Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ALBERTA PROVINCIAL POLICE BUTTON

Date Range From

1919

Date Range To

1932

Materials

METAL

No. Pieces

1

Diameter

2.7

Description

A: SILVER-COLOURED METAL BUTTON. SHIELD OF ALBERTA EMBOSSED ON THE CENTER OF THE BUTTON. “ALBERTA PROVINCIAL POLICE” EMBOSSED AROUND THE CREST. SHINY FINISH. THE BACK OF THE BUTTON IS BRASS IN COLOUR. AROUND THE CENTRE OF THE BACK “W. SCULLY MONTREAL” IS MACHINE ENGRAVED. THERE IS A LOOP FOR A PIN FASTENER LOOSELY ATTACHED TO THE BACK B: TWO-PRONGED BRASS PIN WITH A CIRCULAR LOOP ON ONE END AND THE TWO ENDS ON THE PIN EXTENDING OUT INTO A V-SHAPE ON THE OTHER. PIN IS 3.2 CM IN LENGTH AND AT THE WIDEST POINT THE PRONGS ARE 1.1 CM APART. CONDITION: SLIGHT SCRATCHING ON THE FRONT AND BACK SURFACES OF THE BUTTON. BRASS BACK IS SLIGHTLY TARNISHED. METAL OF PIN IN SLIGHTLY DISCOLOURED.

Subjects

CLOTHING-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

THIS BUTTON BELONGED TO DONOR'S FATHER, EDWARD ETTERSHANK BUCHANAN. ACCORDING TO THE BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY PROVIDED WITH A BUCHANAN A. P. P.-RELATED DONATION MADE BY JEAN I. BUCHANAN IN 2002 (P20020090). IT STATES, "BORN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, WHERE BUCHANAN BEGAN REGULAR SCHOOLING AT THE AGE OF 4, WHICH ENABLED HIM TO COMPLETE HIS HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE HIS PARENTS MOVED THE FAMILY TO CANADA IN MAY 1914. THE FAMILY SETTLED IN EDMONTON, ALBERTA, WHERE EDWARD FOUND A JOB PLUS ENROLLED IN NIGHT CLASSES AT THE EDMONTON TECHNICAL SCHOOL TAKING ENGLISH, CANADIAN HISTORY, TRIGONOMETRY AND MANUAL TRAINING IN WOODWORKING. IN FEBRUARY 1917, THE ALBERTA PROVINCIAL POLICE WAS ORGANIZED. ED JOINED IN MAY OF 1920." AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY GALT’S COLLECTION TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON JUNE 8, 2018 WITH THE DONOR JEAN I. BUCHANAN IN REGARDS TO A NEW ARTIFACT OFFER SHE WAS MAKING TO THE MUSEUM (P20180014001-2). THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING THE CAREER OF SENIOR STAFF SERGEANT EDWARD ETTERSHANK “BUCK” BUCHANAN – THE DONOR’S FATHER – HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW. AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY GALT’S COLLECTION TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ON JUNE 8, 2018 WITH THE DONOR JEAN I. BUCHANAN IN REGARDS TO A NEW ARTIFACT OFFER SHE WAS MAKING TO THE MUSEUM (P20180014001-2). THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING THE CAREER OF SENIOR STAFF SERGEANT EDWARD ETTERSHANK “BUCK” BUCHANAN – THE DONOR’S FATHER – HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW. DESCRIBING HER FATHER’S CAREER, BUCHANAN BEGAN, “[MY DAD] JOINED THE A.P.P. WHEN HE WAS TWENTY AND HE WAS STATIONED OUT NEAR ST. PAUL…AS A ROOKIE – RIGHT AT THE START – HE WAS ON JOB TO BE ON GUARD AT THE STATION. AND IT WASN’T LONG UNTIL HE WAS SENT OUT TO ST. PAUL AND INTO MORE REAL POLICING. WHEN THE CRAZY PROHIBITION WAS BROUGHT IN, THAT WAS A REAL PAIN FOR THE POLICE. IT WAS [A MOVEMENT] PUSHED BY THESE DO-GOODERS, WHO DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT THEY WERE DOING. DAD WAS VERY UPSET TALKING ABOUT THAT. EVEN WHEN HE WAS JUST A YOUNG FELLOW, [HE WAS] FINDING YOUNG, GOOD FARM BOYS BLIND OR DEAD OVER A FENCE, BECAUSE THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE PROHIBITION AND GETTING MOONSHINE THAT WASN’T MATURE OR SOMETHING, [WHICH] WAS POISONOUS.” “IN 1921 HE MET MY MOTHER IN EDMONTON,” BUCHANAN CONTINUED, “BUT HE STAYED AT ST. PAUL. HE THEN GOT POSTED TO GRANDE PRAIRIE AND HE WAS GOING TO GO THERE, BUT THEN IN 1922 THEY GOT MARRIED [SO HE DID NOT GO TO GRAND PRAIRIE] FORTUNATELY, THE A.P.P. HAD NO RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR MEMBERS GETTING MARRIED, LIKE THE R.C.M.P. DID, SO HE DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT TO GET MARRIED. [AFTER MY PARENTS’ MARRIAGE] THEY WENT OUT TO BRAINARD, WHERE HE WAS ON HIS OWN [AT THE POSTING]. FROM THERE, HE DID A LOT OF WORK GOING BACK AND FORTH.” “BRAINARD [WAS] A LITTLE PLACE NEAR THE HORSE LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION… THEY BUILT DAD A LOG CABIN DOWN THERE FOR THE HOUSE WITH HIS NEW WIFE AND [SOON AFTER THEY WERE] EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD. [THE CABIN HAD] ONE BIG ROOM WITH CURTAINS HERE AND THERE, AND HE DIDN’T HAVE A PRISON THERE. WHEN HE TOOK IN A PRISONER, THAT’S WHEN HE NEEDED THE OREGON BOOT AND THE BALL AND CHAIN BECAUSE HE HAD A BIG BOLT ON THE FLOOR NEAR HIS OFFICE. THAT’S WHERE THE GUY HAD TO SIT, CHAINED, UNTIL [MY FATHER] COULD TAKE HIM ON INTO EDMONTON…EVEN IN THE A.P.P. TO START WITH, HE HAD SOME SERVICE DOWN HERE AT THE LETHBRIDGE PRISON. [HE WOULD BE] BRINGING PRISONERS DOWN [TO LETHBRIDGE],” BUCHANAN EXPLAINED EXPANDING ON HOW HER FATHER’S WORK TOOK HIM “BACK AND FORTH.” “THEN THEY CLOSED THAT [BRAINAR POST] DOWN AND TRANSFERRED HIM TO WEMBLEY – A LITTLE VILLAGE – AND HE WAS THE ONLY OFFICER IN CHARGE OF WEMBLEY. [HE WAS THERE] WHEN 1932 CAME ALONG AND THEN HE JUST CHANGED THE SIGN UP THERE FROM A.P.P. TO R.C.M.P… AND THAT STAYED R.C.M.P. UNTIL ’34. [FROM THERE] HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE WESTLOCK DETACHMENT, WHICH WAS A BIG AREA. HE HAD A HUGE AREA THERE TO [COVER]. AND THERE AGAIN, WE HAD A NICE, BIG WHITE HOUSE AND A JAIL THIS TIME… THE JAIL OFFICE AND THE COURTROOM AND EVERYTHING WAS CONNECTED [TO THE HOUSE]. YOU JUST GO DOWN THE HALL AND OPEN THE DOOR AND THERE YOU GO, AND THERE’S TWO JAILS IN THERE. [THERE] HE WAS GETTING ROOKIES COMING OUT FROM EDMONTON TO TRAIN UNDER HIM… [I WAS BORN IN] ’30 [AND] NOW IN ’34, I REMEMBER GOING THERE [TO WESTLOCK].” SPEAKING ABOUT THE DISSOLUTION OF THE A. P. P. IN 1932 AND THE ABSORPTION OF SOME OF ITS MEMBERS INTO THE R. C. M P., BUCHANAN EXPLAINED, “[A. P. P. OFFICERS] WERE NOT AUTOMATICALLY TAKEN INTO THE R.C.M.P. THEY [WERE RANKED] INTO THREE CATEGORIES. [FIRST, THERE WERE THE] ONES THAT WERE NOT ACCEPTABLE; THEY HADN’T DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN THE A.P.P. THEY SHOWED UP, GOOFIN’ AROUND, DOING THINGS THEY SHOULDN’T BE DOING. THEN THERE WERE THE ONES THAT COULD BE GIVEN A LITTLE TRIAL RUN. THEY COULD APPLY [INTO THE FORCE FOR THE TRIAL PERIOD]. THEY COULD [BE ACCEPTED] FOR A FULL YEAR AND THEN RE-APPLY AGAIN [FOR FULL-TIME]. THEN THERE’S THE TOP GRADE, [WHO] WERE AUTOMATICALLY ACCEPTABLE. DAD WAS RIGHT UP THERE IN THAT TOP GRADE…IT IS IMPORTANT [TO REMEMBER], THOSE A.P.P. MEMBERS WERE TRAINED BY THE NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, NOT SOME GOOFBALLS THAT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THEY WERE TRAINED BY THE BEST-TRAINED POLICE OFFICERS.” WHEN ANSWERING HOW HER FATHER ENDED UP WORKING IN LETHBRIDGE, BUCHANAN SAID, “[AFTER THE DISSOLUTION OF THE A. P. P.], ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER [OF THE R. C. M. P.] HANCOCK (WILLIAM FREDERICK WATKINS “BILL” HANCOCK) KNEW DAD REALLY WELL. [PREVIOUSLY, HANCOCK] WAS THE [ACTING COMMISSIONER] FOR THE ALBERTA [PROVINCIAL POLICE]. [HANCOCK] CALLED DAD INTO THE OFFICE AND HE SAID, ‘BUCK – DAD WAS EDWARD ETTERSHANK BUCHANAN, BUT THEY CALLED HIM ‘BUCK’A LOT – I WAS GOING TO SEND YOU DOWN TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE RED DEER DETACHMENT, BUT I’VE HAD SO MUCH PROBLEM GETTING SOMEBODY TO GO DOWN TO TAKE THE LETHBRIDGE DETACHMENT. YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HANDLE THE SITUATION WE’VE GOT DOWN THERE. THERE’S A LOT OF PROBLEMS AND I’M SURE YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HANDLE IT. WILL YOU GO?’” AS A RESULT, EDWARD BUCHANAN WAS RELOCATED TO THE R. C. M. P.’S LETHBRIDGE DETACHMENT IN 1944. JEAN BUCHANAN CONTINUED, “DAD’S PERSONALITY WAS ALWAYS QUIET, FIRM, NO-NONSENSE, BUT HE WAS NEVER ARROGANT. I NEVER HEARD HIM SWEAR OR GET MAD AT ANYBODY, NOT EVEN PRISONERS. HE HANDLED THEM VERY QUIETLY, VERY FIRMLY. AND THE STAFF [IN LETHBRIDGE] ENDED UP LOVING HIM. THE SECRETARIES AND EVERYTHING, THEY WERE CRYING WHEN HE LEFT. AND I GOT LETTERS AND THEY CAME ALL THE WAY UP TO THEIR ANNIVERSARIES LATER IN EDMONTON… BUT [IN TERMS OF] THE SITUATION [WHICH ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER HANCOCK WAS REFERRING TO], NO, HE WAS FINE. HE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE. HE JUST FIRMLY, QUIETLY DEALT WITH EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I NEVER SAW HIM STRESSED OUT. ALWAYS COOL, LAID BACK.” “[WHEN WE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE], WE RENTED A HOUSE ON 538 – 7TH STREET SOUTH. IT’S ALL TORN DOWN NOW. BUT WE HAD [SOME] TROUBLE BECAUSE DAD HAD TO COME DOWN A MONTH OR SO AHEAD OF US. HE COULDN’T FIND A HOUSE [THAT WAS] READY, SO WHEN WE CAME DOWN [WE] STAYED IN A HOTEL FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS. AND THEN I HAD TO START GRADE TEN; I WAS ONLY FOURTEEN. THAT WAS, TO ME, THE ONLY SAD PART OF MY LIFE – LEAVING THE WESTLOCK SCHOOL AND STARTING LCI. THE PERSONALIZATION WAS GONE WITH THE TEACHERS. ANYWAY, I GOT THROUGH GRADE TWELVE AND THAT’S ALRIGHT.” “[ANOTHER THING HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HERE IN LETHBRIDGE] WAS TO OVERSEE THE PRISONER OF WAR (POW) CAMPS…HE TALKED ABOUT THE POWS IN THE RESPECT THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF VERY GOOD GERMANS THAT WERE IN THERE. THEY WOULDN’T HAVE CHOSEN TO EVEN BE IN THE GERMAN ARMY, BUT THEY WERE CONSCRIPTED OVER IN GERMANY. THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY CHOICE, AND THEY WERE VERY DECENT, GOOD GUYS. [MY DAD] RESPECTED THEM FOR THAT… AND THEN THERE WAS A TRUST THERE TO LET SOME OF THEM OUT TO WORK ON THE [FARMS], BECAUSE THERE WAS A LABOUR SHORTAGE FOR THE FARMERS… BUT, OF COURSE, I KNEW ABOUT THE CRUELTY OF SOME OF THE HARD-CORE NAZIS THAT WERE IN THERE. THE TROUBLE WAS THERE WASN’T ENOUGH FORCE POLICE TO GO IN THERE SAFELY. THEY COULDN’T EVEN GET IN THE POW CAMP AND THE CIVIL GUARDS WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT WERE AVAILABLE, BUT THEY DIDN’T EVEN DARE GO IN HALF THE TIME. IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING. THERE WERE SOME GUYS IN THERE THAT WERE REALLY, REALLY MEAN…” “AND OH YES, A FEW [MEN DID TRY TO ESCAPE THE CAMP],” BUCHANAN CONTINUED, “BUT THEY DIDN’T GET VERY FAR. THEY NEVER GOT AWAY. I’VE GOT RECORDS OF ONES THAT WERE CAUGHT. THEY STOLE SOMEBODY’S CAR. SOME OF THEM GOT A REGULAR SENTENCE FOR BREAKING ONE OF OUR LAWS.” BUCHANAN CONFIRMS THAT HER FATHER RETIRED FROM THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE IN 1950 WHILE IN LETHBRIDGE. AFTER RETIREMENT, SHE EXPLAINED, “[HE] WENT BACK TO EDMONTON, HIS HOME CITY WHERE HIS PARENTS WERE AND A LOT OF FRIENDS… BUT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DEPARTMENT WERE NOT GOING TO LET HIM LOOSE WITH HIS RECORD, SO THEY MADE IT A FIRST APPOINTMENT OF AN INSPECTOR OF JAILS FOR THE PRISONS OF ALBERTA…HE THEN WORKED ON THAT FOR FIFTEEN OR SIXTEEN YEARS. AFTER TWELVE YEARS, THEY MADE HIM SUPERINTENDENT OF PRISONS…” EDWARD BUCHANAN “SORT OF” RETIRED FROM THAT ROLE IN THE 1970S, HIS DAUGHTER EXPLAINED. HE CONTINUED WORKING IN SOME CAPACITIES UNTIL HIS PASSING IN 1998. “[I RECEIVED MY DAD’S R. C. M. P. POSSESSIONS, BECAUSE HE] KNEW I WOULD LOOK AFTER IT AND WANTED TO GET IT TO A MUSEUM… HE LIVED TO BE NINETY-EIGHT AND I DON’T THINK HE EVER THREW ANYTHING OUT SINCE HE WAS IN HIS TWENTIES.” ACCORDING TO EDWARD E. “BUCK” BUCHANAN’S OBITUARY, HE PASSED AWAY IN IN EDMONTON IN 1998. HIS WIFE’S NAME WAS CHRISTENE BUCHANAN AND TOGETHER THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN – EDWARD, ROBERT, JEAN, WILLIAM, AND ROSE-MARIE. THE OBITUARY STATES HE SERVED 31 YEARS IN THE R.C.M.P, AND 15 YEARS AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR ALBERTA. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION.

Catalogue Number

P20180014002

Acquisition Date

2018-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail