Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PARK PLACE - GROUND BREAKING

Date

1987

Materials

WOOD, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.8

Length

22.4

Width

17.8

Description

RECTANGULAR, BROWN VARNISHED WOOD. HAS BEVELED EDGES. ON FRONT, TOP LEFT, IS A GOLD STALK OF WHEAT. TO THE RIGHT OF THIS IS A GOLD COLOURED SHOVEL, ON A DIAGONAL. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF FRONT IS A SQUARE OF GOLD METAL UNDERNEATH A SQUARE OF BLACK METAL. ETCHED INTO BLACK METAL IS "PRESENTED TO DENNIS O'CONNELL MANAGING DIRECTOR CENTRE SITE LETHBRIDGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY OF PARK PLACE SHOPPING CENTRE MARCH 26, 1987 LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA". A STICKER ON BACK OF PLAQUE READS "TROPHIES UNLIMITED 303-5TH STREET SOUTH LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA T1J 2B4 (403)328-0882".

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

DONOR WAS BORN IN LONDON, ENGLAND IN 1922. JOINED THE ROYAL AIR FORCE IN 1941 AS A PILOT TRAINEE, AND POSTED TO VIRDEN THE SAME YEAR. GRADUATED AS A PILOT IN JUNE 1942 FROM #12 S.F.T.S. BRANDON, MANITOBA. POSTED TO LETHBRIDGE ON GRADUATION AS AN INSTRUCTOR. POSTED TO LONDON, ENGLAND, SEPTEMBER, 1943. SERVED WITH #239 NIGHT INTRUDER SQUADRON AND DISCHARGED JUNE 1946. RETURNED TO CANADA AT THIS TIME, AND SETTLED IN LETHBRIDGE. JOINED AIR CANADA AUGUST, 1946 AS A PASSENGER AGENT. PROMOTED TO AGENT IN CHARGE, NOVEMBER 1946. JOINED LETHBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AS MANAGER IN NOVEMBER 1948. RESPONSIBLE FOR GENERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES, INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL AND TOURIST DEVELOPMENT. IN 1964, DONOR WROTE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ACTED AS LIAISON TO THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT BODIES PRESENTING THE STUDY, WHEN A UNIVERSITY IN LETHBRIDGE WAS PROPOSED. IN 1968 DONOR WAS REQUESTED TO SET UP AND ADMINISTER THE THREE ALBERTA UNIVERSITIES CAPITAL FUND CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN ALBERTA. THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE REQUESTED THAT DONOR BECOME DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND HE ASSUMED THAT RESPONSIBILITY IN 1969. HIS RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDED INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORTATION AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS. ON HIS RETIREMENT IN 1988 DONOR WAS THE MANAGER OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY, AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CENTRE SITE LETHBRIDGE (THE RESULT OF RELOCATION OF THE C.P.R. MARSHALLING YARDS IN DOWNTOWN LETHBRIDGE). DONOR MARRIED IN 1943. HIS WIFE IS FROM REGINA, AND WAS A CORPORAL IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE, POSTED TO LETHBRIDGE.

Catalogue Number

P19990048001

Acquisition Date

1999-10

Collection

Museum

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