Help Shape Calgary's Indian Residential School Memorial
Official title: Indian Residential School Memorial Project
Calgary is building a permanent memorial to honour Indian Residential School survivors, lost children, and those affected by intergenerational trauma. The design has been selected—The Wandering Spirit by groundcubed and Adrian Stimson. Now the city wants to make sure nothing important was missed before detailed design begins.
Why This Matters
This memorial will be a permanent place for reflection, ceremony, and healing at The Confluence Historic Site. If you're a survivor, family member, or someone who cares about reconciliation, this is your chance to ensure the design truly honours those affected. The city is doing a final check before construction—your voice can still shape this legacy.
What Could Change
The Wandering Spirit design will be built at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland. Before detailed design begins, the city is confirming all feedback has been captured. Construction is planned to start in Spring 2027. The existing memorial at City Hall will be incorporated into the final design.
Key Issues
- Has anything important been missed in the feedback gathered so far?
- Does the design team have a complete understanding of community guidance and technical requirements?
How to Participate
- Review the What We Heard Report to understand the feedback gathered during Phase 1 engagement.
- Review the Design Competition What We Heard report summarizing feedback on the four shortlisted designs.
- Contact the project team at irsmemorial@calgary.ca to share comments, ask questions, or request a small-group conversation before the end of January 2026.