[3] The monument is located on Memorial Drive and bears the names of 3,000 fallen soldiers from the Calgary area who died in military service.

The intersection of Memorial Drive and 10th Street West was renovated into "Poppy Plaza" to incorporate new foliage, lighting, and metal sculptures.

"[15] The site chosen is also significant in that the memorial looks across the Bow River towards Mewata Armoury, a "mustering point from which many Canadian soldiers departed to serve their country.

[18] The design for Poppy Plaza, adjacent to the memorial, incorporated towering metal gateways of "weathered steel" intended to convey the passage of time.

"Narratives" consisting of quotations related to Canadian experiences in war were cut into the metal sheeting lining the plaza and riverbank.

The design was criticized for poorly selected quotes, and a lack of contextual information regarding Canadian sacrifices which the plaza and adjacent Soldiers' Memorial were intended to highlight.

A guard of honour of soldiers of 41 Canadian Brigade Group was present at the ceremony and was inspected by Lieutenant-Governor Don Ethell.

After the withdrawal of Canadian troops in 2014, the project head, Major Peter Boyle, expressed a desire to have those names included in time for Remembrance Day that year but circumstances prevented their inclusion.

The codes linked to videos about Lieutenant-Colonel Russell Lambert Boyle and Private John George Pattison, both of whose names appear on the memorial.