Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SHADOW BOX / ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES

Date

2009

Materials

METAL, GLASS, WOOD, PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Height

34.2

Length

40.5

Width

2.6

Description

SHADOW BOX, BLACK WOODEN FRAME, MEDALS FROM THE ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES 2009, BEHIND GLASS. COLOUR PHOTOGRAPH OF 25 ADULTS, ALL DRESSED IN THE SAME TAN VEST. BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF PHOTOGRAPH MARKED: "BARON PHOTOGRAPHICS". BELOW THE PHOTOGRAPH ARE THREE MEDALS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE. MEDALS ARE IN THE SHAPE OF THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA AND ARE EMBOSSED WITH: "2009 ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES LETHBRIDGE". TO THE RIGHT OF THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE MEDALS IS BLACK TEXT, ON OFF-WHITE PAPER: "ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES. LETHBRIDGE. FEBRUARY 19TH-22ND, 2009. IT'S A BREEZE. CAROL THIBERT CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND SUPPORT TO THE 2009 ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES. FEBRUARY 19TH TO 22ND. ON BEHALF OF WILLIAM R. PERSLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, ALBERTA SPORT, RECREATION, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION. WILLIAM R. PERSLEY (WITH SIGNATURE)" BELOW IN BLUE INK: "ALBERTA SPORT, RECREATION, PARKS, & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ALBERTA" BLACK MATTING, WITH BLUE MATTING BEHIND. REVERSE OF SHADOW BOX HAS THREE WHITE STICKERS WITH BLACK INK: FIRST STICKER: "LETHBRIDGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. BACK ROW (L-R) JOHN BOLTON (PROTOCOL/VICE-CHAIR), PAUL STEVENSON (CHAIRMAN), JACK GLEASON (ADMINISTRATION). 4TH ROW (L-R): BERT OLDENBURGER (TRANSPORTATION), DAVID NG (LIAISON NORD-BRIDGE), LINDA POTE (OFFICE MANAGER), JOHN DOAN (ACCOMMODATIONS), BOB SIMONTON (FRIENDS OF THE GAMES). 3RD ROW (L-R): DENNIS KING (FOOD), DIANNE KING (FOOD), CAROL THIBERT (CITY OF LETHBRIDGE), DAVE ADAMS (ACTIVITIES), JOHN WALKEY (REGISTRATION), KERRY MCANDREWS (ASRPWF)." SECOND STICKER: "2ND ROW (L-R): JOYCE GERGELY (FACILITIES), KENDALL GIBSON (PROMOTION), MERRI-ANN FORD (RESULTS), CATHY GLEASON (BOARD SECRETARY), RICK BAER (ACTIVITIES). FRONT ROW (L-R): JIM HAHN (VOLUNTEERS), LEN WHYTE (COMMUNICATIONS), ELISHA RASMUSSEN (PUBLICITY/DECORATING), J. COLLIN BEAZER (GAMES MANAGER), DIANNE SCHEBEL (LIAISON LSCO), JOHN POULSEN (CULTURE). MISSING: GARY KIERNAN (COMMUNICATIONS & SAFETY)" THIRD STICKER: "L.A. GALLERY CUSTOM FRAMING & ART." IT LISTS METHODS OF MOUNTING AND "DRYMOUNTED" IS CHECKED OFF WITH BLUE INK. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STICKER: "W/O# E0087 ASSEMBLED BY RM" EXCELLENT CONDITION. VERY SMALL CHIP IN FRAME ON BOTTOM LEFT CORNER. PAPER BACKING ON BACK OF FRAME, RIGHT SIDE, SLIGHTLY DAMAGED.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

SPORTS

History

THIS COLLECTION OF MEDALS FROM THE 2009 ALBERTA 55 PLUS WINTER GAMES WAS PRESENTED TO CAROL THIBERT FOR HER INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING THE GAMES. IN AN ORAL INTERVIEW, CONDUCTED BY COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN IN OCTOBER 2015, THE DONOR, CAROL THIBERT, EXPLAINED THAT “THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF RECOGNITION TO THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT IS GIVEN AT THESE GAMES. … IN THIS PARTICULAR GAMES, PAUL STEVENSON WAS THE CHAIR OF THE GAMES, COLLIN BEAZER WAS THE GAMES MANAGER AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT HAD DIFFERENT PORTFOLIOS IN THE GAMES. AND IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF THE MEDALS THAT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS AT THE GAMES – GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE. IT WAS SIGNED BY THE ALBERTA SPORT, RECREATION, PARKS AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION WHO ARE THE GOVERNING BODY OF ALBERTA GAMES AND PARTIAL FUNDERS OF THE GAMES.” SHE CONTINUED, SAYING THAT “IT HUNG ON MY WALL ALL THE TIME THAT I WAS WORKING, AS DID SOME OF THE OTHER ONES THAT CAME, AND IT WAS A MEMORY OF THE GAMES. IT CAPTURES THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THESE GAMES HAPPEN. IN THE PICTURE, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THESE GAMES HAPPEN.” CAROL THIBERT BEGAN HER CAREER WITH THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE IN 1991. SHE WORKED FOR 12 MONTHS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, BEFORE MOVING INTO THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT IN 1992. SHE EXPLAINED: “WHEN I STARTED WITH THE CITY, THE REASON I GOT ON WITH THE CITY IS MY AFFILIATION WITH TOURISM. I WAS WORKING AT THE COLLEGE AT THE TIME AND I WAS IN THE TOURIST ACTION COMMITTEE AND WHEN A JOB CAME UP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR A CONVENTION EVENTS ORGANIZER, I APPLIED AND I GOT IT AND THEN THROUGH ATTRITION THAT JOB WAS – WELL, FIRST I WAS BUMPED OUT OF IT AND THEN IT WAS ELIMINATED EVENTUALLY. AND ACTUALLY THROUGH BRIAN BOURASSA AND KATHY HOPKINS THERE WAS A RESTRUCTURE AND THEY MADE SURE THAT THERE WAS A PLACE FOR ME … IN 1990, 1991 … IT WAS A LIAISON POSITION AND FIVE YEARS AGO, IN 2010, I WENT INTO A MANAGEMENT POSITION AT THE CITY WITH REC AND CULTURE, BUT IT WAS STILL IN THE REC AND CULTURE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. AND ALL THROUGH THAT I WAS INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS. WE FORMED A SUPPORT COUNCIL THROUGH MY POSITION – IT WASN’T THERE WHEN WE STARTED – I WAS LIAISON TO ALL THE ALBERTA GAMES THAT WE EVER HAD AND ALL THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES SO THAT WAS A BIG PART OF MY POSITION.” HER ROLE WITH THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE WAS KNOWN AS A LIAISON TO THE COMMUNITY IN SPORTS AND RECREATION AND CULTURE. HER LIAISON POSITION WAS MEANT TO ASSIST SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT LETHBRIDGE. SHE EXPLAINED SAYING: “OUR SERVICE MODEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE FACILITATED THE COMMUNITY. THEY WERE THE LEADERS IN SPORT, THEY KNEW THE BUSINESS, BUT WE FACILITATED FOR THEM, WE HELPED THEM IN ANY WAY THAT THEY COULD. WHEN THIS POSITION WAS CREATED IN 1991 … WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A BETTER SUPPORT TO THEM BECAUSE THERE WAS A PERSON DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE SPORT … IT WASN’T ‘TIL ABOUT 2008 THAT CULTURE WAS ACTUALLY ACTIVELY ADDED TO THIS PORTFOLIO. IT WAS MORE RECREATION, WHICH LOOSELY EMBODIES CULTURE, BUT IN SPORT – THAT WAS MORE OF THE FOCUS.” CULTURE WAS ADDED IN 2008 “BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY REALIZED THAT THE ATTENTION WASN’T BEING PAID TO IT THAT SHOULD BE … WE HAVE THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA ART GALLERY, WE HAVE THE MUSEUM … AND WE HAVE THE ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL. THEY ARE THE BODIES THAT HAVE THE EXPERTS IN THEM THAT PROVIDE THE CULTURE, BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE THAT DEDICATED LIAISON TO THE CITY UNTIL THEN.” THIBERT ENJOYED HER JOB QUITE THOROUGHLY AND RECALLED A FEW OF HER FAVOURITE PARTS: “DEFINITELY THE WORK THAT I DID WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THAT WERE MADE, AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE THAT I CONNECTED WITH FELT LIKE THEY HAD SOMEONE TO CONNECT WITH INSIDE THE CITY. … I REALLY LIKE ALBERTA GAMES, AND THEY TAKE A LOT OF WORK. IT’S A LOT OF WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THAT WAS ALWAYS PART OF MY PORTFOLIO. BEFORE THAT THERE WASN’T A GAME DEDICATED PERSON FOR THE 1985 GAMES. MY FIRST GAMES WERE IN 1996 WITH THE ALBERTA WINTER GAMES AND THEN ON THROUGH WITH 2001, 2009, 2012, AND 2015. AND SO LETHBRIDGE WAS THE FIRST COMMUNITY TO ACTUALLY HOLD ALL THE ALBERTA GAMES, WINTER AND SUMMER, OF ANY ALBERTA COMMUNITIES, SO THAT WAS A FEATHER IN OUR CAP … THE ALBERTA SPORT CONNECTION KNEW THAT THEY COULD COME TO LETHBRIDGE WHEN THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT WAS STEPPING UP [TO HOST] … THEY KNOW THAT LETHBRIDGE HAS BEEN GOOD AT PUTTING ON GAMES AND RISING TO IT WHEN THEY NEEDED TO.” SHE WAS ALSO PROUD TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF THE LETHBRIDGE SPORT COUNCIL, WHICH IS AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION THAT ACTS AS AN ADVOCATE: “THEY ARE AN ADVOCATE FOR SPORT, THEY ARE THE LIAISON TO CITY COUNCIL FOR SPORT. IF THERE’S NEW SPORTS THAT WANT TO START, SAY LIKE CRICKET, THEY GO THROUGH THE SPORT COUNCIL AND THE SPORT COUNCIL HELPS GET THEM THEIR FEET.” SHE DISCUSSED HOW THE LETHBRIDGE SPORTS COUNCIL CAME TO EXIST: “AFTER THE 1996 WINTER GAMES, [GARY BOWIE] SAW A NEED FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO BID FOR HIGH SPORT EVENTS AND WE DIDN’T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO IT. AND SO, THROUGH MY CONNECTION WITH THE 1996 GAMES AND GETTING TO KNOW GARY, HE CAME TO ME, AND WE THROUGH THAT, STARTED THE SPORT COUNCIL, THE LETHBRIDGE SPORT COUNCIL. SO THAT WAS IN THE EARLY 2000S AND CONNECTED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE 1996 GAMES LIKE MEL CLEWES AND CAROL GREMER AND BRENT SEELY – SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAD REALLY BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN THE COMMUNITY – THEY WERE ON THAT SORT OF INITIAL LOOKING INTO HOW A SPORT COUNCIL OR A SPORT BID COMMITTEE MIGHT LOOK. … WE WERE THE FIRST OF THE SMALL COMMUNITIES TO ACTUALLY FORM A SPORT COUNCIL AND IT HAS THRIVED AND DONE VERY WELL. SO WE WERE A LEADER IN THE SMALL COMMUNITIES AND OUR MODEL, I KNOW THAT FORT MCMURRAY AND MEDICINE HAT AND RED DEER HAVE ALL LOOKED AT OUR MODELS.” SHE CONCLUDED, SAYING THAT “LETHBRIDGE IS GOOD AT HOSTING GAMES. OUR BIGGEST OBSTACLE ALWAYS IS TO RAISE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE THESE GAMES ARE PROBABLY A $1,000,000 COST. THERE IS MONEY THAT COMES FROM THE FUNDING FROM THE PROVINCE FOR THESE DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT YOU CAN TAP INTO, BUT WE’RE ALSO TAPPING INTO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT SPONSORS THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS VYING FOR.” THIBERT RETIRED FROM THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE AUGUST 7, 2015. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20150031000

Acquisition Date

2015-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail