Material Type

Artifact

Date

1986

Materials

WOOD, BRASS, STONE

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.3

Length

34

Width

19

Description

WOODEN PLAQUE, SHAPED AS PROVINCE OF ALBERTA. CIRCULAR STONE/CEMENT PLATE AT CENTRE, WITH SIMULATED ROAD AND RAILWAY TIE(?) MOUNTED ON TOP. BRASS PLATE BELOW, ENGRAVED WITH "CITY OF LETHBRIDGE CROWSNEST TRAIL OFFICIAL OPENING OCTOBER 1986". LABEL ON BACK W/ "REID CROWTHER ENGINEERS-PLANNERS-SCIENTISTS".

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

PRESENTED BY CIVIC ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATION TO DONOR'S HUSBAND, FORMER LETHBRIDGE MAYOR ANDREW CHARLES (ANDY) ANDERSON, ON 19 DECEMBER 1986. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF MILITARY OBJECTS, INCLUDING SOME ORIGINAL OWNED BY A. C. ANDERSON. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT A. C. ANDERSON WAS RETREIVED FROM GALT ARCHIVES RECORD 20061053009: "ANDREW CHARLES (ANDY) ANDERSON WAS BORN IN 1909 IN SHABBONA, ILLINOIS, THE ELDEST OF SIX CHILDREN OF CHARLES ERIC AND BERTHA ANDERSON (NEE OSTERVIG). THE ANDERSON FAMILY MOVED TO CHAMPION, ALBERTA IN 1912. ANDY ANDERSON WORKED ON THE FAMILY FARM UNTIL 1930, A YEAR AFTER HIS FATHER’S DEATH. HE THEN DECIDED TO LEAVE THE FARM AND ENTER THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA. IN 1934 MR. ANDERSON GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WITH A PHM.C. (PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST) DEGREE. HE APPRENTICED WITH J.D. HENDERSON IN CHAMPION, AND THEN MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE WAS EMPLOYED BY THE R.J. KITSON PHARMACY FOR 14 YEARS. IN 1948 MR. ANDERSON ESTABLISHED ANDERSON’S MEDICAL DENTAL PHARAMCY. THE PHARMACY STILL OPERATES UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF MR. ANDERSON’S SON MURRAY. ANDY ANDERSON MARRIED HIS WIFE RHETA IN 1938 IN CHAMPION. AS WELL AS THEIR SON MURRAY, THE ANDERSONS HAD A DAUGHTER MARILYN (MARRIED LEW HUTCHISON). ANDY ANDERSON ENTERED PUBLIC LIFE IN 1950 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE LETHBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD (LPSB). HE SERVED ON THE LPSB FOR 14 YEARS AND WAS ITS CHAIRMAN IN 1954, 1958 AND 1962. IN 1964, ANDY ANDERSON WAS ELECTED TO LETHBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND SERVED AS AN ALDERMAN UNTIL 1968. IN MARCH 1968 MR. ANDERSON BECAME THE MAYOR OF LETHBRIDGE WHEN HE CHOSEN FOR THE POSITION BY THE OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL FOLLOWING MAYOR FRANK SHERRING’S RESIGNATION ON 5 MARCH 1968. ANDY ANDERSON BECAME THE LONGEST SERVING MAYOR IN LETHBRIDGE HISTORY, RETIRING FROM OFFICE IN 1986. HE WON FOUR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, AND WAS ACCLAIMED MAYOR TWICE AS WELL. AS WELL AS HIS POLITICAL CAREER AND PHARMACY BUSINESS, MR. ANDERSON WAS INVOLVED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. AMONG THEM ARE THE LETHBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL ADVISORY BOARD, UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE SENATE AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS, LETHBRIDGE RECREATION COMMISSION, THE COMMUNITY CHEST, SOUTHMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, ROYAL CANADIAN SEA CADET CORPS, CANADIAN WESTERN NATURAL GAS, MASONIC LODGE NO. 39, THE KINSMEN CLUB, THE ROTARY CLUB, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS (IOOF), CHINOOK CLUB AND THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS (BPOE). HE WAS ALSO AN HONOURARY MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, GENERAL STEWART BRANCH NO. 4 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION, AND THE POLISH COMBATANTS ASSOCIATION. ANDY ANDERSON ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE PROVINCIAL MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE EXECUTIVE OF THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF MAYORS AND MUNICIPALITIES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AUTHORITY COMMITTEE, HONOURARY PRESIDENT OF ST. JOHN AMBULANCE, AND AS THE HONOURARY COLONEL OF THE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY RCA. AMONG THE AWARDS AND HONOURS ANDY ANDERSON RECEIVED DURING HIS LIFE WERE A PAUL HARRIS FELLOWSHIP FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL; CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FROM THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION; GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD FROM THE IOOF; CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM THE JAYCEES (1985); AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FROM THE ALBERTA URBAN MUNICIPALITIES ASSOCIATION (1983); MERITORIUS SERVICE AWARD FROM THE CANADIAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION (1977); ROBINS COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (1963); THE QUEEN’S MEDAL (1977); BROTHER OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN (1983), LATER PROMOTED TO OFFICER; HONOURARY DOCTOR OF LAWS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE (1985); AND A MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA (1985). ANDREW CHARLES ANDERSON DIED ON 23 APRIL 1996 AND IS BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY, LETHBRIDGE. HIS WIFE RHETA DIED IN 2011 AND IS BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY AS WELL." [SOURCE: ARCHIVES VERTICAL FILE, "PEOPLE, IDENTIFIED - A"] *UPDATE 2023* IN 2019, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A COLLECTIONS AUDIT, WHICH INCLUDED ARTIFACTS DONATED BY "ANDERSON, RITA." IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE CORRECT SPELLING OF THE DONOR'S FIRST NAME IS "RHETA" AND THE DONOR FIELD HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT THE CORRECT SPELLING. THE SON OF ANDREW AND RHETA ANDERSON, MURRAY ANDERSON, WAS INTERVIEWED BY PUNDYK ON FEBRUARY 2, 2019 TO ADD FURTHER CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE ARTIFACTS. ON THE ARTIFACT MURRAY STATED, “DAD WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MOVING THE C.P.R TRACKS OUT OF LETHBRIDGE AND MOVING THEM OUT TO COALHURST. THE TRACKS WERE, WHERE PARK PLACE MALL IS NOW. OKAY, SO THEY WANTED TO MOVE THAT OUT AND REDEVELOP THE SITE AND THEN, PUT IN THE CROWSNEST TRAIL THROUGH THE CITY. … I THINK THE CITY REALLY WANTED TO GET THE TRACKS OUT OF LETHBRIDGE AND I THINK C.P. RAIL SORT OF WANTED TO DO THE SAME THING. CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE COMPANY - IT WAS A C.P. COMPANY OUT OF CALGARY, THAT – MARATHON REALTY. AND THEY SORT OF [FACILITATED] – THEY DID - THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE ALL THIS HAPPEN, SO THAT’S WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT.” THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS QUOTED FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD; “IN 1973, ANDERSON ATTENDED A FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES CONVENTION IN WINNIPEG. THERE, HE SAW THE FUTURE REVEALED IN COLD REALITY. 'I SAW A DISPLAY IN RAILWAY RELOCATION,' SAYS ANDERSON. 'I SAID TO MYSELF, THAT FITS FOR LETHBRIDGE.' WELL, IT FIT, AFTER SEVERAL ALTERNATIONS, AND IT TOOK 13 YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH, MOST OF ANDY’S TIME IN OFFICE.” (NOVEMBER 1, 1986) “ANDERSON SAID HE HAS A DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY HE ATTEMPTS TO FOLLOW. EACH DEVELOPMENT MUST COMPLEMENT ANOTHER. FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID THE $31 MILLION RAILWAY RELOCATION PAVED THE WAY FOR CENTRESITE [MALL AND DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION] AND THE CROWSNEST TRAIL IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREATHE LIVE INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.” (OCTOBER 13, 1983) “THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CROWSNEST TRAIL TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR WHICH HAS EASED TRAVEL ACROSS THE CITY WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED TODAY. THE CORRIDOR, GIVEN BIRTH WITH RAILWAY RELOCATION TO KIPP, WAS OPENED WITH A RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY ATTENDED BY POLITICAL PERSONALITIES.” (OCTOBER 14, 1986) “STILL RECUPERATING FROM A KNEE OPERATION, MAYOR ANDY ANDERSON, THE CATALYST THAT MADE POSSIBLE THE CORRIDOR THROUGH THE RELOCATION OF THE CP RAIL LINES TO KIPP, WAS ABSENT FROM THE CEREMONIES THAT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOR. ACCOLADES WERE HEAPED ON THE ABSENT MAYOR DURING THE CEREMONIES. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, ANDERSON SAID, 'I REGRET VERY MUCH NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTEND. THE CORRIDOR WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS THE CITY HAS ACCOMPLISHED,' HE SAID MAJOR PROJECTS SUCH AS THE RAILWAY RELOCATION, THE CORRIDOR AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRESITE TRANSLATED INTO JOBS. 'WE HAVE CREATED A LOT OF EMPLOYMENT AND THAT’S THE NAME OF THE GAME THESE DAYS.' … THE RAILWAY RELOCATION, WHICH BEGAN IN 1980 EVENTUALLY FREED ABOUT 25 ACRES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CORRIDOR. ACTING MAYOR DAVID CARPENTER SAID THE ROADWAY IS A 'MODEL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN CP RAIL, THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY.' THE $73 MILLION CORRIDOR WAS COST SHARED WITH THE PROVINCE. THE 90 PER CENT PROVINCIAL BILL IS ABOUT $63.9 MILLION. THE CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION RECORD RECEIVED HIGH PRAISE. IT WAS COMPLETED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND $7 MILLION UNDER BUDGET.” (OCTOBER 15, 1986) PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970018000 FOR FULL INTERVIEW AND FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING ARCHIVAL RESEARCH FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P19980073001

Acquisition Date

1998-12

Collection

Museum

Less detail