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Collected Item: “The Calgary Stampede challenge coin, 2020”

Give your story a title.

The Calgary Stampede challenge coin, 2020

What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?

Photograph, text story

Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.

This is a small story from my dad, a CBSA officer in Calgary Alberta. He collects and commissions challenge coins for his workplace, which has quickly become his main hobby over the pandemic, trading these coins with officers across Canada and America. The PDF document is his own description of what this coin is, what it represents and why it is so important to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the city of Calgary, cancelling for the first time in it's history, the 'greatest outdoor show on Earth,' the Calgary Stampede. This event is intrinsic to Calgary's identity, a show which celebrates the ranching and agricultural roots of this city and ultimately this province. The Calgary stampede boasts chuckwagon races, agricultural expos, overpriced yet famous mini-doughnuts and provincial art exhibits and much, much more - it's one of the few times a year where it's socially acceptable to dress up like a cowboy or cowgirl.

Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?

challenge coin, The Calgary Stampede, Calgary, CBSA, border services officer, Canada, cancelled, outdoor show, Alberta

Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)

Ian Cohen

Give this story a date.

2020-07
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