New picture book takes readers through Lethbridge’s transformation

Pictures are telling the story of Lethbridge’s transformation through the years in a new book.

“We took an old publication from 1980 called Reflections: Lethbridge Then and Now,” said author, Belinda Crowson. “That one had pictures from early 1900s and late 1900s. This one has early 1900s, late 1900s, and early 2000s, so you can see how these sites have changed.”

Crowson said this new book, Upon Further Reflection: Lethbridge — Then and Now, helps readers keep an updated time capsule of the past.

“We can look to the 1890s when we had the opera house here, then of course that was knocked down, the hall bock was lost to fire and then we had the Safeway IGA and now we have Casa,” said Crowson.

“Those same questions — how have things changed, were things better or worse in the past, where are we going — those are the eternal questions we all have and history helps us to understand that,” explained Crowson.

1:41 New book gives readers snapshot of Lethbridge’s past

This is the 62nd publication of the Lethbridge Historical Society.

Mike Jensen, a Lethbridge photographer, helped provide hundreds of updated photos for this edition and the archives.

“I was born and raised in Lethbridge, and the history has always been important for me,” said Jensen. “To do photographs for them and to actually visit the historical sites is very rewarding to me.”

1:45 Lethbridge photography studio marks a century in business

Last year, two vacant historic downtown Lethbridge buildings were lost to fire, something Crowson and Hunter Heggie, owner of the Oliver Building, hope can be prevented in the future.

“I love that phrase ‘adaptive reuse’ and that is how old buildings live on,” explained Crowson. “They might remain in that building but their use changes.”

“It brings life to a building that was dead,” said Heggie.

Heggie took over ownership of the circa-1900s Oliver Building in 2016.

“There was three feet of water in the basement, power was cut off, and literally 200 or 300 pigeons living upstairs,” said Heggie.

The building now hosts both commercial and residential tenants and sees hundreds of people through its doors daily.

“We need to get these buildings alive again, and if we don’t, we’re going to lose them,” said Heggie.

Upon Further Reflection: Lethbridge — Then and Now is on sale at the Galt Museum and Archives and at Analog Books.