Material Type

Artifact

Date

2016

Materials

COTTON, PAINT, POLYESTER

No. Pieces

1

Length

30.4

Width

32.3

Description

PADDED RIBBON EMBLEM, PAINTED BLUE WITH TWO BLUE SHOELACES EXTENDING FROM THE SIDE. CUT, SHAPED, AND PAINTED WITH THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE SEAL; SEAL DEPICTS A GOLD AND BLACK CROWN AT THE TOP, A GOLD CIRCLE WITH A BLACK RING INSIDE AND WHITE TEXT “CITY OF LETHBRIDGE, 1890-1986”, INSIDE OF CIRCLE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS, TOP SECTION HAS WHITE BACKGROUND WITH BLACK TRAIN, LOWER LEFT SECTION HAS BLACK BACKGROUND WITH YELLOW GRAIN BUNDLE, LOWER RIGHT SECTION HAS GOLD BACKGROUND WITH A WHITE ARM HOLDING A BLACK PICK-AX. BELOW CIRCLE HAS GOLD FIELD, BLACK ROAD, AND BLACK MOUNTAINS WITH WHITE PEAKS. BELOW IMAGE IS BLACK BANNER WITH WHITE TEXT, “AD OCCASIONIS JANUAM”. FRONT HAS BLACK TEXT AT LOWER RIGHT EDGE, “ATB CENTRE 16.9.16”. BACK HAS THE SAME DESIGN AS THE FRONT; BASE IS STITCHED TOGETHER. PAINT IS SCUFFED AND WORN; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

LEISURE

History

ON AUGUST 2, 2018, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED LORI HARASEM REGARDING THE DONATION OF A RIBBON FROM THE OPENING OF THE LETHBRIDGE ATB CENTER. THE RIBBON, DESIGNED AS THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE CREST, WAS ATTACHED WITH OTHER SYMBOLS TO A LONGER RIBBON TO BE CUT DURING THE CEREMONY. ON THE RIBBON CREST, HARASEM RECALLED, “I DO RECOGNIZE THE RIBBON. THE RIBBON IS THE CITY CREST, AND IT IS MADE, ALMOST LIKE A PILLOW. IT’S DEFINITELY GOT SOME FABRIC IN IT, AND IT’S GOT THE WORDS ADDED TO THE BOTTOM—ATB CENTER—AND THE DATE THAT THIS RIBBON WAS ACTUALLY CUT, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2016.” “BECAUSE I PLANNED THE GRAND OPENING OF ATB CENTER, PHASE ONE, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS THE CROSSINGS LEISURE COMPLEX, UNTIL ATB CENTER STEPPED UP WITH THE ‘NAMING RIGHTS’ FOR THE FACILITY, AND WE DECIDED, INSTEAD OF CUTTING A RED RIBBON (BECAUSE THAT IS SO TRADITIONAL, AND BORING), ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES, JILLIAN BRACKEN…SHE IS OUR ARTS LIAISON IN THE REC AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, HERE AT THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE, AND LIAISES WITH ALL OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY…SHE HAD THE BRILLIANT IDEA, ‘WHY DON’T WE, INSTEAD OF DOING A RED RIBBON, ASK AN ARTIST TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CUT ON THE GRAND OPENING DAY?’…SHE WORKED WITH A LOCAL ARTIST, AMY DODIC, AND THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA THAT THE RIBBON WOULD ACTUALLY BE THESE PILLOWY SORT OF PIECES, ALL STRUNG TOGETHER, AND EACH ONE WOULD REPRESENT ONE OF THE SPORTS, OR ONE OF THE TENANTS THAT WOULD BE IN THAT BUILDING. AND, AS THEY CUT THE ROPE THAT TIED THEM ALL TOGETHER, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY KEEP THE ONE THAT REPRESENTED THEIR ORGANIZATION.” “[AMY DODIC] WAS JUST SELECTED BY JILLIAN. IT WAS SOMEBODY SHE HAPPENED TO TALK TO ABOUT IT. WE HAD A FAIRLY SMALL BUDGET, SO IT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE TENDERED, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND, THE IDEA FOR THE RIBBON COMPLETELY CAME FROM AMY DODIC, AND THEN JILLIAN PRESENTED IT TO OUR GRAND OPENING PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A REALLY FUN WAY, AND IT CREATED A KEEPSAKE FOR ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AS PART OF THE DAY. SO, EACH OF THESE PIECES HAD THE ATB CENTER, AND THE DATE ON IT FOR THEM TO DISPLAY, BUT THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE DECIDED, INSTEAD OF DISPLAYING OURS, THAT WE SHOULD DONATE IT TO THE MUSEUM.” “THERE WAS THE CITY’S [CREST AS ONE OF THE RIBBON PIECES]. ATB FINANCIAL GOT ONE. LETHBRIDGE MINOR HOCKEY, AS A TENANT IN THE BUILDING, GOT ONE. LETHBRIDGE SKATING CLUB, OR LETHBRIDGE FIGURE SKATING CLUB…GOT ONE, AND LETHBRIDGE CURLING CLUB GOT ONE, AND THE PROVINCE GOT ONE.” “WE ALSO HIRED, AT THE GRAND OPENING…SOME MUSICIANS TO BE PLAYING BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE OFFICIAL CEREMONY, SO AS ALL THE DIGNITARIES ARRIVED, AND PEOPLE WERE STANDING AROUND…I THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE, SINCE WE’VE HAD JILLIAN IN THIS ROLE, SHE’S ONLY BEEN HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND SHE HAS SUCH A CONNECTION TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY, AND REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ARTS MORE UTILIZED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, SO SHE’S VERY GOOD AT BRINGING UP WITH US, ‘IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO USE THE ARTS, OR TO BRING IN THE ARTS?’…I DON’T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, SO I’M LIKE, ‘TELL ME HOW?’…THIS, TO ME, HAS BEEN REALLY FUN. AND WE WILL, FOR THE PHASE TWO, GRAND OPENING NEXT YEAR, WE’LL BE DOING SOMETHING, PUBLIC ART. WE KIND OF CONSIDER THIS A BIT OF A PUBLIC ART THING ALMOST, FOR A RIBBON, INSTEAD OF JUST THE RED RIBBON.” “I OVERSAW THE GRAND OPENING [WEEKEND]…THE FIRST DAY WAS THE OFFICIAL RIBBON-CUTTING. AND THEN, WE HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS OF PROGRAMMING, AND A LOT OF FREE STUFF IN THE BUILDING…THAT WAS JUST PART OF MY JOB.” “THIS [OPENING AND PART OF THE ATB CENTER] WAS ONLY PHASE ONE. WE ARE CURRENTLY GETTING READY TO OPEN PHASE TWO IN THE SPRING OF 2019, BUT, WHEN ABSOLUTELY ALL OF IT IS COMPLETED, IT WILL BE THE LARGEST BUILDING/FACILITY THAT WE HAVE BUILT, IN TERMS OF COST, IN THE CITY. IT’S BEEN ON THE BOOKS (IN SOME KIND OF IDEA, OR WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM) SINCE THE 1960S…IN THAT AREA OF THE CITY, THAT THERE WOULD BE A MAJOR RECREATIONAL FACILITY. AND, WE’VE GOT, LIKE A SLEDGE-HOCKEY READY ARENA FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE’VE NEVER HAD SOMETHING THAT SLEDGE-HOCKEY COULD EASILY PLAY ON, OR GET ONTO, SO IT’S DEALING WITH A LOT OF THE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES THAT WAY. THE CURLING CLUB GOT TO MOVE OUT OF A VERY OLD BUILDING INTO A BRAND-NEW, BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. IT’S JUST OFFERING A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES, AND IT’S BECOME THE PREMIERE ICE EVENT CENTER FOR TOURNAMENTS, FOR RINGETTE HOCKEY, FIGURE SKATING…” “[THE DECISION TO DONATE THE RIBBON] WAS PRETTY EASY, BECAUSE, TO ME, [THE ATB CENTER] IS SO SIGNIFICANT TO OUR DEPARTMENT. WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE 2011, MAKING IT REAL, BUT I THINK, ALSO, FOR THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS SO SIGNIFICANT. WE JUST HAD THE CITY OF RED DEER HERE YESTERDAY, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THIS BUILDING, AND THEY SAID IT’S UNBELIEVABLE WHAT WE ARE BUILDING, AND THEY ARE VERY JEALOUS. I FEEL LIKE, LOOKING AT HOW OLD OUR OTHER POOLS ARE, AND OUR OTHER ARENAS ARE…WE DON’T BUILD THIS KIND OF THING EVER, BUT IT TYPICALLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO RARE THAT IT’S EXCITING TO BE A PART OF IT, AND I PROBABLY WON’T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN IN MY CAREER. BUT, TO ME IT’S SOMETHING THAT I’D LOVE PEOPLE TO LOOK BACK ON AND ALSO I JUST THINK BECAUSE IT’S FUN AND UNIQUE, COMPARED TO JUST THE TYPICAL RED RIBBON…TO KNOW, THAT TODAY THIS BUILDING, TO US IS, IT’S SO IMPORTANT, AND WE’VE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE INVEST SO MUCH TIME INTO IT, BUT I THINK THAT IT’S GOING TO BE AMAZING FOR THE COMMUNITY.” “THE DAY, FOR ME, IT WAS VERY BUSY BECAUSE I WAS ORGANIZING EVERYTHING—BUT, THE DAY ITSELF—WE HAD ALL THE REGULAR DIGNITARIES, AND…WE HAD MUSICIANS PLAYING. WE INVITED ALL OF THE MASCOTS FROM AROUND TOWN THAT WANTED TO ATTEND AS WELL, BECAUSE THE CURLING CLUB HAD A MASCOT…WE HAD A FEW MASCOTS THERE. WE HAD ACTUALLY QUITE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS A BIT ODD FOR A FACILITY RIBBON-CUTTING, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T TEND TO ATTEND THOSE. THEY DON’T CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THAT. BUT, WE HAD THE REGULAR CEREMONY…I REMEMBER IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY…WE WERE TRYING TO GET THROUGH, I THINK, FAIRLY QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY, AND THEN, ONCE IT WAS DONE, INSIDE THE BUILDING WE HAD BOOTHS ALL WEEKEND, AND THEY WERE PROMOTING ALL OF THE GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE USING THE FACILITY—EVERYTHING FROM SLEDGE HOCKEY TO RINGETTE, FIGURE SKATING, CURLING—AND, THEN, ALL WEEKEND LONG, FROM THE TIME THE RIBBON WAS CUT, WE HAD ‘TRY AT CURLING’, ‘TRY AT FIGURE SKATING’…ONE OF THE FUN THINGS THAT WE DID…IT STARTED WITH ONE OF THE CLUBS, THE CURLING CLUB SAYING, ‘WE WANT TO HAVE A ‘CLOSEST TO THE PIN’ CONTEST, WITH SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AND WHOEVER WINS CAN DRAW A NAME FROM A HAT, (FROM OUR JUNIOR PROGRAM, OR WHATEVER), AND THAT PERSON WILL WIN A FREE SEASON OF CURLING.’…I GOT TO PUT OUT THERE TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL LIKE, ‘WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS?’ SO, ONE OF THE DAYS, WE HAD A ‘CLOSEST TO THE PIN’ CONTEST, AT LETHBRIDGE CURLING CLUB. THEN, ONE OF THE DAYS, AT MINOR HOCKEY, IN THE INTERMISSION OF ONE OF THE GAMES (BECAUSE THERE WAS A BIT OF A TOURNAMENT GOING ON, ON ONE OF THE RINKS, THAT WEEKEND), TWO OF THE CITY COUNCILORS HAD A SHOOT-OUT, AT THE NET, AND THAT WAS FOR A FREE REGISTRATION FOR MINOR HOCKEY FOR THE SEASON. MINOR HOCKEY ACTUALLY LET BOTH OF THEM DRAW A NAME, BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO PICK A WINNER, THOUGH THERE WAS A CLEAR WINNER…THE BEST ONE OF ALL WAS LETHBRIDGE FIGURE SKATING—OR LETHBRIDGE SKATING CLUB…THE MAYOR AND TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE WILLING TO SPEND TEN MINUTES OR SO, LEARNING A FIGURE SKATING ROUTINE, WITH THE FIGURE SKATERS. THEY GOT TO EVEN WEAR THE LITTLE COSTUMES, AND THEY THEN PERFORMED WITH THE SKATING CLUBS, AND WE HAD ALL THE MEDIA OUT THERE SHOWING THEM LEARNING HOW TO DO…WHATEVER THE MOVES WERE CALLED.” “I GOT TO SIT AND WATCH THOSE THINGS. IT WAS REALLY FUN, AND WE JUST TRIED TO HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY COME IN. THE CURLING CLUB RUNS A LOUNGE AND A CONCESSION…HAVE SOME SPECIALS THERE, SO PEOPLE COME TO EAT. AND, THEN, THE YMCA HAD, OUTSIDE, ON THE WEEKEND, THEY RAN LIKE A BOUNCY CASTLES, AND FACE-PAINTING—A LITTLE BIT OF A FAMILY FESTIVAL, SO THAT FAMILIES WOULD STOP BY AS WELL, AND LOOK AROUND.” FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES ON THE OPENING OF THE ATB CENTER, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20180019000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20180019000

Acquisition Date

2018-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail