Two downtown Grande Prairie crosswalks are being turned into year-round reminders of the people who served Canada.
Volunteers from Royal Canadian Legion Branch #54 and the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie After Five are painting two commemorative crosswalks on 101 Avenue, the stretch of downtown known as Veterans Way.
They're at 99 Street and 100 Street, near the Legion hall at 9912 101 Avenue, and should be finished shortly.
It's happening about six weeks before Remembrance Day.
And the most recognizable symbol of Remembrance won't be on them.
Why there's no poppy on the road
A poppy might seem like the obvious choice. The Legion ruled it out.
A crosswalk gets walked on and driven over. The Royal Canadian Legion considers that disrespectful, because the poppy represents a fallen veteran.
That isn't just the Grande Prairie branch's view. The Legion's national guidance says the poppy should never be used on crosswalks, or anywhere people would walk on it. It even offers communities an alternative crosswalk template built around a stylized maple leaf instead.
The rule has come up in Alberta before. In 2021, a poppy-themed crosswalk in Chestermere drew objections, and the Legion called it unintentionally disrespectful, comparing walking on the poppy to walking on the Canadian flag.
When the Grande Prairie branch outlined its plan in January, it also ruled out any words on the road, because they could distract drivers.
At the time, the branch said it had already gone through five or six designs. A fallen soldier silhouette was among the ideas being considered.
101 Avenue has been Veterans Way since 2018
On Aug. 13, 2018, Grande Prairie city council approved the Legion's request to give 101 Avenue between 98 Street and 102 Street the honorary name Veterans Way.
Nobody's address changed. The four-block stretch just got a second name.
Legion project coordinator Barry Lazoruk said the point was to get people thinking about veterans beyond one day in November.
"A lot of people don't remember veterans other than on November 11th," he said at the time. The name was meant to help people remember veterans "365 days a year."
Eight years later, the crosswalks are going onto the same street.
Part of a longer push
The Legion has spent years trying to make Veterans Way more visible. Over that time, it has discussed veterans' banners, regimental flags and a mural along the street.
"Some of the fallen veterans from First World War, Second World War, they're slowly being forgotten, and that's a shame, so we want to change that," then-Legion president Brad Lewis said in 2023.
The crosswalks do something banners and ceremonies don't. They stay on the street after Nov. 11.
Remembrance season starts soon
The Legion's annual Remembrance period runs from the last Friday in October through Nov. 11, when poppies are available across the country.
Grande Prairie also honours veterans at the Veterans Memorial Gardens and Interpretive Centre, where the O'Canada Walkway recognizes past, present and fallen members of Canada's military.
Want to support local veterans?
The crosswalks are one way to remember. There are more direct ones.
Join the Legion. You don't have to be a veteran. The Royal Canadian Legion lists membership as open to any Canadian citizen, or citizen of an allied nation, who is 18 or older. Online membership is listed at $60 a year. Branch #54 also runs regular community events at its hall on Veterans Way.
Donate during the poppy campaign. Money raised when you pick up a poppy goes into the Legion's Poppy Trust Fund, which supports veterans and their families.
Add a name to the Honour Roll. The Veterans Memorial Gardens and Interpretive Centre keeps an Honour Roll where families can recognize people who served.
Where to see the crosswalks
Both are downtown on 101 Avenue, at 99 Street and 100 Street, near Legion Branch #54.
Sources
Royal Canadian Legion Branch #54, social media post, September 2026
City Council Highlights, August 13, 2018, City of Grande Prairie
Frequently asked questions, Royal Canadian Legion
Commemorative Crosswalk, Royal Canadian Legion
How to wear a Poppy, Royal Canadian Legion
Join the Legion, Royal Canadian Legion
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