Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

JACKET

Date

1960

Materials

WOOL

No. Pieces

2

Length

82.0

Width

32.5

Description

NAVY WOOL TWILL JACKET, WITH 4 FRONT POCKETS, "LETHBRIDGE CIVIL DEFENSE POLICE". WOOL, NYLON, BRASS BUTTONS. MARKED "T. EATON CO. LTD., LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA". 2 SHOULDER FLASHES, "LETHBRIDGE C.D. POLICE" IN BLUE STITCH ON YELLOW WOOL BACKING. 1 SERGEANT'S CHEVRON WITH SILVER WIRE BRAID ON BLUE BACKING. 11 BRASS BUTTONS REMOVED FROM JACKET. MARKED "W.M. SCULLY LTD, MONTREAL", AND "J.R. GAUNT & SON LTD, MONTREAL" ON BUTTONS.INSIDE RIGHT BREAST POCKET MARKED "TAILORED ESPECIALLY FOR A.R. MCFADDEN. DATE JAN/60 ORDER NO. 212258. THE T. EATON CO. LTD. LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.”

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

MILITARY

History

DONOR GIVEN UNIFORM IN 1975 BY A CORPORAL BENNETT OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE USED AS A COMMISSIONER'S UNIFORM. THE GALT USED THE UNIFORM IN 2009 AS PART OF AN EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTING LETHBRIDGE AUXILARY POLICE. AS A RESULT, 10 OF THE 11 DONATED, PRE-DONATION REMOVED BUTTONS AND THE UNIFORM'S "CD POLICE" CLOTH FLASHES WERE RE-SEWN ONTO THE UNIFORM. THE CHEVRON, REMOVED AT THE TIME OF DONATION, WAS ALSO SEWN ON TO THE UNIFORM IN 2009. THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE WAS PRODUCED BY GALT TECH KEVIN MACLEAN AS THE RESULT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2009 EXHIBIT. SOURCES CONSULTED INCLUDED SEVERAL INTERVIEWS WITH SERVING AND RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE LETHBRIDGE REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE, A RETIRED MEMBER OF THE CIVIL DEFENCE POLICE, THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND THE CITY MANAGER’S RECORDS IN THE GALT ARCHIVES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE REFERENCE THE ARTIFACT’S PERMANENT FILE AND ARTIFACTS P19960112110 AND P19970094011. THE AUXILIARY CIVIL DEFENCE POLICE WAS ORGANIZED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1951 AFTER THE PROVINCE APPEALED TO ALBERTA MUNICIPALITIES TO PREPARE DEFENCES IN CASE OF AN ENEMY ATTACK, INCLUDING A NUCLEAR STRIKE. THE C.D. POLICE WERE NOT OFFICIALLY PART OF THE LETHBRIDGE CITY POLICE. THE AUXILIARY VOLUNTEERS DID, HOWEVER, RECEIVE TRAINING FROM THE CITY POLICE AND WHEN CALLED OUT BY THE C.D. DIRECTOR, CAME UNDER THE CONTROL OF CHIEF CONSTABLE JAMES H. CARPENTER. THE C.D. POLICE DISBANDED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS IN 1963. IN LESS THEN A YEAR, THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE ANNOUNCED ITS INTENT TO FORM ITS OWN AUXILIARY AS PART OF THE CITY POLICE. ON 10 NOVEMBER 2009, FORMER LETHBRIDGE RESIDENT ROBERT (BOB) GARDNER OF SALMON ARM, BC, RESPONDED, BY PHONE, TO FAXED QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY GALT COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN. MACLEAN CONTACTED GARDNER WITH REGARDS TO EXHIBIT RESEARCH HE WAS CONDUCTING ON THE LETHBRIDGE CITY POLICE FORCE’S AUXILIARY IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN WHAT, IF ANY, CONNECTION EXISTED BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS. GARDNER, BORN IN EDMONTON AND RAISED IN LETHBRIDGE, WAS 33 YEARS OLD WHEN HE JOINED THE LETHBRIDGE CIVIL DEFENSE (C.D.) POLICE IN 1960. HIS AWARENESS OF THE C.D. POLICE AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF ITS “CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS” LIKELY CAME, HE SAID, FROM AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. HIS MOTIVATION TO VOLUNTEER WAS BASED ON HIS PERCEPTION THAT A FUTURE WAR WAS LIKELY TO OCCUR – ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PERIOD’S EVENTS WHICH, INCLUDED THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. ADDITIONALLY, HIS FAMILY PARTICIPATED IN WWI AND FRIENDS IN WWII, SAYING, THE “THREAT OF WAR WAS ALWAYS IN [HIS] MIND”. HE DID NOT ENLIST IN WWII ON ACCOUNT THAT HE WAS TOO YOUNG. NO TIME COMMITMENT OR TERM CONTRACT EXISTED WITH REGARDS TO GARDNER’S C.D. VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE. GARDNER’S RECOLLECTION OF THE C.D. POLICE’S ADMINISTRATION, GOVERNANCE AND RECRUITMENT WAS DOMINATED BY THE ORGANIZATION’S DIRECTOR C.W. CHICHESTER. THE C.D. POLICE OFFICE WAS, HE BELIEVED, IN CITY HALL WITH “LECTURES IN THE COURT ROOM AT THE POLICE STATION”. TRAINING WAS “BASICALLY UNDER POLICE CHIEF CARPENTER” WITH “LECTURES BY CARPENTER, INSPECTOR COPELAND AND DETECTIVE R. MICHELSON. THERE WERE NO COMMUNICATIONS OR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE”. ADDITIONAL TRAINING WAS PROVIDED BY RETIRED MOUNTED POLICE MEMBERS BARRY ALLEN AND C.D. INSPECTOR A. DICKSON. GARDNER RECALLED RECEIVING TARGET SHOOTING TRAINING IN THE “BASEMENT OF THE R.C.M.P. GARAGE” WHERE THE MOUNTED POLICE OPERATED A PISTOL SHOOTING RANGE. RELATIONS WITH THE CITY POLICE FORCE DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE AFOREMENTIONED WITH GARDNER GOING SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT, “THE FORCE’S COMMISSION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT (C.D. POLICE) NOR [DID THEY HAVE] AN ACTIVE ROLE IN IT. ADDITIONALLY, NO C.D. EXERCISES WERE, TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, DIRECTED BY THE POLICE FORCE. GARDNER COULD NOT IN 2009 RECALL ANY DETAILS PER THE END OF THE C.D. POLICE IN 1963 EXCEPT TO SAY, “[THE] POLICE WAS QUIETLY DISBANDED AND WE TURNED IN OUR UNIFORMS”. AFTER HIS C.D. POLICE INVOLVEMENT, HE SUPPORTED CIVIL DEFENSE ENGINEERING WORK WHICH INCLUDED CALCULATING THE AMOUNT OF SHIELDING REQUIRED FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FALLOUT IN CASE OF NUCLEAR ATTACK. HE RECALLED BEING SENT WITH CITY OF LETHBRIDGE BUILDING INSPECTOR BILL LOULA TO THE C.D. COLLEGE NEAR OTTAWA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUCH ENGINEERING MATTERS. IN 1962 HE INCORPORATED SHIELDING CODE STANDARDS (CONCRETE THICKNESS, ETC.) INTO HIS OWN PERSONAL HOME AT 1314 29TH STREET SOUTH. HE, ALONG WITH BUILDING INSPECTOR BILL LANGMEADE, UNDERTOOK TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF FALLOUT PROTECTION RELATED TO THE CITY’S VARIOUS PUBLIC FACILITIES, DETERMINING THAT THE 4TH AVE POST OFFICE WAS THE BEST SITES AVAILABLE. AS BEST AS GARDNER KNOWS, ALL MEMBERS OF THE C.D. POLICE WERE ALTRUISTIC IN THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO JOIN. THEY WERE, HE SAID, “ALL MIDDLE AGED AND STAYED ON DUE TO THE THREAT OF WAR”. HIS FONDEST MEMORIES INCLUDED THE LECTURES BY THE POLICE FORCE, “HEARING THE POLICE TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE UP AGAINST DAY TO DAY.” HE STILL REMEMBERS RALPH MICHELSON SAYING, “IF THERE ARE ANY DEAD BODIES, YOU GUYS HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THEM.” HE WAS DISAPPOINTED FOLLOWING THE C.D. POLICE’S DISBANDMENT ON ACCOUNT THAT HE ENJOYED “THE LECTURES, THE OCCASIONAL EXERCISE, THE CAMARADERIE AND THE TARGET PRACTICE – YOU MISS IT”. HE COULD ONLY SPECULATE ON THE JUSTIFICATION BEHIND THE DISBANDMENT OF THE C.D. POLICE, WONDERING IF IT WAS DUE TO UNREST WITH THE POLICE FORCE’S ASSOCIATION. BUT, HE SAID, HE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING OFFICIAL, SAYING HE “NEVER RUBBED SHOULDERS WITH THE RANK AND FILE EXCEPT FOR DET. MICHELSON”. FOR ADDITIONAL, VALUABLE LETHBRIDGE C.D. INFORMATION, INCLUDING HERALD ARTICLES, DOCUMENTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S FILES (ARCHIVES) AND AN INTERVIEW WITH FORMER CIVIL DEFENSE POLICEMAN GERRY DEHEER, PLEASE REFERENCE THE PERMANENT FILE. *UPDATE* IN 2024 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT, TESS MCNAUGHTON, CONDUCTED A REVIEW OF ITEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN PREVIOUS AUDITS. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. DOROTHY TEWKSBURY WAS BORN IN CALGARY IN 1916. DOROTHY ATTENDED CRESCENT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL AND CALGARY NORMAL SCHOOLS. DURING THE DEPRESSION SHE TAUGHT AT LONELY TRAIL, NEAR OYEN, ALLAN AND FRANKLIN SCHOOLS NEAR OKOTOKS AND HIGH RIVER. JOINING THE R.C.A.F. IN JANUARY 1942. SHE SERVED DURING AND AFTER THE WAR AND WAS THE FIRST WOMAN OFFICER POSTED OVERSEAS. SHE RETIRED AS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT IN 1966 WITH CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL, WAR MEDAL AND CANADIAN FORCES DECORATION. SHE SERVED AS SECRETARY TREASURER OF THE CHELSEA SCHOOL BOARD AND RESIDED AT MEECH LAKE, QUEBEC WITH HER FRIEND SHIELA STRANG. SHE RETURNED TO ALBERTA IN 1975 TO CARE FOR HER MOTHER AND RESIDED IN LETHBRIDGE. BEING ACTIVE IN MEALS AND WHEELS AND THE LONDON ROAD ASSOCIATION. DOROTHY WAS PREDECEASED BY HER PARENTS, EDNA AND BERTRAND TEWKSBURY; BROTHER, HAROLD; SISTER, MARGURERITE HENDERSON; NIECE, KAREN ERVIN; AND CLOSE FRIEND AND COMPANION, JEAN GOLLEY. DOROTHY PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON MAY 13, 1992. SEE P19800058000 FOR OBITUARY.

Catalogue Number

P19870044001

Acquisition Date

1987-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail