Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry - 100 Years

Hundreds of visitors from Edmonton gathered in Village At Griesbach to commemorate the centennial celebration of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry on Sunday, August 10, 2014. The ceremony was held to unveil a new time capsule memorial and Legacy Stone Project, which pay homage to the men and women that served in the PPCLI over the past 100 years.

History of the Patricias

The Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry was founded in 1914 by Andrew Gault to assist the allied forces in World War I by sending Canadian troops to France. Since that time, the PPCLI has participated in several military campaigns, including World War II, the Korean War, The Cold War, a number of peace-keeping missions and most recently in Afganistan where the PPCLI 3RdBattalion was dispatched to in 2002.

The Time Capsule

The time capsule was the central fixture of the weekend celebrations in Village at Griesbach. The brass monument was filled with letters fromPte. Cole Lisowski, Pte. Mark Brushett and Pte. Dylan Renaud,photographs, pins, patches and other military memorabilia then sealed with plans to be reopened in 50 years. Several members of the PPCLI were in attendance to officially seal the capsule, including Colonel-in-Chief Adrienne Clarkson. The large capsule is nearly six feet in diameter and bears the crest of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, which is a crown, cypher and coronet.

"This memorial will pay homage to that same courage and sacrifice of Patricias through the last hundred years and the next hundred years" -- Laurie Hawn, MP - Edmonton Centre.

The Legacy Stone Project

The Legacy Stone Project lines the path leading up to the new time capsule monument in Princess Patricia Park. Each granite stone along the walk way bears the name of a PPCLI soldier, family, community supporter or sponsor. Members of the community are encouraged to join the legacy of the Patricias by contributing to the Legacy Stone Project and having their name etched in stone.