PLATE, LICENSE

Description: RECTANGULAR LICENSE PLATE IS ORANGE WITH BLACK BORDER. IN BLACK LETTERS "IRRIGATION CAPITAL LETHBRIDGE OF CANADA".

History: BELONGED TO DONOR'S PARENTS VILLA JEAN AND CHARLES TYRRELL. VILLA WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1916. CHARLES WAS RAISED IN MEDICINE HAT, AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE SHORTLY AFTER WORLD WAR II. BOTH VILLA AND CHARLES WERE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS; VILLA BEING ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN IN AMATEUR RADIO. VILLA WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST LICENSED FEMALE REAL ESTATE SALESPEOPLE IN LETHBRIDGE. CHARLES WORKED AS THE ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN AT THE LETHBRIDGE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTRE UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT. THEY WERE ACTIVE IN THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, AND THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VILLA AND CHARLES LIVED IN LETHBRIDGE FOR MOST OF THEIR MARRIED YEARS. CHARLES PASSED AWAY IN 1994 AND VILLA IN 1998. UPDATE 12 DECEMBER 2018: ADVERT PUBLISHED ON 24 FEBRUARY 1954 – LOCATED IN THE PERMANENT FILE AS PART OF THIS OBJECT’S HARDCOPY RECORD – STATES THAT, “THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA IS ISSUING ONLY ONE LICENSE PLATE THIS YEAR SO – THE LETHBRIDGE JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFERS YOU THIS LICENSE PLATE FOR THE FRONT OF YOUR CAR”. THE ADVERT SHOWS A PHOTO OF THE “IRRIGATION CAPITAL – LETHBRIDGE – OF CANADA” PLATE. SALES FROM ITS $1.00 RETAIL VALUE WERE TO BE DIRECTED TO “CIVIC BETTERMENT”.