The Montgomery Legion Relief

• 15203 Campbell Road

  • Former Location: 10030 103rd Avenue

• Artist: Harry Heine

• Created: 1968-69

When the Montgomery Legion disbanded in 1995 it brought an end to nearly eighty years of history. Its origins dated back to 1917 with the formation of a local Great War Veterans’ Association branch. By 1967 that branch had flowered into the Commonwealth’s largest. During their glory days they boasted a membership of 7,000 — at its dissolution they boasted only 929. Not wanting to limp on, they had “decided that the only alternative was to retire gracefully.”

At its height, the Legion had built a new hall in the heart of downtown. Their original building, the first dedicated Great War Veterans Hall in Alberta, was to be bulldozed to make way for the Alberta Government Telephones Tower. So, with an unparalleled membership — and financing coming directly from the City and Provincial Government — the Legion had decided to design a replacement equal in stature. Costing $1,100,000, the new building was a striking “tribute to the armed forces,” with its sleek Modernist lines, bunker-like form, and precast detailing.

Yet, it wasn’t the building’s style that drew eyes. No, that came from an imposing relief. The “Remembrance Wall” it was called, the work of respected local artist Harry Heine. Carved from stone, it depicts the steadfast, determined face of a Second World War Canadian infantryman: Putties and Ammo Boots; Battle Dress and Mk.2 Helmet; ’37 Pattern webbing and S.M.L.E. Rifle. He stands resolute in company of the other services: Artillery; Armoured; Air Force; Navy. His ubiquitous figure, and those of his faceless comrades beside, bleed into the equally ubiquitous field of war graves. Every night it was floodlit, allowing the Wall to serve as a potent and unmistakable symbol of sacrifice for all who passed, regardless of the hour.

When the Montgomery Legion folded, concerns were raised by veterans and the public alike. What would happen to this remarkable piece of art? It was well known that the building’s new owner, architect Gene Dub, had no intention of keeping the aging structure around. But former Branch President, Dennis Kennedy, hatched a plan. Knowing they had a growing Field of Honour, he started talks with Northern Lights Cemetery, to the city’s northwest.  What better backdrop than a piece of art dedicated to the men now buried there? Kennedy managed to convince the cemetery board, the City, and, finally, Gene Dub. Autumn 1996 saw the Wall of Remembrance transferred from its downtown location and re-erected at Northern Lights. Its official unveiling took place that Remembrance Day.

In a city as young and growing as Edmonton, we’ve developed a special knack for producing disposable architecture. Whether that’s the intent or not, it’s hard to not argue that things are built — or perhaps more accurately, demolished — without much thought. The Montgomery Legion only stood twenty-eight years before it was demolished. It replaced a predecessor which stood for only forty-seven.

Even still, the Montgomery Branch’s destruction shows what can be done in these cases. A building may have been prematurely destroyed, yes, but a piece of it was salvaged — its most important one. While not an ideal alternative to preservation, preserving a sliver has allowed this hallowed piece of art to perhaps serve in its role of remembrance better than it ever has.

Sources:

•  “Montgomery Legion To Get Building,” Edmonton Journal, April 29, 1967.

•  “Tribute To Armed Forces,” Edmonton Journal, March 25, 1968.

•  Bill Rankin, “Oldest City Branch of Legion Votes to Disband,” Edmonton Journal, May 15, 1995.