Youth focus of first sunrise ceremony at Field of Crosses

The Field of Crosses at Memorial Drive on Nov. 1, 2025. (Kevin Green/CTV News Calgary)

The haunting notes of The Last Post echoed across Memorial Drive as the sun rose over thousands of white crosses Saturday morning — a solemn start to the Field of Crosses’ annual Eleven Days of Remembrance.

The first ceremony, Youth Day, drew scores of Calgarians to the riverside memorial, honouring the young Canadians who served — and those who supported the military from home — during times of war.

The ceremony marked the beginning of eleven days of tributes leading up to Remembrance Day.

Field of Crosses chairperson Sean Libin said Youth Day was created to recognize the critical role young people played throughout Canada’s military history.

“Today we honour youth at the Field of Crosses, and we had so many youth that lied and said they were older than they were, so that they could go fight in a battle because it meant that much to them,” Libin said. “We have about 2,000 students that come down to the Field of Crosses each year, and they get an opportunity to learn more about what we’ve sacrificed as a country for others. If we let our youth forget, they will. And we can’t let them forget.”

Bagpiper Keigan Elliott has been playing the sunrise ceremonies for the last 13 years. He started as a teen and is now older than many of the soldiers whose names are on the crosses.

“After doing this for so many years, my main thought is how young everybody in the field is,” Elliott said. “Year after year, watching myself age past everybody, you really feel the impact — especially the 15-year-olds. When we have cadets running through here, I always try to show them those crosses, because it really kind of cements the sacrifice.”

Founded in 2009 by Calgary philanthropist Murray McCann, the Field of Crosses memorial transforms a stretch of Memorial Drive into a sea of white each November. The crosses are cared for daily by a group of volunteers from the Calgary Stampede.

“We come down every night from the first to the ninth to straighten the crosses from people walking through and knocking them,” said volunteer Brian Johnston. “It’s very moving. You start to read the information that’s on some of the crosses, and there are some pretty heartbreaking stories. You go home with the thought of what they’ve done for us.”

In addition to the Southern Albertans honoured, 120 unique crosses represent the 120,000 Canadians who have died in service since the First World War.

“In the centre of our parade square, we have 120 crosses that represent the other Canadians that were lost,” Libin said. “This field of crosses is for those we lost from southern Alberta, but we honour all Canadians who fell on a battlefield somewhere for a peace and a freedom that they never even got to experience themselves — but we do, and we can’t take it for granted.”

The memorial services continue daily at sunrise and sunset through November 11. Sunday’s event will honour Memorial Cross Families, followed Monday by a tribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The Field of Crosses is open to the public 24 hours a day and free to visit. More information, including volunteer and donation opportunities through the Adopt-a-Cross campaign, is available online.