Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

GAS METER

Date

1977

Materials

METAL, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

47

Length

37.3

Width

34.2

Description

GOLD PLATED GAS METER. THREADED INTAKE AND OUTPUT VALVES ON TOP. LEFT VALVE HAS RAISED TEXT THAT SAYS, “INLET.” FRONT CENTER HAS SPRAGUE LOGO, SAME LOGO ON BACK. EDGE OF FRONT AND BACK PLATES SAY, “MADE IN CANADA.” RECTANGULAR TIN PLATE PAINTED BLUE ATTACHED TO FRONT SAYS, “PROPERTY OF CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY LIMITED 200000.” RECTANGULAR TIN PLATE PAINTED RED ATTACHED TO FRONT SAYS, “SPRAGUE® METER DIVISION OF TEXTRON LTD. TYPE 240.111 CF/REV, 192 C.F.H. AIR@1/2” W.C. TEMP. COMP.60°F BASE 5 P.S.I.W.P 200000.” FIVE MEASUREMENT DIALS UNDER GLASS AT TOP SAYS, “CUBIC FEET” ON DIAL FACE PLATE. BROWN COMPOSITE MATERIAL PROVIDING A SEAL BETWEEN ALL INDIVIDUAL PIECES. SOLID RED OAK BASE, WITH SLOPED SIDES. REAR LEFT EDGE IS SEVERELY CHIPPED WITH FINISHED WOOD MISSING. FRONT BOTTOM RIGHT AND LEFT CORNERS HAVE SMALLER CHIPS. UNDER SIDE OF BASE HAS CURSIVE INK WRITING THAT SAYS, “BACK.” GREY PLAQUE ON BASE READS, “200,000 TH METER, A GOLD PLATED METER WAS INSTALLED IN THE HOME OF MR. AND MRS. PAUL R JONES AT 388 MCMASTER BLVD., LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA ON DECEMBER 1, 1977 TO MARK THE CONNECTION OF CANADIAN WESTERN’S 200,000 TH CUSTOMER. CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY LIMITED, GOLD PLATED METER WAS DONATED BY SPRAGUE METER DIVISION OF TEXTRON CANADA LTD.”

Subjects

MECHANICAL T&E

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

BUSINESS

INDUSTRY

History

AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE GALT MUSEUM WAS APPROACHED BY THE BROOKS & DISTRICT MUSEUM ABOUT THE DONATION OF THIS GAS METER. METER WAS ON LOAN TO BROOKS MUSEUM BY ATCO GAS FOR A DISPLAY RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF NATURAL GAS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. AS STATED BY THE NEWS RELEASE FROM THE CANADIAN NATURAL GAS COMPANY LIMITED, “CALGARY, NOVEMBER 30, 1977. A NEW RECORD IN NATURAL GAS SERVICE WAS REACHED THIS WEEK BY CANADIAN NATURAL GAS COMPANY LIMITED. IN BUSINESS FOR THE PAST 65 YEARS SERVING SOUTHERN ALBERTA, THE COMPANY HAS JUST CONNECTED ITS 200,000TH CUSTOMER. MR. AND MRS. PAUL R. JONES, OF 388 MCMASTER BLVD., IN LETHBRIDGE ENTERED THE COMPANY RECORD BOOKS, AND ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF A GOLD PLATED METER, MANUFACTURED AND DONATED BY SPRAGUE METER DIVISION OF TEXTRON CANADA LIMITED. THIS METER WILL REMAIN IN THE JONES’ HOME UNTIL RECALLED FOR METER ACCURACY VERIFICATION. ‘THIS IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN OUR HISTORY,’ JOHN WILLSHER SAID, WHO IS CANADIAN WESTERN’S MANAGER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. ‘THIS YEAR MARKS 65 YEARS SINCE WE BEGAN NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO LETHBRIDGE, AND IT IS FITTING THAT OUR 200,000TH CUSTOMER SHOULD BE CONNECTED THE SAME YEAR.’ A PREVIOUS MILESTONE WAS REACHED IN JANUARY 1963, WHEN CANADIAN WESTERN INSTALLED ITS 100,000TH METER, AT THAT TIME IN CALGARY. IT TOOK ONLY 14 YEARS TO DOUBLE THAT NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS. THE COMPANY PREDICTS THAT ANOTHER 100,000 CUSTOMERS WILL LIKELY BE CONNECTED WITHIN THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS. CANADIAN WESTERN HAS APPROXIMATELY 850 EMPLOYEES AND SERVES 104 COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA. BOTH THE 100,000TH AND 200,000TH GOLD-PLATED METERS WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE WOODWARDS SHOPPING MALL IN LETHBRIDGE, FROM THURSDAY NOON, DECEMBER 1 UNTIL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3. THERE WILL ALSO BE A CONSUMER INFORMATION DISPLAY WITH QUALIFIED GAS COMPANY PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS SOME OF CANADIAN WESTERN’S SERVICES, INCLUDING HOME ECONOMIC ADVICE, AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT.” GOLD PLATED METER WAS DONATED BY SPRAGUE METER DIVISION OF TEXTRON CANADA LIMITED TO CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS COMPANY LIMITED. ACCORDING TO COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMPANY ON JANUARY 28, 1977, “WE WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO HELP YOU TO COMMEMORATE THE HOOK-UP OF YOUR TWO HUNDRED THOUSANDTH CUSTOMER BY DONATING A SPRAGUE 240 T.C. GAS METER. WE ASSUME THAT YOU WANT TO INSTALL THIS METER ON A SELECTED CUSTOMER’S SERVICE AND RETIRE IT SOON AFTER. HENCE, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO USE A PROPERTY BADGE NUMBER PERTAINING TO YOUR CURRENT ORDER OR NOT. ALSO, IF THE METER IS TO BE RETIRED TO A DISPLAY CASE OR MUSEUM, LET US KNOW AND WE WILL HAVE A PLAQUE ENGRAVED TO THE EFFECT THAT THE METER WAS DONATED BY SPRAGUE. WE ALSO ASSUME YOU WILL BE USING THIS METER FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS PURPOSES AND THAT YOU WILL BE PUBLISHING THE EVENT IN A NUMBER OF INDUSTRY MAGAZINES. WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE BEING PART OF ANY PRESENTATION. IN CLOSING, WE ADVISE THAT WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH THIS PROJECT AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS COMPLETED. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, NOT INCLUDING THE SPECIAL ASSEMBLY AND TESTING, THE GOLD PLATING IS ESTIMATED AT TWO TO THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO COMPANIES, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120029000

Acquisition Date

2012-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail