A reproduction of a larger Friendship Bell, given to the province in 1984 by the Korean government, was up for sale last week at Service Alberta Auction..Well it was for sale, until the Western Standard inquired why..Throughout societies and cultures all around the world, a bell has a multitude of symbolic meanings and purposes. Bells can symbolize beginnings and endings, a call to order, or even a command or a warning..The South Korean Friendship Bell was about to ring its last dong for the province of Alberta apparently after it was added to the auction. The bell was presented to Alberta on September 26, 1984. It represented the anniversary of the "Special relationship" between the two locales.."The Bell of Friendship was part of a group of items designated surplus by the former Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation on Aug. 25, 2022, and put up for sale by Alberta Surplus Sales on their behalf," said Jared Gustafson, press secretary for the Alberta government..On Monday the Western Standard learned the bell was up for bid and asked why the item was being sold off. The decision was quickly reversed by the government.."It is a regrettable mistake this item was designated as surplus and the sale of the Bell of Friendship has been reversed at the request of the Ministry of Forestry, Parks and Tourism," Gustafson said.."Government of Alberta Surplus Sales makes the most of tax dollars through repurposing and reselling assets that have outlived their original life.".A number of the publicly-owned items are then redeployed within the government or donated back into the community.."When items do not sell, every effort is made to direct waste away from landfills by breaking down items for recycling and repurposing," Gustafson said..Over the 2021-22 fiscal year (April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022) $4.7 million in revenue was generated through the sale of 48,889 items. More than $500,000 in savings was achieved through the redeployment of 2,978 items within the public sector..Gustafson said 154,765 kilograms of scrap metal and electronic material was diverted from the landfill..Albertans can access surplus sale items through the Alberta Online Auction, “Buy it Now” sales floors in Edmonton and Calgary, and on occasion at off-site auctions.."The method is selected based on the best revenue-return strategy to ensure assets are sold for the highest possible market value," Gustafson said..It is unclear how much the bell would have sold for, but for the government of Alberta it now seems the Friendship Bell from South Korea is more important than dollar signs..The bell had 258 bids, and was at $561.
