War. Over the next six years, crews planted 3,278 native cottonwoods, a type of poplar, intended as living memorials to bring comfort to grieving family members who did not have gravesites to visit.

About half the trees survived. Today, only 40 to 50 remain, and they're nearing the end of their lifespan, says Doug Marter, the city's manager of parks planning.

To keep the trees' legacy alive, the city began taking cuttings in 2001 and grew about 1,500 "clones" on a tree farm in Grand Forks, B.C.

About 120 of the clones were planted on the south boulevard of Memorial Drive this fall...


More of the story:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/new ... 36f810620e
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Postby newsposter » Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:56 pm

Ground has been broken on the Memorial Drive Landscape of Memory "Poppy Plaza" project. Here are some links:

City of Calgary news release
http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2010/03/ ... diers.html

City of Calgary news blog - with images
http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2010/03/ ... oming.html

CTV story, March 6, 2010
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/ ... algaryHome

Herald story, March 7, 2010
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Memor ... story.html
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