Material Type

Photograph

Date Range

2 August1957

Description Level

Item

Creator

The Lethbridge Herald

Physical Description

28 x 21.5 cm Black and white photograph

Physical Condition

Good

Acquisition Source

Lethbridge Herald

Scope and Content

Photograph of a young boy with his bird at the Civic Centre. The following story of Robert Vargo and his pets was collected and narrated by Wendy Aitkens, Curator, as part of the Awesome Pets exhibit project at the Galt Museum & Archives in October 2013. Dr. Ballard dog food sponsored an annual pet show at the Civic Centre and Robert Vargo and his sister entered pets in the competitions. Robert was born in Lethbridge in 1947 and his family lived on 13 Street North between 8 and 9 Avenues. When he was 10 years old he and his father went fishing with his grandfather at a lake near Medicine Hat. While driving to the lake on a narrow trail a young gull ran onto the road and sat there even as they drove by. After a day of fishing, they discovered the bird still sitting on the road. Robert captured it and took it home. His “angel of a mother” always looked after the strays the children brought home. She fed and cared for the baby gull and it survived. Robert named it Michael. He entered his bird into the Dr. Ballard competition and won a prize – a can of Dr. Ballard dog food. Michael remained with the family as it learned to fly and in the fall it flew away and was never seen again. Robert would often look for gulls and call out “Michael” in hopes that his pet might be amongst the flock and recognize him. Robert used to raise pigeons and one year he decided to show his favourite pigeon at the Civic Centre. This pigeon was white and his mother suggested a white pigeon wasn’t fancy enough so she immersed the pigeon in blue food colouring and it came out a bright blue. Robert also had chickens and one year his sister decided to show his bantam rooster in the competition. Robert was upset because that left him without a pet. He went into the garden and found two slugs which he called “Icky” and “Sticky” Robert moved to Fort McMurray to open a General Motors dealership in 1974 and he still lives there.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19752303275

Collection

Archive

Less detail