It won't be long now until the retaining wall on Veterans Way in Okotoks is transformed into a memorial for those who served in World War II.

The winning design for the wall was submitted by Expressions Signs and Promotional Products and will feature photos taken by Okotoks resident Laura Hole as soldiers were leaving for training and deployment.

The design was chosen by a committee of community volunteers through an RFP process and funded by the Town of Okotoks, the Okotoks and District Historic Society, Veterans Affairs Canada, and is also supported by the Okotoks Legion.

Allan Boss, culture and heritage manager for the Town of Okotoks, says the project is specific to Okotoks.

"It works in a lot of ways because not only is there going to be photos of the soldiers there's also going to be stories from some of them and the text will be included," he says. "It's got a backdrop that sort of mimics the colour of the Big Rock then it has a hill on it and soldiers, the Canadian flag, and we've also got some poppies."

All the materials for the memorial have been ordered and manufacturing has started on the individual pieces. The photos and text will be laser etched into granite which will be mounted on the wall.

Boss says there's plans to further develop the memorial in the future.

"The goal is to eventually in the next step start representing some of our soldiers from other conflicts like WWI, the Korean War, and Afghanistan. We'd like to start compiling those images and stories and start to present them on these panels as well."

The project is expected to be completed in June with an official dedication ceremony scheduled during Canada Day celebrations.

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com