In September 2021, the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former residential school in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, affirmed truths that Indigenous communities had carried for generations. That moment brought grief to the steps of The City’s municipal building. The need for justice, healing, and remembrance was clear. Indigenous people in Calgary created a memorial at City Hall. They placed shoes and other items as symbols to honour those who did not return and for childhood lost. The ‘temporary’ memorial became a powerful expression of the community’s need for a permanent memorial.

In May of 2025, the permanent memorial design, The Wandering Spirit, was selected through a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada-endorsed design competition. A professional jury including architects, Indigenous architects, and members of the Indian Residential School Memorial Project’s Elders Advisory Committee chose the design.

The memorial features 37 vertical beams marking the relative locations of residential schools that operated in Alberta, the province with the highest per-capita concentration of these institutions in Canada. The memorial positions Calgary within a broader national narrative of truth and reconciliation.

Click on the image renderings below to see the proposed design views of the Memorial:

The Wandering Spirit is currently in the Concept Refinement and Schematic Design phase. The design team is refining the original design concept based on feedback from the design engagement and validation. Please refer to the Indian Residential School Memorial Phase 1- Validation Report for more details. Concept Refinement will be completed between late April and early May 2026, and The City will present the refined design concept to the community at that time.

The refined design concept will be shared with grassroots organizations, neighbours of The Confluence, and Calgarians. This upcoming engagement/validation will continue the conversation towards the completion of the permanent memorial.

The Indian Residential School system is not distant history — it is a fundamental part of our lived history, and therefore, it is a fundamental part of our present, our day-to-day reality. Remembrance and awareness guide us toward a better tomorrow, towards a city that thrives for all.

The Wandering Spirit will be a site of healing, remembrance, and the public acknowledgment that reconciliation requires. Through this project, The City demonstrates its commitment to honour survivors, families, and those affected by intergenerational trauma.

The Wandering Spirit is Indigenous-led and fully grounded in lived experience. The Elders Advisory Committee comprises Elders from Treaty 7 Nations, Metis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous peoples. The design team is led by Adrian Stimson, an Indigenous artist and residential school survivor. Adrian works in partnership with Calgary-based landscape architecture firm groundcubed.

In late spring and early summer of 2026, The City will share the refined design with community partners and local neighbours. Residents can expect to hear directly from the project team as sessions are scheduled. Updates will continue to be posted on this portal. Check this page to follow the project’s progress and understand the steps leading toward construction.