Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"RE-ELECT KEN NICOL"

Date Range From

1997

Date Range To

2001

Materials

TIN, PAPER, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Width

0.7

Diameter

5.6

Description

CIRCULAR RED BUTTON WITH WHITE TEXT THAT READS, “RE-ELECT KEN NICOL LETHBRIDGE EAST.” SURFACE IS COVERED IN PLASTIC WHICH WRAPS UNDER THE EDGE. REVERSE HAS FOLDING PIN AND LATCH CLOSURE.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

POLITICS

History

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HER INVOLVEMENT IN JUNE 2012, WITH LIBERAL CANDIDATE KEN NICOL, DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE RESPONDED BY SAYING, “THIS IS MY HUSBAND NOW, ANDREW, WHO WORKED FOR THE KEN NICOL CAMPAIGN. ANDREW ISN’T A PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, BUT KEN NICOL IS A SPECIAL KIND OF GUY, AND HE ASKED ANDREW TO WORK ON HIS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THEY WERE FRIENDS. THIS IS A “RE-ELECT”, HE HAD GOT IN A COUPLE OF TIMES. AND ANDREW WAS ASKED TO BE THE BAGMAN, THE FINANCE GUY FOR HIM. SO HE DID HELP HIM, AND THAT’S WHERE WE GOT THAT BUTTON. HE WORKED FOR KEN NICOL BECAUSE KEN NICOL WAS THE BEST CANDIDATE AND HE WAS A REALLY GOOD GUY. IT WENT AGAINST HIS GRAIN A LITTLE BIT TO DO IT, BUT HE REALLY CARED FOR KEN, AND HE DID OTHER CAMPAIGNS BECAUSE SOMETIMES HE WOULD FEEL THAT HE WAS HELPING TO GET THE BEST CANDIDATE IN. RESPONDING TO A QUESTION ABOUT HER HUSBAND’S INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS, JOHNSTONE SAID, “ANDREW HAS A VERY STRONG SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG, AND HE DOES WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, BUT YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. I DON’T KNOW WHY I GOT INVOLVED, BUT I DO ENJOY POLITICS BECAUSE I WORKED IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE WHICH IS QUITE POLITICAL WITHIN ITSELF, NOT IN AS BIG A LEVEL AS PROVINCIAL OR FEDERAL, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND I THINK IT’S ALL ABOUT HISTORY AND MAKING HISTORY IN A WAY. IT’S HISTORY IN THE MAKING AS YOU’RE SITTING THERE, STUFF’S HAPPENING AND IT’S CHANGING, AND YOU’RE KIND OF IN AT THE GROUND LEVEL OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD. AND WE DO READ A LOT ABOUT POLITICS AND THAT SORT OF THING. WE ENJOY THAT, BOTH OF US, BUT SORT OF FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE. ANDREW IS ALL ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG; MINE IS MORE OF A PROCESS, THE PROCESS OF POLITICS. MAYBE HE’S A BETTER PERSON THAT I AM.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120018004

Acquisition Date

2012-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail