Battalion Park Battalion Park is a geoglyph site in south west Calgary , Alberta , Canada . It is located on Signal Hill , overlooking the Sarcee Nation , as well as lands formerly known as Camp Sarcee and later Sarcee Training Area , a military reserve used by the Canadian Forces from before the First World War up until the 1990s . The park extends over an area of , north of the Elbow River . Its heritage value is associated with its dedication to the heroic efforts of Albertan soldiers during World War I . The site contains four geoglyphs , numbered 137 , 113 , 151 , and 51 . The large , whitewashed stones , totaling 16 , 000 in all , form the centrepiece of the park . Arranged on the side of the hill , and visible from various parts of the city , they represent the battalions numbered 137 , 113 , 151 , and 51 . Geography . The park on Signal Hill overlooks the Sarcee Nation . It is situated to the north of the Elbow River , beside the Westhills shopping complex , on the city ' s western outskirts . History . Early history . The Sarcee Indian Reserve leased a part of their land in the summer of 1914 to the Canadian militia to enable them to establish a prospective training site for military personnel . It was then known as Sarcee Camp ( as it overlooks the Sarcee Nation ) , as it was an exclusive area in Alberta to provide training to the soldiers who were to be assigned to fight during World War I . The military reserve was used by the Canadian Forces from before World War I up until the 1990s . In all , 45 , 000 men were trained at the military camp . With this strength , the camp was the largest military training establishment in Canada during the war time . The 30 various units , housed in tents , included trainees drawn from various parts of the province . From Fort Calgary , it took a day ' s ride to approach the camp . Army engineers mapped the area . Each unit established its identity within its prescribed area by using stones that were hauled in sacks by hand from the river by soldiers as part of their training programme , over a distance of during off - duty hours . Several military units collaborated in collecting the stones to create the battalion numerals . They were gathered from the river and carried it to the site as part of the training exercies . Among those who did so were the four battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force ( Members of the Calgary , Lethbridge , Central Alberta , and Edmonton battalions ) who were trained in the area . After their training was over , the battalions were assigned to war regions abroad to fight in World War I . The 151st ( central Alberta ) Battalion , raised in the Red deer , Battle River , and south Edmonton districts , trained at the Sarcee Camp from December 22 , 1915 until October 4 , 1916 ; Lieutenant Colonel J . W . Arnott commanded . The 137th Infantry Battalion , which was composed of the men of " Calgary ' s Own " , were trained in the Sarcee Camp from December 1915 to August 1916 ; they were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George W . Morfitt . On August 21 , 1916 , they embarked to Europe to participate in the war . They were amalgamated with the 21st Reserve Battalion for service . Those men who survived the war met at the park , till 1960s , to carry out weeding operations and also to re - paint the stones of their battalion number which they had erected in the past . The 113th Battalion consisted of 883 men and officers who were trained at the Sarcee Camp from late May 1916 until September . The battalion used painted rocks to construct their battalion number on Signal Hill . The 51st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force , under the command of Colonel Harwood , was also at the Sarcee Army Camp , in 1915 . Later history . With the battalions gone , the numbers were almost forgotten , overgrown by shrubs and grass . The stones were almost obscured till a local historian found them ; he found the stones prior to grading as part of a protection strategy for the hill which was subject to erosion , and to enable construction activity in the area . Getting the site its present historical status involved concerted efforts by the cadets of units , particularly of the 157th Battalion , stationed in Calgary ; this effort stretched to several years of pursuing with the authorities . The stones were safely kept by Stewart Green Properties Ltd until they were restored . Development involved work on a gravel pit by Richmond Road , slope grading , rock replacement , and stairs construction . Battalion Park officially opened on 3 November 1991 . The 51st Battalion is commemorated in an existing reserve unit , the Loyal Edmonton Regiment . The 137th Battalion is maintained as another reserve unit , the King ' s Own Calgary Regiment ( RCAC ) . The 151st Battalion was disbanded after the war , in 1936 , and the 113th Battalion of the Lethbridge Highlanders was merged with other units on their return to England . Features . The glyphs , which form the centre piece of the park , are large whitewashed stones ( 16 , 000 of them ) , arranged on the side of the hill and represent the battalions numbers 137 , 113 , 151 , and 51 . The numbers , serif - type numerals , were created using 16 , 000 stones . While the numerals 137 , 151 , and 51 are in a cluster , the glyph representing number “ 113 ” is further away in an undisturbed state as made in - situ initially from July 1 , 1916 to August 31 , 1916 , but located within the park . Number " 113 " is at its original location , on a high ridge , while the others had to be shifted from their original location to the present site because of the need to develop the area for roads and other economic activities . The glyph with number " 113 " is located on area of land on a high ridge , and each numeral of " 113 " measures in length and in width . The number is made up of white - painted stones . The park consists of a walkway up the hill along paved and mud paths with several interpretative displays of the numerals and a “ lookout landing ” . Commemoration . In a homage paid by 104 cadets who gathered at the Battalion Park Monument , a plaque was erected as dedication to their ancestors who were part of the action during 1915 and 1916 in the World War I . The names of the battalions are mentioned on the plaque . On this occasion they also painted the stones which mark the numbers of the battalions . The units involved in its assembly , mentioned on the plaque , are : 85 RCSCC Calgary , 604 Moose Sqdn RCAC , 22 Undaunted RGSCC , 781 Calgary Sqdn , RCAC 1292 LdSH ( RC ) , RCACC 2554 , PPCLI CC 1955 , Service Bn RCACC , Buffalo Sqdn 538 , RCAC 2509 , Royal Cdn Signals , CC 2137 Calgary Highlanders , and CC 52 City of Calgary Sqdn RCCA .