The stones on Signal Hill in Calgary’s southwest are compelling. The first time I saw the number formation and asked what they were I was told “real estate numbers” and “they help guide the planes when landing” and even “they are hockey numbers”. Researching at the Museum of the Regiments http://www.museumoftheregiments.ca/ and reading local author Fred Bagley’s book, Legacy of Courage, I learned that Sarcee Training Camp, set up to train soldiers to prepare for WW1 was located near the base of Signal Hill (then called Cairn Hill) (actual location just south of Glenmore Trail).

Because many of the trainers were from the United Kingdom, they saw an opportunity to utilize the abundance of field stones as a training exercise, to display the soldiers battalion numbers, as so often was done in the UK. So in 1915-16 field stones, were carried up the hill and arranged by the soldiers in their Battalion numbers:

Calgary: 137, Lethbridge; 113, Red Deer: 151 and Edmonton 51.

Those soldiers from the 137 Battalion, who survived the war, came home with a mission to save the Stones of Signal Hill, which had become a symbol of their lost comrades. During their struggle to preserve this site they were told by the provincial government at the time, What’s the big deal? There was no battle here.

Finally in 1995, after years of effort, the site was declared a Heritage site, however to our knowledge none of the soldiers had survived to see the Grand Opening. The Stones of Signal Hill have a history, a past and now a future thanks to the Royal Canadian Legions, The Museum of the Regiments, WW2 Veteran Ken Shedden, Fred Bagley, The Men of The 137th and all those along the way who played a role in preserving this local and national landmark… and now they have a song. There Was No Battle Here.