Commemorating History: How and by whom are Decisions Made? (Part 1)

Historic persons, places and events are commemorated every day, from plaques and monument to the naming of sites. How are decisions made as to what is commemorated? While this presentation will discuss commemoration in a broader sense, the timing of it coincides with Lethbridge City Council’s recent designation of the Galt Mine No. 6 site near Hardieville in north Lethbridge as a Municipal Historic Resource. The mine got its name from Sir Alexander Galt, who with his son Elliott started the coal mining industry in Lethbridge in the 1880s. Galt Mine No. 6 was active from 1908 to 1935 (its tipple was then moved to newly build Galt Mine No.8) and not much remains of the mine aside from the boiler hoist base, tipple foundation and drift tunnel. Lethbridge Historical Society is working with a developer of the adjacent Legacy Ridge neighbourhood to turn the land into a visitor attractive interpretive park. Obviously, turning every one of the many coal mines in Lethbridge and area into a tourist friendly historic park is not feasible. However, the west-side Galt Mine No. 8, built in 1935, with its landmark tipple and water tower, near the iconic high level bridge, is arguably a more visible and commercially attractive location for an interpretive historic park than the Galt Mine No. 6 site. The speaker will give a background on how commemoration has been done historically in Lethbridge, provide her perspective on how decisions are arrived at and explain some of the background work that goes into the commemoration of local history. Speaker:     Belinda Crowson Belinda Crowson is a member of the Lethbridge Historical Society's Heritage Conservation Committee and sits as the LHS representative on the City of Lethbridge's Heart of Our City Committee. The LHS Heritage Conservation Committee, one of many initiatives of the historical society, is designed to advocate for historic buildings. Currently, Belinda is the President of Lethbridge Historical Society, she is also past President of the Historical Society of Alberta and the author of four books on local history Moderator: TBA Date: Thursday, September 15, 2016 Time: Noon - 1:30 pm Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea)