Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

AGT CALLING CARD

Date Range From

1989

Date Range To

1991

Materials

PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.1

Length

8.5

Width

5.4

Description

RECTANGULAR, PLASTIC CARD. FRONT IS DARK BLUE WITH A GRID IMAGE ON IT. PRINTED ON FRONT IN SILVER IS "AGT CALLING CARD". EMBOSSED ON FRONT IS "403 329 1471 891 248 403 329 1471 5 KEVIN R MACLEAN 01". BACK OF CARD HAS A MAGNETIC STRIP. PRINTED ON BACK ARE DIRECTIONS FOR USING CARD.

Subjects

EXCHANGE MEDIUM

Historical Association

CURRENCY/MAUNDY

History

THIS CARD WAS SENT TO DONOR KEVIN MACLEAN BY ALBERTA GOVERNMENT TELEPHONES (AGT) WHEN THE CALLING CARD PROGRAM BEGAN AND/OR THE DONOR AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM, SUSPECTED IN THE LATE 80S. MACLEAN RECALLED FREQUENT, WEEKLY USE OF HIS (NOW TELUS) CARD AROUND APPROXIMATELY 1996 TO 1998 WHEN HE VISITED THE FORMER BOSTON PIZZA OFF OF 1ST AVENUE SOUTH. THE CARD WAS USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT’S PAYPHONE, LOCATED WITHIN ITS FRONT VESTIBULE, SO THAT HE COULD CALL HOME WHEN OUT LATE ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. HE USED HIS CARD WITH ENOUGH FREQUENCY THAT HE NEVER CARRIED IT, HAVING MEMORIZED ITS NUMBER. HIS CARD WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED WITH A TELUS CALLING CARD. UPDATE: IN MARCH 2020, THE DONOR SHARED THE FOLLOWING: “I RECALL RECEIVING A LETTER FROM TELUS IN APPROXIMATELY 2015-16 (DOCUMENT WAS SADLY DISPOSED OF) THAT INFORMED ME THAT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT SUPPORTED CALLING CARDS WAS OBSOLETE AND THAT MY NUMBER AND ITS USE WAS TO BE DISCONTINUED. THIS WAS OF INTEREST TO ME AS I STILL HAVEN’T COMMITTED TO CARRYING A MOBILE PHONE AND I’M STILL DEPENDENT ON PUBLIC PHONES TO MAKE CALLS OUTSIDE OF MY HOME OR OFFICE. WHEN I RECEIVED THE TELUS LETTER, HOWEVER, IT WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE TO ME THAT THE CARD’S NUMBER WAS OF LITTLE FUTURE VALUE AS PUBLIC PHONES WERE – IN LETHBRIDGE AT LEAST – NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE. AS OF NOW (MARCH, 2020) I AM AWARE OF ONLY ONE SURVIVING, FREESTANDING PHONE BOOTH IN LETHBRIDGE, LOCATED OFF OF CROWSNEST TRAIL AND 28TH STREET SOUTH—THE LOCATION OF A FORMER, NOW DEMOLISHED GAS STATION.”

Catalogue Number

P20020077011

Acquisition Date

2003-05

Collection

Museum

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