San Fortunato Street was dedicated to members of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment who fought in the battle of San Fortunato during the Second World War by the Canada Lands Company on January 18 2006, as part of their redevelopment of Edmonton’s former Canadian Forces Base (Griesbach Barracks).
The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment entered into battle on August 26, 1944, and fought for 26 days against a continuous series of defences supported with heavy machinegun fire, mortar and artillery fire, tanks, and mine fields. The Canadians finally captured the heights of San Fortunato Ridge on September 21 in a brazen night attack. The battle to break through the Germans’ Gothic Line defences was a major victory for the Allies in northern Italy, but it came at a high price. In total, the 1st Canadian Corps suffered 4,511 casualties, of whom 1,016 were killed. This was the bloodiest action fought by the Corps during the entire Italian Campaign.