‘Quite tragic’: Fire damages historic buildings in Lethbridge’s Chinatown
Two historic buildings in Lethbridge's Chinatown district were damaged by a fire on Tuesday morning.
The blaze broke out in the 300 block of Second Avenue South at around 5 a.m., damaging both the Bow on Tong Co. building and the Manie Opera House bulding.
Firefighters from Coaldale joined Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services in extinguishing the blaze.
Officials say no one was injured.
"There is a lot of history in this downtown Chinatown and we've lost one of the most iconic buildings of this past history," said Ken Nakagama, who owns and operates Nakagama’s Japanese Food and Giftware,
He said while he's relieved his business didn’t catch fire, it does have "a bit" of smoke damage.
The Bow On Tong and Manie Opera Society have been in Chinatown for more than a century.
President of the Lethbridge Historical Society Belinda Crowson says it's a tragic loss of history for the city and the Chinese population.
"These buildings are tangible part of our heritage, and they stand there as the story, and the way to tell the story," Crowson said. "(The fire) means we're losing something that is a very representation or a very visible signature of that story."
Crowson says Bow On Tong was built in 1920 and helped support Chinese-Albertans in Lethbridge since the early 1900s, operating as a grocery store and lodging house, and later as a traditional Chinese herbal shop.
The building was given historic designation by the province in 2019.
Several groups tried to raise money and apply for grants to restore the building, but those efforts ended after over $106,000 was put into structural repairs.
Crowson added the opera house was constructed in 1907. She says despite the loss, the stories of the buildings and their history will continue to be told.
"The Chinese Free Mason is still there, we have the Lee Wong building on 13 Street North, so there are still some buildings that tell that story - very few were like the Bow On Tong with that apothecary area and with the stories there," Crowson said. "I know we've documented - we have photographs - but there is nothing like the real building to tell the story."
Despite the loss for the Chinatown community, Nakagama says he hopes to continue business as normal once the investigation wraps up.
"We’ll be up and running as soon as the city, police and fire department can restore power and everything," Nakagama said.
Fire investigators remained at the scene throughout the day on Tuesday and say the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
A damage estimate is not yet known.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.