Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OLYMPIC TORCH RUNNER RELAY UNIFORM

Date

1988

Materials

FABRIC, PLASTIC, METAL

No. Pieces

2

Length

69.5

Width

153

Description

A. JACKET. L: 69.5 CM W: 153 CM RED AND WHITE TRACKSUIT JACKET. WHITE ON BACK, INSIDE, AND ACROSS THE CHEST, THE REMAINDER IS RED. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CHEST IS THE TORCH RELAY LOGO, A STYLIZED TORCH WITH A MAPLE LEAF SILHOUETTE, GREEN, YELLOW, RED, AND BLUE, AND THE CALGARY WINTER OLYMPIC LOGO, A RED STYLIZED SNOWFLAKE OVER THE OLYMPIC RINGS. THE BACK OF THE JACKET HAS LARGER VERSIONS OF THESE LOGOS, WITH BLACK TEXT ABOVE, “CANADA”, AND BELOW, “CALGARY ‘88”. PINS ARE ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE LARGE FOLDED OVER COLLAR. THE LEFT COLLAR CONTAINS THREE PINS; ALBERTA FLAG READING “ALBERTA” ABOVE, WHITE OVAL WITH MAPLE LEAF AND OLYMPIC RINGS BELOW, AND A WHITE TORCH IN FLAMES, WITH CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO BESIDE IT, READING “CALGARY ‘88” BELOW. THE RIGHT COLLAR HAS A PINK RIBBON ATTACHED WITH A STICKER PINNED OVERTOP OF IT. STICKER IS A PICTURE OF HIDY AND HOWDY AND THE CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO. STICKER READS, “HIDY / HOWDY / OFFICIAL MASCOTS/MASCOTTES OFFICIELLES / CALGARY ’88 FED. 13-28, 1988 DU 13 AU 28 FEV. 1988” SIX PINS ATTACHED TO RIBBON, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM; TORCH RELAY LOGO NEXT TO CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO, GOLD CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO WITH OLYMPIC COLOURS BENEATH, WHITE TORCH IN FLAMES WITH CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO BESIDE IT AND READING “CALGARY ‘88” BELOW, HOWDY WAVING A WHITE FLAG WITH CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO ON IT, HIDY ON RED PIN BESIDE CALGARY OLYMPIC LOGO, AND GOLD MEDAL ON OLYMPIC COLOURED RIBBON SHOWING A TORCH HELD ALOFT AND READING ON THE EDGE OF THE MEDAL, “XV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES CALGARY 1988”. THE WHITE AND SILVER TAG INSIDE OF SHOULDER BLADES READS “SUN ICE MADE IN CANADA”. VG. SCRATCHES ON METAL ZIPPERS, CHIPPING RED COLOUR OFF. BLUE INK STAIN, 2.8 BY 1.5 CM AT BOTTOM CORNER OF PINK RIBBON. THE END OF THE RIBBON IS FRAYED. LOOSE STITCH ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER OF THE TAG. B. PANTS. L: 115.4 CM W: 62 CM RED TRACK PANTS, WATERPROOFED, WITH ELASTIC WAIST AND LEG CUFFS. SILVER STRIP DOWN EACH SIDE. BLACK AND SILVER TAG INSIDE OF WAIST READS, “SUN ICE MADE IN CANADA”. EX. NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SPORTS

COMMEMORATIVE

History

ON OCTOBER 21, 2020, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED DAVID GASKARTH REGARDING THE DONATION OF HIS WIFE’S, DAYLE GASKARTH, 1988 WINTER OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER UNIFORM. FOR THE 1988 WINTER OLYMPICS, HOSTED IN CALGARY, CANADA, PETRO-CANADA SPONSORED THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY. THE RESULT WAS THE THEN LONGEST TORCH RELAY IN HISTORY, LASTING 88 DAYS AND COVERING 18,000 KM, BY SNOWMOBILE, DOGSLED, AIRCRAFT, FERRY AND ALMOST 7,000 RUNNERS. “TORCHES AND TORCH RELAYS OF THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES FROM OSLO 1952 TO PYEONGCHANG 2018” PUBLISHED BY THE OLYMPIC GAMES, STATES, “THE TORCHBEARER SELECTION PROCESS WAS THE BIGGEST COMPETITION OF ITS KIND EVER ORGANISED IN CANADA. OUT OF ROUGHLY 10 MILLION APPLICATION FORMS DISTRIBUTED, ALMOST SEVEN MILLION WERE RETURNED. A FIRST GROUP OF TORCHBEARERS WAS CREATED BY DRAWING LOTS. THE PEOPLE SELECTED WERE AGED BETWEEN 4 AND 100, AND CAME FROM ALL KINDS OF BACKGROUNDS. A SECOND GROUP OF 300 TORCHBEARERS WAS CREATED BY SPECIAL SELECTION, AND WAS COMPOSED OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FIRST NATIONS REPRESENTATIVES, ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS.” ON HOW HIS WIFE BECAME A TORCHBEARER, DAVID RECALLS, “SHE WAS VERY OBSESSED WHEN DETAILS OF THE TORCH RELAY FIRST CAME OUT IN 1985 THAT SHE WOULD BE A TORCH BEARER. SHE TOLD ME ONE TIME THAT FAILING TO BE A TORCH BEARER WAS NOT AN OPTION. SHE REALLY WANTED TO DO IT AND SHE PUT HER HEART AND SOUL INTO IT….” “WHEN YOU GOT GAS AT THE PETRO-CANADA STATIONS, THEY GAVE YOU A FORM TO FILL OUT. IT WAS LIKE A REGISTRATION FORM. IF YOU GOT 25 LITERS OF GAS, THEY GAVE YOU 5 OF THEM, AND YOU COULD COLLECT AS MANY AS YOU WANTED TO, AND [CONTESTANTS WOULD] SEND THEM IN. WELL, I WORKED FOR R. ANGUS (CATERPILLAR DEALER) AT THE TIME. I WAS ON THE ROAD, SO I GOT GAS EVERY DAY, SO, EVERYWHERE I WENT, I’D COME HOME WITH THESE – 5 OR 10 OF THESE THINGS – AND WE’D ALL GET TOGETHER AFTER SUPPER, AND FILL THEM OUT, AND SHE’D HANG ONTO THEM…I HAPPENED TO RUN INTO THIS ONE PLACE IN, I THINK IT WAS ELKWATER, AND I TOLD THE GUY THAT I’D APPRECIATE IT IF I COULD HAVE SOME OF THESE FORMS, AND HE SAID, 'HOW MANY DO YOU WANT?' I SAID, 'WELL, MY WIFE REALLY WANTS TO BE A TORCHBEARER.' WELL, HE GAVE ME A PACK [ABOUT 2 INCHES THICK]. AND, WHEN I GOT HOME, ‘HOLY MACKEREL’. SHE WENT THROUGH THE ROOF. IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL, EH? SO, I THINK, ALL-IN-ALL, WE PROBABLY FILLED OUT ABOUT 600-650 OF THESE THINGS THAT WE SENT IN, AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.” WHEN ASKED IF HE PUT HIS NAME IN FOR THE DRAW, DAVID RESPONDS, “WELL, I WANTED TO PUT MY NAME DOWN, BUT SHE WOULDN’T LET ME! SHE MADE SURE THAT HER NAME WAS ON IT, BECAUSE SHE’S THE ONE THAT WANTED TO GO. SHE SCRUTINIZED EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND I DIDN’T CARE. IT WAS NICE. I WANTED HER TO GO, AND SO DID THE KIDS.” ON WHY DAYLE WAS DRIVEN TO BECOME A TORCHBEARER, "THAT WAS HER CHALLENGE. SHE REALLY WANTED TO DO IT. IT WAS A – SHE WAS DOING IT FOR THE COUNTRY AND SHE WAS DOING IT FOR THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE. SHE WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE, AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK. SHE LOVED WINTER SPORTS, SHE LOVED THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THE OLYMPIC GAMES STANDS FOR, AND BEING BORN IN CALGARY, THERE WAS A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR HER TO HAVE THIS GLOBAL EVENT SO CLOSE TO HOME AND TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND BE INVOLVED…SHE WAS A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR AT THE YMCA. SHE TAUGHT THREE CLASSES A WEEK THERE…WE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP OUT THE SCHOOL – NICHOLAS SHERAN. WE TAUGHT TWO [FITNESS] CLASSES THERE...OUR WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN LIKE THAT.” ON HOW SHE WAS ACCEPTED, DAVID RECALLED, “THERE’S A LETTER, AND A FOLDER THAT CAME FROM THE PETRO-CANADA ORGANIZERS, SAYING THAT SHE HAD BEEN PICKED, AND CONGRATULATIONS. AND, ANOTHER LETTER HERE FROM BLAINE THACKER, WHO WAS THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IN LETHBRIDGE. HE CONGRATULATED HER. ALL THIS SEEMED TO COME TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!” ACCORDING TO A LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 1988, “THERE WERE ABOUT 6.5 MILLION APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, OF WHICH 6,520 WERE SELECTED, A ONE-IN-1,000 CHANCE. (IN LETHBRIDGE, 42 RUNNERS WERE SELECTED, ODDS OF ONE IN 1,428.)” ON TRAINING FOR THE RUN, DAVID STATES, “I WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE FROM WORK A TRACK PIN AND BUSHING FROM A D6 CATERPILLAR DOZER. IT WAS ALMOST THE EXACT WEIGHT OF THE TORCH WHEN FULL OF KEROSENE SO IT WAS A GOOD WEIGHTED REPLICA TO TRAIN WITH. SHE WAS WORRIED SHE WAS GOING TO DROP IT OR SOMETHING…WE LIVED ON THE WEST SIDE, SO WE’D GO OVER TO NICHOLAS SHERAN PARK, AND RUN THE PAVED PATHS THERE, OR WE’D GO OUT TO HENDERSON, AND RUN THERE. WE DID A LOT OF RUNNING…SOME PEOPLE LOOKED AT US KIND OF FUNNY, LIKE, “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” BUT, AFTER YOU STOPPED AND TALKED TO A FEW PEOPLE, THEY UNDERSTOOD, AND THEY WISHED US LUCK, AND ALL THAT, SO IT WAS GOOD.” DAVID REMEMBERS HER RUN, “WELL, OF COURSE, OUR FAMILIES WERE THERE. MY FATHER, AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, BOTH THE KIDS, FRIENDS THAT WE HAD BEEN IN LETHBRIDGE FOR A LONG TIME WITH…THERE WAS A LARGE CROWD OF PEOPLE GATHERED TO SEE THE TORCH BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO SEE HER TAKE THE TORCH AND BEGIN HER RUN. SHE RAN ON HIGHWAY 3 WHERE THE EXIT FOR WESTSIDE DR IS TO THE OVERPASS OF HIGHWAY 3 AND HIGHWAY 25…IT WAS UNREAL. SHE WAS JUST HAPPY. SHE HAD THE BIGGEST SMILE ON HER FACE, EAR TO EAR!...SHE WAS COMPLETELY FOCUSED, AND HAVING A GOOD TIME! IT WAS A BLAST! THAT WAS WHAT SHE WANTED! IT WAS REALLY WELL-DONE…SHE WAS 40 AT THE TIME.” DAYLE RAN THE TORCH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1988, DAY 81 OF THE TORCH RELAY AS A PART OF THE 86 KM BROCKET TO LETHBRIDGE STRETCH. THE SCHEDULE HAD HER BEGIN RUNNING AT 5:31 P.M. AND END HER RUN AT 5:38 P.M. AFTER REACHING THE 78.7 KM MARK. SHE WAS THE THIRD OF TEN RUNNERS PASSING THE TORCH FROM COALHURST TO LETHBRIDGE. ON ACQUIRING THE UNIFORM, “THEY PHONED HER, AND WANTED TO KNOW HER SIZE. SHE WAS A VERY SMALL LADY. SHE WAS ONLY 4’11”. QUITE SLIM BUILD. SHE GOT IT, I THINK, 2-3 WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME, AND SHE HAD TO GO DOWN AND PICK IT UP. THEY DIDN’T WANT TO SHIP IT, AND HAVE IT LOST, AND THAT WAS ABOUT IT. IT’S FIRST-CLASS MATERIAL. OF COURSE, SUN ICE, THEY MADE THE BEST CLOTHING IN THE WORLD.” ACCORDING TO THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE PUBLISHED JANUARY 30, 1988, “THE UNIFORMS GIVEN TO EACH RUNNER HAVE BEEN STASHED ALONG THE ROUTE AT RCMP DETACHMENTS. EACH CONSISTS OF A JACKET, PANTS AND A TOQUE IN RED AND WHITE…THE TRACK SUITS WERE MADE BY SUN ICE OF WINNIPEG FROM MATERIALS SUPPLIED BY 3M, AND INCLUDE THINTECH, THE LATEST IN BREATHABLE, LIGHTWEIGHT JACKET LINING.” DAVID EXPLAINED THAT AFTER THE RUN, DAYLE WOULD WEAR THE UNIFORM FOR SPECIAL EVENTS; “AT MCMAHON STADIUM, THEY HAD AN APPRECIATION DAY ONE TIME, AND WE WENT. I THINK THERE WAS A FOOTBALL GAME THAT WE WENT AND SAW, AND SHE WORE THAT. OF COURSE, THEY ALL WORE IT. STUFF LIKE THAT. IF THERE WAS A BARBECUE IN TOWN, SHE WORE IT THEN. PEOPLE WOULD SEE HER, AND JUST ASK HER QUESTIONS, LIKE, “HOW WAS IT? WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!” THAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT TO HER. IN HER LIFE!” DAYLE GASKARTH PASSED AWAY IN JANUARY 2019. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION, AND COPIES OF THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P20200033000-GA.

Catalogue Number

P20200033000

Acquisition Date

2020-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail