Calgary man removes over 1,000 pounds of garbage from Soldiers’ Memorial ahead of Remembrance Day

CALGARY — A Calgary man has spent five days cleaning up the area surrounding the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial ahead of Remembrance Day, removing more than 1,000 pounds of garbage from the historic site.Matthew Thomas Edwards says he collected 1,084 pounds of trash, filling 33 bags as part of his latest effort to clean up public spaces across the city.The cleanup comes just weeks before November 11, when Canadians gather to honour military personnel who served and died in the line of duty.Located along Memorial Dr. near Poppy Plaza, the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates Calgary-area soldiers who lost their lives in military service.Edwards' latest effort is part of a much larger personal initiative that has seen him collect tens of thousands of pounds of garbage from Calgary's streets, parks and neighbourhoods..The walkway features 31 commemorative medallions highlighting local military history and the contributions of veterans. An opening ceremony was held at the Calgary Soldiers’ Memorial.The memorial itself serves as a place of remembrance for soldiers connected to Calgary and the surrounding region, with visitors gathering at the site throughout the year to reflect on Canada's military history.With Remembrance Day approaching, Edwards' cleanup has helped prepare the surrounding public space ahead of the annual commemorations.His reported lifetime collection of more than 36,000 pounds is equivalent to approximately 18 tons of garbage removed from Calgary's public spaces.In a Tuesday Reddit post, Edwards explained that he chose the location after noticing the amount of garbage near Poppy Plaza."I know the city uses this area near Poppy Plaza in November for Remembrance Day, and it wasn’t looking too good out there," he wrote.Edwards said he spent much of the five-day cleanup working through wooded areas near the memorial, where he encountered discarded garbage and other abandoned items.He also thanked an unidentified person who helped move a mattress into the cleanup pile..According to Edwards, he has removed more than 14,000 pounds of garbage so far in 2026, bringing his lifetime total to more than 36,000 pounds.His cleanup work has previously attracted local media attention.In August 2023, CityNews reported that Edwards began cleaning public spaces after noticing garbage accumulating around Memorial Dr.His efforts gradually expanded into other Calgary communities as he continued collecting discarded items and litter.By October 2024, Edwards had reportedly cleaned areas in more than 70 Calgary communities, collecting approximately 9,000 pounds of garbage.His work has also included cleaning abandoned encampments, although he previously emphasized that he would not enter occupied encampments without permission.The latest cleanup follows the opening of Calgary's new Veterans Walkway on Saturday.

Calgary man removes over 1,000 pounds of garbage from Soldiers’ Memorial ahead of Remembrance Day

Related Stories

Alberta referendum voter turnout reaches 43% ahead of voting day

QUESNEL: When ‘colonial trauma’ becomes a get-out-of-jail-free card

Former defence chief considered resigning over Trudeau government’s military decisions

Alberta conference looking to promote discussion with different visions ahead of October referendum