Claresholm
The Canadian town of Claresholm has a colourful and vibrant history. Located midway between Lethbridge and Calgary, Claresholm was initially utilised as a rest stop for steam engines along the Canadian Pacific Railway link before achieving the status of town in 1905 in the province of Alberta. It played a pivotal role during the Second World War when, 3.5 miles from the town, a site was chosen to advance train an elite force of British Commonwealth pilots to participate in the war.
Students from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, and the United States participated in this course and by the time the air training school closed in 1945, nearly 1800 pilots had ‘received their wings’ from the establishment. Nearly 6 years later, the flying academy was re-opened, this time for the purpose of training and stationing NATO troops. Visiting Claresholm proves to be one of the most rewarding and pleasant destinations encountered in Canada as the locals are friendly and hospitable eager to talk about the wonderful delights one can discover in their town, while the town’s aesthetic appeal itself is inviting and immaculate with tree-lined streets and comfortable housing.
Visitors to Claresholm has an outstanding array of attractions to visit most notably the Home of the Harvard Memorial located in Centennial Park, which is a terrific tribute to the British Commonwealth Air Training Programme as well as to the training done by NATO in the 1950s. The Claresholm Museum is also worth a visit as it is committed to exhibiting and preserving the history of Southern Alberta, while the man-made lake Clear Lake is fantastic for enjoying the outdoors as it offers camping, boating, and water skiing.
