The Bike That Came Home
A recent addition to the Heritage Collection
is a 1940s bicycle once owned by Catharine Whyte. Audrey Campbell, who
acquired it after Catharine's death, gave it to collector Mike Gordon of
Canmore. He has now donated the bicycle to the Whyte
Museum.
 In a letter to her mother, dated April 2, 1942, Catharine
writes about the war making changes in Banff - the lack of tourists, the
gasoline rationing and she continues: "We are hoping to get a couple of
bicycles from Calgary. They make only two kinds now, a man's and a ladies,
but it would be nice to have to run up to the post office or down to the
station, and in the evening we could take a run out the west road where it
is paved, where we used to take the car. It also will be good exercise. We
haven't gotten them as yet, but are hoping that we can. Pete got so
enthusiastic about the thought the other day when we began thinking of the
possibilities, and talked of making a two day trip to Lake Louise on them,
that he had a trip to the coast all planned. But I really think we are
wise not to think about what we will do until we have the
bicycles."
— Carol Black, Coordinator of Heritage
Collections |
