On significant anniversaries of the province of Alberta (created at the same time as Saskatchewan, in 1905), medallions have been produced and given to every schoolchild in the province. So far, three have been issued - the next likely date of production will be in 2030.
The first of the lot is fairly simple, depicting the provincial shield and the provincial flower - there is also not much information about it because of its age.
You can tell what the price of oil was throughout history by inspecting the dates in which things in Alberta were inaugurated. I have visited quite a few provincial historic sites, and let me tell you, times must have been good in the early 1980s. This is probably why Edmonton, despite our best efforts, still looks like a 1980s city. Part of this 80s extravagance was the "Alberta 75" celebrations, commemorating the province's 75th anniversary (Saskatchewan, being the exact same age, launched its own "Celebrate Saskatchewan" festivities). And part of the Alberta 75 celebrations was this medallion.
As part of the fun, Alberta's shield was officially upgraded to a full coat of arms. This explains why the CoA features so prominently on this medallion. In its original packaging, it came inside a paper folder inside a plastic envelope. This one was given to my father.
The effects of Alberta 75 can be seen all over the province. If you ever end up on the highway from Lethbridge to Medicine Hat, why not stop by the little-known Red Rock Coulee Natural Area? On your way there, you might notice the province's entry into the World's Saddest Abandoned Playground In The Middle Of Nowhere Awards. I only mention this because, painted on the cracking wood that forms the collapsing baseball dugout, surrounded by kilometers and miles (there's room for both) of limitless badlands, you will find the Alberta 75 logo.
Here is the medallion that I received! I was 7 years old and I knew that Premier Ralph Klein had personally arranged the production of these just for me. The province's centennial fell on September 1, so I must have just been starting school. The design on this one is noticeably more polished and modern compared to previous issues. Some of these came in plastic envelopes, but mine came in a little velvet bag. That's why this medallion is covered in nasty little short fibers.
Here is a similar medallion, issued for Saskatchewan's Diamond Jubilee in 1965, and included here for the sake of completeness. Unfortunately, not living in Saskatchewan, I don't know how this was distributed or if any similar medallions were ever issued in later years.
Does anyone know of any similar one-medallion-for-every-child programs anywhere else?
Posted 09/04/2015 07:54 am
