In this column, Lena Braman has again been good enough to put together a show report on the 2006 WCIC meet that was held in Medicine Hat Alberta.

Western Canadian Insulator Collectors 
6th Annual Show and Sale Wrap-Up July, 2006

Another successful and very pleasant meeting of the WCIC was held on July 15 and 16th in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The venue was once again at the MedaIta Potteries, this time in the meeting room.

I think most of us were impressed with the work that has gone on in the MedaIta buildings since we were here last year. The big room we used last summer was not available because it was being used as a storage room for artifacts during restoration. Since the potteries shut down, the buildings had been used for other purposes, one of which involved filling in the bottom levels with cement. This cement is being painstakingly removed (oooohhh, I can just feel those blisters!!) and as artifacts/remnants of the potteries show up, they are carefully placed on tables. It looked like a major archaeological dig in progress.

There must have been quite a production line going to keep kilns this size operating. I'm guessing they must be about 24 feet in diameter.

On the next page is a display of many of the Medalta Potteries products. I don't see the insulators shown though. After seeing crocks this large, one can see why they would need such large kilns to produce these products.

Dave Spencer and Daryl Heron once again planned and coordinated a smooth-running event. Regulars / founding members and some new faces showed up, eager to wheel, deal, touch and feel... the insulators! Added treats were an electrical display by Bill Thompson, who showed some marvelously preserved electrical items from the last century or so (100 year old light bulbs? How can something so fragile be so hardy and, believe it, very attractive?) Another addition was a table of Alta Glass by Allan Jensen. He probably knows more about Alta Glass than anyone as well as being a published author on the subject. The Alta Glass Manufacturing Company in Medicine Hat produced decorative glass from 1950 to 1988, now highly collectible. An interesting note is that the slightly greasy feel of the glass is unlike any other glass and still a mystery.

Some new faces included Jim Rogalsky from Calgary and Reid Ryder from Edmonton. Regulars were Rob Parker (High River), Rod Bushfield (Calgary), Lena Braman (Drumheller), Mel Bradford (Moose Jaw, Sask), Ken Morrow (Regina, Sask), Dave Spencer (Medicine Hat) and Daryl Heron (Medicine Hat). Some of the visitors included familiar faces and new collectors. Drop-in traffic was fairly good since the room was just off the main lobby of the potteries.

Besides being a good venue for some trading and selling, it was a good opportunity to catch up with friends and swapping stories. Dave's lovely wife, Arlette, organized a day of garage saling (is there such a word?) which kept my hubby, Dennis, and the other spouses amused. Dave and Arlette also extended their house and hospitality to the group for a relaxed evening of visiting.

We held our annual meeting on Sunday afternoon. Special thanks were given to Allan for the lovely Alta Glass and to Bill for his marvelous electrical display. Many, many thanks were given to Dave and Daryl for their work over the past three years. Medicine Hat has been a great venue for the show and sale but it is time to pass the torch of organization to someone else and give Dave and Daryl a break. We tossed out a few ideas and will investigate them further. One thing for sure, there will be another show next year, never fear. July was good but we may end up moving it into August, depending on a venue. We would like to attach our show to some other event if possible. We've also agreed that we must separate it from the National by at least two weeks.

During the weekend, we held a draw for various items including a root beer amber Australian insulator, a Spec-Thru kit (both donated by Mike Jackson and won by someone I only know as Raven) and other fun items. The proceeds of the draw plus the table rentals and donations amounted to about $200 after expenses. There was some discussion what to do with the money and the final plan was to donate it to the Friends of Medalta for their hospitality. Daryl called me last week and said that he and Dave bought a brick on behalf of the Western Canadian Insulator Collectors and gave the rest as a donation. Look for it when you visit the potteries next year. It's a great site.

Also, Lena (me) was so surprised and pleased to be given a fabulous, framed Bateman print by Daryl and Dave, for my work(?) on WClC. The picture is of a red-tailed hawk sitting on a cross-arm, with a couple of ... you guessed it!! ... insulators! Dominion-42, CD155s to be exact. Both Dennis and I are bird fans, Bateman fans, nature picture fans and insulator fans so we were both delighted. I'm not sure I deserved it but I'm not going to argue. Thank you!!!

All in all, another very pleasant weekend with good friends who share a common hobby and good conversation. We've also made some new contacts. Keep an eye out for our plans for next summer! Also, please check out Rod's site, InsulatorsCanada.com, for more pics and summaries. There's a great shot of Raven with the beginnings of his foreign collection.

"Thanks very much for the effort in reporting on the meet for those who were not there. The Bateman print is well deserved Lena." { Robin}

Another interesting find that has come my way is this 742. While it's a nice example of a light aqua threadless insulator, the neat part is that the mineralization in the pinhole has formed such that we can see that it was on a threaded pin for many years.

This insulator and pin could have been buried in the ground, or submerged in water for quite a while for the mineralization to have taken place up inside the pinhole.

The whitish lines that can be seen in the pinhole are indications that this insulator's former pin was threaded. This leads to a few more questions .... What kind of threaded pin was used? Did they have the slim version mentioned in March 2006's Canadian Forum, or did the lineman Whittle a standard pin down so that this 742 fit on the pin?

The header insulator for this column is a 734.8 Canadian threadless style. This insulator has mostly been found in western Canada, although it is suspected to have been made by the Hamilton Glass Co. of what is now Ontario. This style is just under 3" tall and is nicknamed the Baby Battleford as many have been found along the route of the Dominion Telegraph line that ran through Battleford Saskatchewan.

Feel free to drop CJOW or myself a note if you have anything you would like to see covered in the way of Canadian insulator news or information. 

Robin Plewes, Almonte Ontario. 
Phone: 613-256-7638 Email: robin.plewes@cmcelectronics.ca