Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“1998 WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES - NAGANO”

Date

1998

Materials

METAL, RIBBON

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.5

Length

12.5

Width

7.5

Description

SILVER-COLOURED ROUND MEDAL WITH STRIPED RIBBON IN WHITE, BLUE, PINK, AND GREY. FRONT OF MEDAL HAS RAISED TEXT READING “THE 1998 WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES – NAGANO” AND ENGRAVED ABSTRACT DESIGNS. BACK OF MEDAL HAS RAISED TEXT IN BRAILLE, TWO FLORAL DESIGNS AND A LINE OF JAPANESE CHARACTERS. RIBBON IS CREASED AND FOLDED IN HALF. EDGES OF MEDAL ARE WORN WITH SOME AREAS OF FINISH LOSS. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

POLITICS

SPORTS

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS MEDAL WAS DONATED AS PART OF THE PERSONAL EFFECTS COLLECTED BY SENATOR JOYCE FAIRBAIRN (PC, CM) OVER HER NEARLY THREE DECADES AS A LIBERAL SENATOR FOR THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA. FAIRBAIRN RECEIVED THIS MEDAL FROM THE 1998 WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES IN NAGANO, JAPAN, FROM A PLAYER ON THE CANADIAN SLEDGE HOCKEY TEAM. FAIRBAIRN ATTENDED THE GAMES AS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE OF THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC HALL OF FAME, WHILE AT THE GAMES IN NAGANO FAIRBAIRN WAS MADE AWARE OF BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE PREVENTING EFFORTS TO SEND CANADIAN ATHLETES TO THE 2000 SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. IN RESPONSE, FAIRBAIRN FOUNDED ‘FRIENDS OF THE PARALYMPICS’, A FUNDRAISING AND ADVOCACY GROUP FOR THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC MOVEMENT. AFTER THE SYDNEY GAMES SHE HELPED FOUND THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC FOUNDATION AND BECAME ITS CHAIR, WITH A GOAL TO ENSURE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PARALYMPIC ATHLETES. FAIRBAIRN CARRIED THE TORCH THROUGH THE STREETS OF VANCOUVER FOR THE 2010 WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES, AND IN A TRIBUTE SPEECH TO THE SENATE ON HER 75TH BIRTHDAY, SENATOR JIM MUNSON RECALLED: “… AT THE PARALYMPIC GAMES IN VANCOUVER… WE WERE AT THE THUNDERBIRD ARENA. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYED. THE SLEDGE HOCKEY TEAM WAS THERE [AND] TURNED, RIGHT AFTER THE ANTHEM, WENT BACK TO THE BLUE LINE, AND IN FRONT OF JOYCE RAISED THEIR STICKS. WE ALL CRIED.” IN 2011, FAIRBAIRN WAS INDUCTED INTO THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC HALL OF FAME, RECEIVING THE HONOURARY TITLE OF “BUILDER”. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF FAIRBAIRN WAS DEVELOPED BY GALT ARCHIVES INTERN KARISSA PATTON FOR THE 2013 EXHIBIT ‘GALT BABY TO SENATOR’: JOYCE FAIRBAIRN WAS BORN AT THE GALT HOSPITAL ON NOVEMBER 6, 1939. SHE GREW UP IN LETHBRIDGE WHERE SHE GOT HER FIRST EXPERIENCE AS A JOURNALIST AT THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD WHILE SHE WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. FAIRBAIRN EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN ENGLISH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN 1960. FAIRBAIRN THEN LEFT LETHBRIDGE TO ATTEND CARLETON UNIVERSITY IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO WHERE SHE EARNED A BACHELOR OF JOURNALISM IN 1961. AFTER GRADUATION, FAIRBAIRN BEGAN WORKING FOR THE HERALD’S OTTAWA BUREAU, THE OTTAWA JOURNAL, AND UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL IN THE PARLIAMENTARY PRESS GALLERY. FAIRBAIRN WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE FIRST “FEMALE NEWSMEN.” SHE WORKED AS A JOURNALIST IN OTTAWA FROM 1961-1970 AND WAS THE FIRST JOURNALIST TO REPORT ON THE NEW CANADIAN FLAG SELECTION AS WELL AS COVERED JACKIE KENNEDY AND PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S VISIT TO OTTAWA IN 1961. THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PROUDLY CONTINUED TO PUBLISH HER WORK FROM 1965-1969. IN 1970 FAIRBAIRN BECAME THE LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT AND, LATER, THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR FOR PRIME MINISTER PIERRE TRUDEAU. FAIRBAIRN WORKED WITH TRUDEAU UNTIL 1984 WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE SENATE. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN FOR ATTENDING SOUTHERN ALBERTAN MILESTONES, OPENINGS, CELEBRATIONS, AND EVEN THE OCCASIONAL CAKE DECORATING CONTEST. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN BECAME WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA BECAUSE, AS ONE CONSTITUENT COMMENTED, “SHE CARED ENOUGH TO COME”. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN ALSO BECAME INVOLVED WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES SUCH AS, THE PARALYMPICS, THE CALGARY STAMPEDE, BOOKS FOR BABIES, AND THE ALBERTA BIRDS OF PREY CENTRE. FAIRBAIRN WAS PRESENT FOR CELEBRATIONS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA SUCH AS, LETHBRIDGE’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, WHOOP UP DAYS, AND MANY UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE CONVOCATIONS. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION WHERE SHE ADOPTED A HORSE NAMED “DOOLEY”. IN 2008 THE LETHBRIDGE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION HONOURED SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WITH A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN’S DEVOTION TO CANADA AND THE SOUTHERN ALBERTAN COMMUNITY WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED BY MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. IN 1990 SHE WAS INAUGURATED INTO THE KAINAI CHIEFTAINSHIP, WHERE SHE RECEIVED THE NAME CHIEF MORNING BIRD WOMAN. FAIRBAIRN WAS ALSO MADE AN HONOURARY COLONEL OF THE 18TH AIR DEFENSE REGIMENT, RCA. SHE WAS ALSO MADE A HONOURARY AIR MARSHAL AND FREQUENTLY ATTENDED THE INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW AT LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. IN ADDITION, SHE WAS AWARDED WITH A HONOURARY DOCTORATE OF LAWS BY THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE IN 2004. WHILE FAIRBAIRN WAS KNOWN FOR BEING PRESENT IN THE SOUTHERN ALBERTAN COMMUNITY SHE WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PARLIAMENT. HER CAREER AS SENATOR BEGAN AS THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL LIBERAL CAUCUS AND THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN LIBERAL CAUCUS UNTIL 1991 WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED CO-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE. BY 1993 SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS APPOINTED TO PRIVY COUNCIL AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD THE POSITION OF LEADER OF GOVERNMENT. SHE ALSO BECAME THE FIRST MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR LITERACY. IN 1997 SHE WAS APPOINTED THE SPECIAL ADVISOR ON LITERACY TO THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CANADA. IN ADDITION, SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MAKING THE FAMOUS FIVE HONOURARY SENATORS AND ERECTING A HONOURARY STATUE CELEBRATING THE FAMOUS FIVE ON PARLIAMENT HILL. SENATOR JOYCE FAIRBAIRN RETIRED FROM THE SENATE ON JANUARY 18, 2013. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PARALYMPIC HALL OF FAME AND FAIRBAIRN’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC FOUNDATION.

Catalogue Number

P20140043004

Acquisition Date

2014-10

Collection

Museum

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