Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"DICK JOHNSTON"

Date Range From

1975

Date Range To

1981

Materials

TIN, PAPER, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Width

1.8

Diameter

5.7

Description

CIRCULAR NAVY BLUE PIN WITH NEON ORANGE TEXT THAT READS, “DICK JOHNSTON.” NEON ORANGE MOTIF SHAPED LIKE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA WITH CIRCLE ENCLOSING. SURFACE OF PIN IS COVERED IN PLASTIC THAT WRAPS AROUND EDGE. REVERSE OF PIN HAS FOLDING PIN AND CATCH CLOSURE.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

POLITICS

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE IN JUNE 2012, “IN THE LATE 70S, DICK JOHNSTON WAS NOMINATED FOR, WAS IT EAST? I THINK IT’S LETHBRIDGE EAST. [IT WAS A] PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE NOMINATION. AND IT WAS HOTLY CONTESTED. THERE WERE A LOT OF NOMINEES AND REALLY GOOD NOMINEES, AND BECAUSE DICK JOHNSTON WAS A FELLOW WHO DIDN’T REALLY LIKE INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE, HE WASN’T EXACTLY A WARM AND FUZZY TYPE OF PERSON, HIGHLY, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, HAD ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE PERSONALITY, IT NEEDED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET OUT THERE TO GET HIM IN. AND SO I DID GET MYSELF A LITTLE BIT INVOLVED AND HE HAD, THE WHOLE NOMINATION PROCESS WAS AT THE SPORTSPLEX BECAUSE IT WAS SO LARGE. AND HE DID GET IN AND STAYED IN FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. I WAS INVOLVED [IN POLITICS] UNTIL I GOT TO THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE WHERE YOU HAD TO REMAIN NEUTRAL. IN THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE, YOU DON’T TAKE SIDES AND YOU DON’T HAVE POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SO THAT WAS THE END OF MY POLITICAL DAYS WHEN I JOINED THEM IN 1981. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S FROM MY PAST THAT I COULD NO LONGER DO. I DIDN’T HAVE ANY PLACARDS ON MY LAWN ANYMORE, I DIDN’T SAY THAT I WAS A PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, I DIDN’T LET ON ANY OF THAT BECAUSE YOU HAD TO BE NEUTRAL AND BE SEEN TO BE NEUTRAL. SO THAT WAS THE ONE AND ONLY FORAY INTO PUBLIC LIFE.” WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW SHE BECAME INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION, JOHNSTONE RESPONDED BY SAYING, “ I WAS DICK JOHNSTON’S SISTER’S FRIEND. WE KIND OF WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER, WE WERE QUITE GOOD FRIENDS AT THAT POINT. ANYWAY, AND DICK JOHNSTON MARRIED JANICE AND HIS MOM AND DAD WERE BORN, AND HE WAS BORN IN INDIAN HEAD, SASKATCHEWAN. AND MY UNCLE STOOD UP FOR THEM, FOR HIS PARENTS, WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED. SO THERE WAS KIND OF A TIE. WE CAMPAIGNED, SOLD MEMBERSHIPS, AND COUNTED, AND WERE JUST GENERALLY THERE. LIKE, IF A LOT OF US DIDN’T SHOW UP, THEN HE WOULDN’T HAVE GOT IN.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING DONOR INTERVIEW, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120018005

Acquisition Date

2012-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail