Alberta Railway and Irrigation ( A. R. & I.) Building

Scope and Content: View of the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company building located on 7th Street South between 2 Avenue and 3 Avenue South. Two cars angle parked in foreground.

History Biographical: The building was constructed in 1891 by the Lethbridge Building Company, a group of citizens who raised money for "an entertainment hall". The building, also called the Opera House during the 1890s, was the site for various social events, and rooms in the building were rented by groups such as the Knights of Pythias and Masonic Lodge. In 1893 Elliott Torrance Galt rented rooms in the building formerly occupied by Lethbridge Town Council. The building's life as a community hall ended in 1899 when Elliott Galt purchased the building outright, and it became the Irrigation Hall. Galt created living space in the building for himself, while the rest became the offices of the Alberta Railway & Coal Company. The name was changed to Alberta Railway & Irrigation Company Building after 1904, and when the Canadian Pacific Railway bought out the Galt enterprises in 1912, the name changed again to CPR Natural Resources Building. Also known as the Galt Mine Building and Lethbridge Collieries Building for company offices located there, the building underwent its final name change in 1946 when it became the SMRD Building. The St. Mary River Development, later St. Mary's River Irrigation District, offices remained in the building until 1966 when it was demolished to make way for a supermarket.

Scope and Content: View of the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company building located on 7th Street South between 2 Avenue and 3 Avenue South. Two cars angle parked in foreground.