Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LIGHTER

Date Range From

1959

Date Range To

1990

Materials

METAL, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.5

Length

6.7

Width

1.3

Description

LIGHTER IS IN THE VAGUE SHAPE OF A SHIP WITH THE WRITING "M.V. TSAWWASSEN" ON BOTH SIDES. THE SIDE OF THE LIGHTER IS PAINTED TEAL, AND DULL YELLOW. THE TOP AND BOTTOM IS SILVER. AT THE TOP OF THE SHIP, THE LIGHTING MECHANISM POPS UP. HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO BE STICKING. AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS A SMALL SCREW.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS SPECIFIC LIGHTER WAS OWNED BY LETHBRIDGE RESIDENT HAZEL MCNABB. SHE WAS BORN IN FORT MACLEOD IN 1912 AND LIVED AT THE FAMILY RANCH ALONG THE OLDMAN RIVER BEFORE MOVING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1946. HAZEL’S CLOSE FRIEND, MARY OORDT, ASSISTED WITH THE DONATION OF SOME OF HER BELONGINGS TO THE GALT MUSEUM IN 2002, AND SUGGESTED THAT HAZEL WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS LIGHTER ON A HOLIDAY TO THE WEST COAST, WHERE HER BROTHER AND HIS FAMILY LIVED. MARY DESCRIBED HAZEL AS “VERY INDEPENDENT, OBVIOUSLY, DRIVING A GREAT BIG MOTOR HOME ALL OVER THE COUNTRYSIDE, HAVING HER GUNS AND HER FISHING EQUIPMENT, WADING OUTFITS AND THE WHOLE BIT… HAZEL JUST LOVED IT AND THRIVED ON IT.” THIS LIGHTER WAS LIKELY BOUGHT IN THE GIFT SHOP ABOARD THE QUEEN OF TSAWWASSEN, ONE OF TWO ORIGINAL B.C. FERRIES. THE VESSEL WAS LAUNCHED ON NOVEMBER 28, 1959 TO SERVICE THE ROUTE BETWEEN NEWLY BUILT TERMINALS AT TSAWWASSEN (VANCOUVER) AND SWARTZ BAY (VICTORIA). THE TSAWWASSEN OPERATED ON VARIOUS ROUTES ALONG THE WEST COAST FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS. BUILT AT A COST OF JUST OVER $3 MILLION, SHE BOASTED AMENITIES INCLUDING A CAFETERIA, GIFT SHOP, LOUNGE SPACE, AND INCREASED VEHICLE CAPACITY. THE FERRY WAS OFFICIALLY DECOMMISSIONED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2008, AND WAS SOLD FOR USE AS A MOBILE LOGGING CAMP ALONG THE COAST. THE WORD “TSAWWASSEN” COMES FROM THE LANGUAGE OF THE TSAWWASSEN FIRST NATION OF COAST SALISH PEOPLES. IT MEANS “LOOKING TOWARD THE SEA”, AND WAS ALSO USED TO NAME THE SOUTHWESTERN OUTLYING SUBURBS OF VANCOUVER WHERE THE FERRY TERMINAL WAS BUILT. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE THE LATE MS. HAZEL MCNABB, PLEASE SEE P20010057001 AND THIS COLLECTION’S PERMANENT FILE. INCLUDED IN THE FILE, IS A 50 MIN INTERVIEW WITH MCNABB'S CLOSE FRIEND MARY OORDT FROM 20 MAY 2014. HAZEL MCNABB PASSED AWAY IN 2008 AT THE AGE OF 95.

Catalogue Number

P20010057007

Acquisition Date

2002-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail