Saskatoon’s Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue Centennial Project receives Heritage Saskatchewan Award
The City of Saskatoon, in partnership with the Decoration Day Service Committee, Saskatoon Heritage Society, Friends of the Forestry Farm House and Parks Canada, is extremely proud to be the recipient of a 2023 Saskatchewan Heritage Award in the category of Physical Heritage Conservation for the Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue, Woodlawn Cemetery Centennial Project.
“Our organizations came together to form the Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue Centennial Committee and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the original dedication of the Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue in Woodlawn Cemetery on June 18, 2023,” says Darren Crilly, Director of Parks. “A lot of great work by all of the respective partners was put into celebrating the occasion.”
Hundreds of people including military veterans, politicians, family members, heritage community members and more gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue at Saskatoon’s Woodlawn Cemetery. Notably, this commemorative event saw the presence of nine veterans from World War II and the Korean War, five of whom are centenarians. The oldest among them aged 106 and was alive in 1923 when the Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue was established. During the ceremony, The Honourable Russell Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, unveiled a commemorative plaque dedicated to the 100th anniversary, ensuring a lasting memory of the sacrifices made by the Canadian Armed Forces members from Saskatchewan.
Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue was opened on June 17, 1923, before a crowd of 8,000 people. This beautiful avenue is a National Historic Site and serves as a living memorial to those who lost their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918. For each tree and marker, there is a story of a Canadian veteran. It runs from 33rd Street, through the Woodlawn Cemetery gates and on to the Soldiers Cairn.
"Next -of Kin Memorial Avenue is the only surviving Road of Remembrance in Canada,” says Peggy Sarjeant, Past-President of the Saskatoon Heritage Society. “There were others across the country but they have succumbed primarily to municipal re-development. On this, its 100th Anniversary, the Avenue continues to stand as a living memorial, symbolizing the victory of life over death, its over-arching trees serving as a reminder of those poplar-lined roads of northern France. As we continue to care for this unique memorial, we remember the fallen who are memorialized on the trees lining the Avenue. We will not forget them.”
About the Saskatchewan Heritage Awards
The Heritage Awards event is a time to celebrate the remarkable work undertaken throughout the province. The projects being recognized represent a small sample of the rich diversity of heritage, both tangible and intangible, found right here in Saskatchewan. They are a testament to the value that individuals and communities place upon documenting, promoting, teaching, and safeguarding heritage for future generations.
Visit for more information about Next-of-Kin Memorial Avenue.