Village of Donalda, Alberta

Oil Lamp Designer: Phill Racine and Bearden Engineering (Red Deer, AB)

When Built: July 1, 2000 Dimensions: Height: 42 Feet (12.8 Metres) Width at Base: 17 Feet (5.18 Metres) Construction Materials: Structure is 1/8 steel sheets on a heavier substructure and a fibreglass globe. Location: East end of Main Street

Reason for Building:

Constructed as a Millenium project and to complement Donalda's museum of oil lamps.

Additional Information:

The project was started in June 1997. Created jointly by the Donalda Museum, Agriculture Society and the Village.

Lamp is built on 30 foot (9.1 metre) pillions hammered into the ground. On top of that, concrete footings were created around the base. To absorbed frost, the footings are lined with 2 inch Styrofoam and the inner base is filled with gravel and sand and another layer of 2 inch Styrofoam. It also features a six inch concrete floor.

June 23, 2000 the lamp was brought to its site and took less than 2 hours to assemble. All of the work was completed on June 30, 2000.

It is illuminated by a 400 watt street lamp that comes on each night at dusk and shuts off at dawn.

The total cost of the Lamp, fully paid for by donations, fund raisers and grants, is estimated at $90,000.

Slaven and Sue Tustonic provided this picture of the lamp to give a sense of placement:

Information Source: Donalda Museum, Louis Johnson and Finlayson, Dave "Vulcan's Salute to Trekkies Beams in Tourists From Afar" Edmonton Journal April 24, 1999

Pictures Sources: Robert Morin , Louis Johnson and Slaven and Sue Tustonic