Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ELECTRIC METER

Date

1977

Materials

METAL, GLASS, PAINT

No. Pieces

1

Height

12.8

Length

18

Width

12.3

Description

METER, ELECTRIC. SMALL ROUND METER ENCASED IN GLASS MOUNTED ON BLACK METAL. PLATE READS, “CANADIAN WESTINGHOUSE CO. LIMITED…SERIAL S#H29104629232 PATENTED 1926 1929 1928 1930 1932 1934” “3911”. CLEAR PLASTIC TAG ATTACHED TO BOTTOM OF METER “025090” (NOT REMOVABLE).

Subjects

ELECTRICAL & MAGNETIC T&E

Historical Association

INDUSTRY

History

METERS WERE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL METERING IN THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. THIS METER WAS PREVIOUSLY ATTACHED TO A BOARD AND DISPLAYED WITH OTHERS IN A COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTING CITY ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT HISTORY AT THE METER SHOP UNTIL 2009. ACCORDING TO METER SHOP DONOR GRANT FYFE “THE ROLE OF THE METER SHOP IS TO INSTALL THE METERS, REPAIR THE METERS.” “THESE METERS USED TO BE REPAIRED RIGHT IN THE SHOP. TODAY WE DON’T DO THAT, BUT WE SEND ALL THE METERS OUT FOR RECALIBRATION. UP UNTIL THE YEAR 2000, WE SERVICED ALL THESE METERS. WE STRIPPED THEM DOWN, CLEANED THEM, REPAIRED THEM AND RECALIBRATED THEM. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD COME IN AND CHECK OUR WORK AND SEAL IT.” METERS WITH MECHANIZED REVOLVING PARTS BEGAN BEING REPLACED WITH ENTIRELY DIGITAL MODELS IN THE YEAR 2000. ACCORDING TO AN INTERVIEW WITH RETIRED METER SHOP FORMAN WAYNE SCHELLHORN “WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO KEEP THESE METERS BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE STORAGE ROOM.” FYFE SAID “WE WERE JUST LIKE WATCHMAKERS IN A WAY BECAUSE SOME OF THE JEWELS AND STUFF IN THESE METERS WERE VERY SENSITIVE, AND HAD TO BE CLEANED PROPERLY AND INSTALLED PROPERLY, OTHERWISE THE METER WOULDN’T REVOLVE PROPERLY AND IT WOULD SEIZE UP. IT WAS INTRICATE WORK.” THIS METER CAME INTO USE IN THE 1920’S AND WAS LAST SEALED OR INSPECTED WAS 1977. FYFE SAID “WE USED TO STRIP THIS DOWN ALL IN PIECES AND REWORK IT, RECALIBRATE IT, READJUST THE FULL LOAD AND LIGHT LOAD. WHEN I FIRST STARTED I CHANGED THOUSANDS OF THOSE. I HAD WORKED FOR THE CITY OF CALGARY WHEN I STARTED CHANGING THESE AND WOULD CHANGE TWO IN THE MORNING AND TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. I REMEMBER WE WOULD DO FOUR A DAY, THAT’S HOW MUCH TIME IT TOOK TO CHANGE THEM.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20100046005

Acquisition Date

2010-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail