Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"ALBERTA URBAN MUNICIPALITIES"

Date Range From

1981

Date Range To

1997

Materials

BRASS, PAINT

No. Pieces

2

Height

2.9

Length

2.3

Width

1.1

Description

1) CIRCULAR BRASS PIN WITH BANNER AT BOTTOM. BLUE BANNER AND EDGE OF CIRCLE HAS TEXT THAT READS, “ALBERTA URBAN MUNICIPALITIES ASSOC., FOUNDED 1905.” CENTER HAS AN ALBERTA SHIELD WITH TEXT IN SKY PORTION THAT READS, “AUMA.” BETWEEN CREST AND EDGING IS RAISED LETTERING THAT READS, “CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES.” REVERSE IS STAMPED, “TAIWAN.” 2) BRASS BUTTERFLY CLUTCH FASTENER.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

CLOTHING-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

PERSONAL CARE

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE IN JUNE 2012, “THIS WOULD BE A PIN THAT I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED FROM ONE OF THE ALDERMEN, AND I CAN’T TELL YOU WHICH ONE. I CAN’T REMEMBER, BECAUSE THEY ALL WENT FROM TIME TO TIME TO THE MEETINGS FOR THE ALBERTA URBAN MUNICIPALITIES ASSOCIATION, AND THEY WERE HELD THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE. IT’S A LOBBYING GROUP IN A WAY, FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO MAKE CHANGES IN OUR LEGISLATURE. THE FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES WAS IN THE PAPER TODAY BECAUSE THREE CURRENT ALDERMEN WENT TO THE MEETING, AND THAT’S FEDERALLY, FOR THE FEDERAL GROUP OF MUNICIPALITIES, REPRESENTATIVES OF MUNICIPALITIES WHO GET TOGETHER TO MAKE CHANGES AT A FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT THIS IS THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL. AND IT WAS FORMED THE SAME YEAR AS THE PROVINCE, SO IT’S BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOREVER, AND RESOLUTIONS ARE PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL IF IT’S TO DO WITH, LET’S SAY, GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR ROADS, AND THE PROVINCE HAS DECIDED TO TAKE AWAY THOSE FUNDS, SO THEN THEY WOULD PASS – I’M JUST MAKING IT UP - BUT THEY WOULD PASS A RESOLUTION TO TAKE TO THIS COMMITTEE AND THEY WOULD LOBBY THEM, AND HAVE IT GO ON TO THE PROVINCE IF IT WAS PASSED BY ALL MUNICIPALITIES. BUT IT’S USUALLY THINGS THAT AFFECT EVERYBODY." WHEN ASKED ABOUT LOBBYING THAT RESULTED IN CHANGE WHILE IN THE OFFICE OF CITY CLERK, JOHNSTONE RESPONDED BY SAYING, “WELL, A LOT OF THEM HAD TO DO WITH THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ACT THAT WAS CHANGED WHILE I WAS STILL THERE. IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REWRITTEN AND IT WAS REWRITTEN FROM A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT TOLD YOU WHAT YOU COULD AND COULDN’T DO. IT WAS VERY RIGID. AND THEN THEY DECIDED TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE OPEN AND SO THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE DEAR TO COUNCIL’S HEART THAT THEY WANTED TO LEAVE IN OR TAKE OUT, OR HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH, AND SO THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AROUND THAT. BUT DOES ANY ONE BIG THING STAND OUT? NO. IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE IF YOU’D ASKED ME TEN YEARS AGO. IF THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION, THEN I WOULD OF COURSE HAVE IT RECORDED WORD FOR WORD, AND THEN PRESENT IT IN A LETTER FORM SO THAT IT WOULD GO ON TO THIS GROUP, THE AUMA, FOR THEIR AGENDA. SO ANYTHING THAT COUNCIL EVER DOES IS RECORDED IN A WAY THAT IS, IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THEY FILE IT, YOU HAVE A WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE TELLING THAT GROUP OR PERSON THAT’S THAT WHAT HAPPENED AT COUNCIL, SO IT’S THE HUB OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN A MUNICIPALITY. I THINK A LOT OF IT WAS, IN MY DAY, AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS BECAUSE THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED. WE GOT RECYCLING AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING. IT WASN’T EVEN DONE, EXCEPT FOR THE BOTTLES THAT WE HAD FOR RETURNS, WE DIDN’T RECYCLE A DARN THING. AND A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES WENT TO AUMA BECAUSE IT WAS BECOMING A WIDER ISSUE. AND SO IT’S A PLACE, AND THEY SAY IT’S NOT JUST THE RESOLUTIONS, BUT COUNCIL WOULD SAY THAT TALKING TO OTHER COUNCILORS OR ALDERMEN FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES HELPED THEM MORE THAN THE ACTUAL MEETINGS. IT WAS MORE A SHARING OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE PROVINCE THAN THE ACTUAL MEETINGS. AND THAT’S WHY IT DOESN’T STAND OUT, BECAUSE ONCE YOU SENT THAT ON, WE REALLY DIDN’T KNOW IF IT REALLY CHANGED ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, IT’S KIND OF A LOBBYING GROUP AND YOU’RE NOT REALLY SURE, AND I DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY ISSUES AND YOU GOT BOGGED DOWN WITH IT. AND WHEN MY ASSISTANT SAID, “HOW, WHY DON’T YOU CARE?” WELL, YOU CAN’T. YOU HAVE TOO MANY ISSUES AND NO TIME TO CARE ABOUT EVERY ISSUE. YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE ASSISTANT, BUT NOT WHEN YOU’RE A CLERK. SO, IF YOU CARE, YOU GO FOR IT, BUT I CAN’T CARE ANYMORE. I JUST HAVE TO MOVE THE PAPER. AND SO YOU JUST GET TO BE A PAPER SHUFFLER. NOW I CARE, BUT I DIDN’T CARE THEN. YOU BECOME NUMB, INCLUDING YOUR BOTTOM. SITTING AT THOSE MEETINGS, YOU BECOME PRAGMATIC.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING DONOR INTERVIEW, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120018003

Acquisition Date

2012-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail