Sculpture commemorates city’s contribution in First World War

By Lethbridge Herald on May 10, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Artist Don Toney, Belgian Ambassador Patrick Van Gheel and Lethbridge United Service Institute president Glenn Miller gather next to the Legacy of Alberta statue following its dedication ceremony Saturday at Exhibition Park.

Justin Seward – LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Exhibition Park will be the permanent home to the Legacy of Alberta sculpture after a dedication ceremony was held in front of dignitaries, the general public and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Canada, Patrick Van Gheel, on Saturday.

The dedication ceremony was hosted by the Lethbridge United Services Institute and the bronze statue, which was created by local artist Don Toney, commemorates the contribution of veterans from Alberta and Lethbridge as an artillery city during the First World War.

The statue depicts the last gun to fire in the First World War from the Lethbridge 39th Battery with a gun detachment of six horses with their drivers towing an ammunition carriage with an 18-pounder field gun that was used by the 20th, 39th, 61st and 78th Batteries of Lethbridge.

“It is a privilege to have an original artillery artifact on display provided by descendants of veterans,” said Glenn Miller, LUSI president, in a press release.

“In addition, a special Belgium flag that flew the 100th anniversary of the Armistice at City Hall from the City of Mons, Belgium will also be featured.”

Toney was partially chosen for the statue creation because Miller knew him from being neighbours and seeing Toney’s work on sculptures done around southern Alberta, such as Seabiscuit at the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston.

“I think he was confident in my work that I could pull this off and because I was involved with horses and knew horses as well,” said Toney.

“So I think that was the process of choosing me, I suppose, was his initiative. And as far as the project for me, it was extremely challenging. I’m not that familiar with the World War I artillery, but it was certainly an interesting learning experience and I benefitted a lot from Glenn’s knowledge of that to help me with it and he was instrumental in really providing me with a lot of reference material and so a lot of projects is a lot to learn in doing them as well.”

Toney has worked with bronze material for over 40 years.

“It’s been my whole career of my working life,” said Toney.

Toney said it’s always rewarding to do any sculpture.

“Some are not nearly as ambitious as this project. I would say this is the hardest project I’ve ever done,” he said.

The Lethbridge stop was the first of a five-day visit to Alberta for Van Gheel and he felt humbled to be at the statue unveiling.

“For me, what it represents is like most (of) Belgium, it also represents freedom because Canada helped Belgium twice to regain our freedom,” said Van Gheel.

“Now we work very closely together also now, not only in the past. I think it’s important at the ceremony today that we see also a lot of young people that they do remember that our freedom does come with sacrifice. We see it nowadays unfortunately with what’s going on in with the new war in Europe. But I’m also here these days to talk about cultural corporation, economical corporation because we are a main partner of Alberta.”

Exhibition Park was the most suitable place to house the statue because it recognizes the artillery units that first trained on the grounds.