The five pillars are hard to miss, with the tallest pillar, which is designed to represent Fort Calgary, standing at 28 feet tall. The remaining four pillars are 15 feet tall, each representing a historical figure significant to the Calgary area, including: decorated North-West Mounted Police Captain Deane, Chief Crowfoot, Calgary Alderman John Ayer, and Colonel Macleod, all Calgary pioneers and pillars of the community, represented as such.

Goldray Glass worked alongside Calgary-based, Heavy Industries to bring the sentinel design to life. The first design challenge was to match the iconic red of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), while adding imagery and quotes from the people the pillars represent. To achieve this, Goldray's Technographic Interlayer process was used. With this process, the vibrant red color and images were printed onto a high-resolution interlayer which was then laminated between two glass lites.

Laminating the glass adds durability, making it strong enough to withstand the elements, a feature that is especially important in Calgary, a city known for it's extreme temperature changes. Heavy Industries notes that the finished product "Is virtually weather proof. This means this type of glass project also has a propensity for longevity.”

To complete the design, each pillar is backlit, making them both artistic and functional as the light they provide makes the area brighter, safer, and welcoming, no matter the time of day. Tourists and locals alike are drawn to the Fort Calgary Sentinels public art project. The vibrant color and design beckon for a closer look, while the text and imagery piques their interest and allows for a greater appreciation of the importance of the site.