Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“TOUR OF ALBERTA”

Date

2014

Materials

CANVAS, PLASTIC, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

60.5

Length

44.25

Width

0.25

Description

DOUBLE-SIDED ADVERTISING BANNER, PRINTED ON WHITE PLASTICIZED CANVAS WITH TWO METAL GROMMETS ALONG ONE VERTICAL EDGE. PRINTED GRAPHIC HAS A STYLIZED MAPLE LEAF IN RED, AND TEXT IN GREEN, BLUE, GREY AND BLACK READING “2014 TOUR OF ALBERTA – PRESENTED BY ATB FINANCIAL – LETHBRIDGE – SEPTEMBER 3, 2014”. OUTER EDGES OF THE BANNER ARE MACHINE STITCHED TOGETHER WITH WHITE THREAD, CREATING A LOOP ALONG THE TOP HORIZONTAL EDGE. VERY GOOD CONDITION OVERALL.

Subjects

ADVERTISING MEDIUM

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

SPORTS

History

THIS BANNER WAS USED LOCALLY TO ADVERTISE THE LETHBRIDGE STAGE OF THE 2014 TOUR OF ALBERTA, HELD ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2014. ACCORDING TO THE TOUR OF ALBERTA WEBSITE, THE ANNUAL ROAD CYCLING STAGE RACE STARTED IN 2013, AND IS CANADA’S FIRST AND HIGHEST RANKED PROFESSIONAL CYCLING RACE. THE EVENT IS SANCTIONED BY UNION CYCLISTE INTERNATIONALE, AND INVITES 15 INTERNATIONAL TEAMS OF EIGHT RACERS EACH TO COMPETE. THE 2014 TOUR OF ALBERTA INCLUDED STAGES IN CALGARY, INNISFAIL, RED DEER, WETASKIWIN, EDMONTON, AND STRATHCONA COUNTY, IN ADDITION TO THE LETHBRIDGE STAGE. LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM AUGUST 2014 OUTLINED THE CIRCUIT FOR THE 142 KILOMETRE RACE, WHICH RAN ALONG SECTIONS OF STAFFORD DRIVE NORTH, SCENIC DRIVE, INTO THE RIVER VALLEY, AND THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN CORE. A COMMUNITY FESTIVAL WAS ALSO PLANNED TO BE HELD IN GALT GARDENS ON RACE DAY, WITH VENDORS, SCREENS DISPLAYING LIVE TELEVISION COVERAGE OF THE RACE, AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. HEAVY RAINFALL ON RACE DAY HAMPERED THE FESTIVAL BUT THE RACE WENT FORWARD AS PLANNED, WITH TEAMS FROM THE NETHERLANDS, AUSTRIA, ITALY, USA AND CANADA COMPETING. THE LETHBRIDGE STAGE OF THE RACE WAS BROADCAST IN 162 COUNTRIES, TO 41 MILLION INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS. ON OCTOBER 8, 2015 COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED CAROL THIBERT, FORMER CITY OF LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR, ABOUT HER INVOLVEMENT IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF LETHBRIDGE HOSTING THE TOUR OF ALBERTA. THIBERT SAID: “THE ORGANIZERS - THE ALBERTA PELOTON ASSOCIATION - CAME TO THE CITY AND WANTED TO KNOW IF LETHBRIDGE WOULD BE [A] HOST CITY… THEY [ASKED] IN THE SPRING OF 2014, WHICH IS VERY LATE TO TRY TO ORGANIZE A THING OF THAT MAGNITUDE, BUT THE CITY JUMPED IN AND IT FELL UNDER MY PORTFOLIO TO ENSURE THAT THE TOUR WAS ORGANIZED. SO, IN VERY SHORT ORDER, A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT INVOLVED REALLY ENTHUSIASTICALLY, BECAUSE THERE IS A VERY STRONG CYCLING COMMUNITY IN LETHBRIDGE AND THEY PUT TOGETHER THE TOUR… [THE PLANNING COMMITTEE] WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING FROM [ORGANIZING] VOLUNTEERS TO PUTTING ON A FESTIVAL. BECAUSE ALONG WITH THE TOUR OF ALBERTA, THE CYCLING RACE, THERE IS ALSO A FESTIVAL COMPONENT THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR… I’VE BEEN TO ALL THREE TOURS OF ALBERTA, 2013, 2014 AND 2015, [AND] I’D SAY THAT LETHBRIDGE PLANNED THE BEST FESTIVAL IN ANY OF THE EVENTS THAT WE’VE BEEN TO IN THESE THREE YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY, ON SEPTEMBER 3RD WE HAD SUCH A RAINFALL, IT RAINED LIKE IT NEVER RAINS IN LETHBRIDGE EVER, AND IT RAINED ALL DAY… THE RAIN REALLY WASHED OUT THE FESTIVAL, WHICH IS VERY, VERY UNFORTUNATE, [BUT] THE CYCLING PART WAS GREAT, IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING… THE CITY GOT BEHIND IT FULL-HEARTEDLY. OUR CITY MANAGER TOLD US HE DIDN’T WANT ANYTHING TO LOOK UNDONE, ANYTHING TO BE A BLIGHT ON THE COMMUNITY, AND EXCEPT FOR THE RAIN, I THINK WE PULLED IT OFF… THERE’S DEFINITELY CHALLENGES. YOU HAVE ROAD CLOSURES, MAJOR ROAD CLOSURES, AND PEOPLE ARE DIVERTED… WE HAD TO BE ABLE TO GET EMERGENCY VEHICLES [THROUGH], WE HAD TO PLAN FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF WORK… ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAD TO BE FLUSHED OUT, IT WAS A TREMENDOUS LOT OF WORK… BECAUSE OF MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, [I] KNOW THEM, AND THEY GIVE THE TOUR OF ALBERTA [STAGE] IN LETHBRIDGE ONE OF THE BEST [REVIEWS]. THEY WOULD REALLY LOVE TO COME BACK HERE JUST BECAUSE IT WAS SO WELL ORGANIZED.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND HARDCOPIES OF RELATED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P20140048000

Acquisition Date

2014-11

Collection

Museum

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