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GHOSTS OF RED DEER’S DOWNTOWN

Local citizens, explorers and historians have claimed sighting of Ghosts in Red Deer’s Downtown. Talk of more friendly Ghosts entering the Downtown is making big news. The Red Deer Downtown Business Association (DBA) boasts an internationally renowned Bronze Art collection in Downtown Red Deer, Alberta. The Ghost project is sponsored and managed by the DBA and is an amazingly unique and fascinating program. The Ghost Project depicts the history of the community and offers audiences one of the largest life-size bronze sculpture collections in Canada. The Ghost sculptures are forever growing in popularity and attract thousands of inquisitive travelers every year. The Ghost collection combines art, culture, heritage, tourism and economic development into one project. It includes famous, infamous, the humorous, animals, actions and the events that shaped Red Deer’s amazing past. Artists from our province have not only created great art, but have quite remarkably captured the character of our pioneers. Viewers are able to interact with the sculptures. As an example, Reverend Gaetz often has friends who join him on the bench and often friendly people have dressed him with a hat or mittens in the cold weather. Today, there are 8 life size bronze sculptures telling their tales in the Heart of our City. The sculptures meet three significant objectives:

• Promote and add to the growth of the multi-million dollar Provincial arts industry; • Preserve our heritage stories in real life images; and • Create a unique attraction capable of drawing visitors from highway two into the heart of

the community.

The Downtown Business Association commissioned the first Ghost project in 1994. The hope was to excite the community and kick-off the development of a collection. The success of the first few Ghosts met the above outlined objectives and set the precedent for sculptures to follow. The popularity of the Ghosts had also ensured further development of the Ghost collection. As a result, the latest two Ghost projects were done by community groups with minimal help from the DBA. The Ghost project is widely supported by the community including the City of Red Deer, Red Deer and District Museum, Heritage Preservation Committee, Normandeau Culture and Natural History Society, Red Deer Main Street Project, Red Deer Service Clubs and the Red Deer and District Chamber in Commerce just to name a few. The DBA has developed a series of postcards that depict the Ghosts. These are provided at tradeshows, the Visitor and Convention Bureau, the Museum Gift Shop and used in several promotions.

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A Ghost tour has been developed by the Red Deer and District Museum and the DBA, and is available on the ExperienceDowntownRedDeer webite, DBA office, Red Deer and Area Museum and Tourism Red Deer. With the popularity of the collection a guide for commissioning artwork for Ghost Projects has been established. Interested parties can contact the Downtown Business Association for additional information on this distinctive and forever growing collection. Below is a brief description of each Ghost. Currently, there are eight Ghosts in the collection with more to be released in the coming years.

1) ‘CHOICES’ – In front of the Parkland Square building, you’ll discover a rail worker confronting a little dog who is standing on the man’s money. This sculpture tells the story of how many workers in Canada wanted more control over their money. As a result, the Credit Union concept of banking became popular in Alberta in the late 30s and early 40s. The credit union was run, not for profit, but to serve its members. No more stepping on the money of the people!

2) ‘REACHING OUT’ - This figure shows two children helping each other climb onto a large granite stone. Dressed in typical 1940s clothing, one child wears a leg brace, the result of polio. The sculpture was created to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Downtown Rotary Club and to draw attention to Rotary International’s PolioPlus program that seeks to rid the world of polio completely by the year 2005.

3) ‘REVEREND GAETZ’ - The Reverend, one of Red Deer’s early leaders, appears to be gazing down the Main Street of the town that he helped to create. He also looks like he’s actively engaged in a conversation with the viewer. The Reverend would often be found talking with members of the community on street corners like this. This was the first ghost to be erected.

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4) ‘FRANCIS THE PIG’ - The legend of Francis the Pig began in July 1990 when he escaped from a local abattoir. For nearly five months Francis roamed throughout Red Deer’s parklands, avoiding natural predators and several attempts to rescue him. Sadly, when Francis was finally captured he was injured and died soon after on a local farm. Francis reminds us that hog production and processing are important parts of the Red Deer economy.

5) ‘SOUND THE ALARM’ - In this sculpture, two volunteer firefighters are responding with great speed to a call. You can see the tension of the moment in the men’s faces and the straining muscles of the horses. This may explain why we can only see one of the driver’s hands; he is struggling to control the horses and put on his coat.

“Fire! Sound the alarm!” In Alberta’s pioneer communities, a cry of fire struck fear in the hearts of the citizens. In no time at all, an entire community might be virtually wiped out and many lives lost. In the fall of 1904, following a major fire in Red Deer’s downtown, Town Council passed a bylaw creating a volunteer fire brigade. New equipment was purchased and eventually a new fire hall was built.

6) ‘FRANCIS GALBRAITH’ - At the north east entry to City Hall Park, you will find Francis Galbraith, the city’s first Mayor following Red Deer’s incorporation as a city in 1913. He’s enjoying a cup of coffee while reading his Red Deer Advocate. The newspaper, which Galbraith founded in 1906, remains our City’s daily publication. The

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Advocate sponsored this piece to commemorate its 90th anniversary.

7) ‘KEITH MANN’ –“Let the Music Play” was created to honour the late Mr. Keith Mann, an internationally acclaimed music director, founder of the Red Deer College School of Music, Canadian Concert Band Festival, National Youth Band, conductor of the Red Deer Royals and Red Deer College Symphonic Winds, and member of the Rotary Club of Red Deer. He is shown here in the moment just before one of his concerts. His baton is raised. A hush is falling on the audience. All of his attention and focus is on the musicians that he will be leading and the music that will be created. In the next moment, the magic will begin...

8) ‘HAZEL BRAITHWAITE’ - Family legend has it that the young Hazel Braithwaite (age 21), determined to exercise her right to vote during the 1926 federal election, had to push through a crowd of men who were equally determined to deny her that right. In the 1965 federal election, less than 40 years later, she stood as the New Democratic Party candidate. Her granddaughters speak of her as a role model. Mrs. Braithwaite believed that women were meant to be equal in the eyes of the law and the world. In honour of her work in the community, Mrs. Braithwaite was inducted into the Alberta Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1978. Coming Soon: Doris Forbes and Mickey the Beaver Ghost Coronation Park

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Downtown Business Association 5024 Ross Street – 2nd Floor

Red Deer, AB T4N 1Y3 Tel: 403.340.8696 Fax: 403-340.8696

Email info@experiencedowntownreddeer.com Web: www.ExperienceDowntownRedDeer.com