Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

LETHBRIDGE HANDI-BUS DRIVER'S WINTER COAT

Date Range From

1975

Date Range To

2007

Materials

NYLON, POLYESTER, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

2

Length

78.5

Width

77

Description

A: DARK GREY WINTER JACKET. EMBROIDERED “LHB” LOGO ON THE PROPER LEFT SIDE OF THE CHEST (MAROON INVERTED TRIANGLE WITH LETTERS AND HANDICAP SYMBOL IN WHITE). THE JACKET HAS A HIGH COLLAR AND A GREY, PLASTIC ZIPPER DOWN THE FRONT. THERE ARE 5 METAL SNAP FASTENERS TO CLOSE THE JACKET IN ADDITION TO THE ZIPPER. THERE IS A POCKET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CHEST, BOTH WITH VELCRO-ED FLAPS. THERE IS REFLECTIVE MATERIAL ATTACHED TO THESE POCKETS. THERE ARE TWO POCKETS AT THE LOWER SIDES OF THE JACKET WITH ZIPPERS TO CLOSE. THERE ARE TWO STUDS FROM SNAP FASTENERS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE JACKET (FRONT, LOWER LEFT SIDE). THERE IS ELASTIC AROUND THE BOTTOM HEM AND VELCRO AROUND THE CUFFS OF THE SLEEVES. A 20 CM REFLECTIVE STRIPE IS ATTACHED TO THE CENTER BACK OF THE JACKET. THE SLEEVES ARE 58 CM LONG. THE TAG AT THE BACK COLLAR READS "MARK'S 3XL" AND "MADE IN KOREA". B: A REMOVABLE BLACK FLEECE LINING IS ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE JACKET WITH A ZIPPER. THE FLEECE LINING HAS AN LHB LOGO IDENTICAL TO THE JACKET'S ON THE PROPER LEFT SIDE OF THE CHEST. THE INSIDE TAG READS “MARK’S… 3XL”. GOOD CONDITION. THE COLOUR OF THE GREY IS FADING OVERALL. THE FLEECE ON THE INSIDE IS BALLING. THERE ARE LOOSE THREADS AT VARIOUS PLACES OF THE JACKET. THE LOGO IS DIRTY/DISCOLOURED. THE VELCRO IS SLIGHTLY DIRTY. THE LEFT CHEST POCKET IS WRINKLED/MISSHAPED AND STICKING TO THE VELCRO. THERE IS A WHITE NEAR THE ZIPPER ON THE UPPER, LEFT SIDE OF THE JACKET.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

TRANSPORTATION

History

THE LETHBRIDGE HANDI-BUS ASSOCIATION WAS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT BEGAN IN 1975 WHEN THE KIWANIS CLUB DONATED THE FIRST VAN. ON AUGUST 1, 2007 – AFTER 32 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY – THE LETHBRIDGE HANDI-BUS ASSOCIATION WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. AT THAT POINT, THE ASSOCIATION HAD A FLEET OF 20 BUSES – MANY OF WHICH WERE DONATED BY LOCAL SERVICE CLUBS – THAT WERE ALL TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY. THE NAME OF THE SERVICE BECAME ACCESS-A-RIDE UNDER THE CITY’S MANAGEMENT. THESE ARTIFACTS WERE DONATED BY A LETHBRIDGE HANDI-BUS ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBER, LYNN SPRING. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON APRIL 12, 2016 WITH SPRING. HE EXPLAINS, “I WAS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE HANDI BUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR HALF A DOZEN YEARS AT LEAST AND SOME OF THESE ITEMS WERE GIVEN TO ME BY THE DRIVERS. THE LETHBRIDGE HANDI BUS STARTED IN 1975 AND ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, LETHBRIDGE HANDI BUS STOPPED THEIR CHARTER AS A NOT- FOR -PROFIT ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF THE NATIONAL RULING IN TRANSPORTATION THAT MUNICIPALITIES WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCESSIBILITY RIDES, HANDICAP TRANSPORTATION. SO THE CITY TOOK OVER ALL OF THE BUSES, THEY PURCHASED THEM AND MOST OF THE DRIVERS WENT OVER TO THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE BECAUSE WE HAD, I BELIEVE, TWENTY-SIX AT THAT TIME AND YOU JUST DON’T JUST DON’T FIND TWENTY-SIX DRIVERS. THAT WAS PART OF THE AGREEMENT ON SALE THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THE BUSES. WE TOOK OUR PLATES OFF AND THE NEXT DAY CITY PUT THEIR PLATES ON AND THEIR INSURANCE. THE DRIVERS WENT OVER EVENTUALLY. THEY WERE WEARING THE CITY TRANSIT, LETHBRIDGE CITY TRANSIT UNIFORMS.” OF HIS TIME AS A BOARD MEMBER, SPRING SAID, “I CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN [2005]… THE MANAGER OF THE DAY, MURRAY CAMPBELL, WAS A LONGTIME FRIEND OF MINE AND HE ASKED ME [TO BE ON THE BOARD], AND I THOUGHT WELL IT IS A VERY WORTHWHILE ORGANIZATION. IT WAS A NOT-FOR -PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND DIDN’T INVOLVE A LOT OF HOURS.” SPRING WAS ON THE BOARD UNTIL 2011. SPRING REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS “A COLLECTOR AT HEART” AND AS A RESULT GATHERED THE DONATED ARTIFACTS DURING THE LAST DAYS OF THE LETHBRIDGE HANDI-BUS ASSOCIATION IN 2011. THEY WERE IN HIS POSSESSION FOR 5 TO 7 YEARS. HE EXPLAINS, “WELL I WAS ONE OF THREE THAT CLOSED DOWN AND CLOSED OUT HANDI BUS. WE HAD TO FILE WITH TAX CANADA AND OF COURSE, WORKERS COMP AND ALL THOSE THINGS SO FINALLY WE’RE AT THAT STAGE WHERE WE CAN GET RID OF A LOT OF THE PAPER RECORDS. IT PROMPTED THAT I SHOULD MAYBE DONATE THESE TO THE GALT MUSEUM FOR PROSPERITY… [T]HAT’S JUST MY NATURE, I GUESS, TO RETAIN THINGS AND SAY ‘WELL SOMEBODY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS IN A FUTURE DATE.’” THE WINTER JACKET WAS WORN BY A DRIVER NAMED WAYNE HALES WHO WAS ONE OF THE LHB EMPLOYEES WHO TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY WHEN THE ORGANIZATION WAS TAKEN OVER. WHEN SPRING WAS GATHERING ITEMS RELATED TO THE ASSOCIATION HE REACHED OUT TO HALES: “I SPOKE WITH WAYNE HALES, AND SAID I HAD SOME OTHER THINGS DID HE HAVE ANYTHING? AND HE SAID, ‘OH, I THINK I’VE GOT A COAT IN THE CLOSET’, SO HE DUG IT OUT AND I ADDED IT TO THESE OTHER ITEMS.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES.

Catalogue Number

P20160009004

Acquisition Date

2016-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail