As Lethbridge lost the 104-year-old Bow On Tong building to a fire in early February, many feared that the last remnants of Chinatown were gone with it. Some staples of the historic community still stand along 2 Avenue; most of us are familiar with the bold architecture of the Chinese Freemason building, or the Traditional Chinese lettering atop the Wing Wah Chong Co. building. As more historic buildings are lost to time, however, it is worth examining exactly what purpose they served in the first place—and why they still matter today.

Due to the racist laws and attitudes common in the early twentieth century, Chinese immigrants to Lethbridge were extremely limited in making a living; the entire community was, in essence, relegated to a few blocks along 2 Avenue. While this is the historic precedent for many Chinese neighbourhoods worldwide, Lethbridge’s Chinatown is believed to be one of the oldest in Alberta. This prejudice is an important factor to keep in mind when examining history; culturally vibrant communities often become so out of necessity.

The Bow On Tong itself got its start as far from Lethbridge as could be; Wei and Florence (Ho) Leong began the business in China several years beforehand. By 1926, the couple—having already immigrated to Vancouver several years earlier—moved to Lethbridge and opened the Lethbridge store. The business, in keeping with its name (which translates to “Good Health,”) served as an apothecary and Chinese goods store. It also served as the heart of a bustling community; its backrooms were often the centre for gambling and other leisure activities in Chinatown.

Albert Leong, the son of Wei and Florence, was born in the store’s basement in 1941. He was raised in the building and operated it himself for roughly 50 years. A beloved figure in the downtown core, Albert came to be called the “last man in Chinatown” due to his active efforts towards historical preservation and storytelling, with the government of Alberta giving the site historic designation in 2019. By 2021, however, an unfortunate variety of factors led to Albert selling the building. The February 1, 2023 fire exacerbated many of the building’s structural issues, leading to a quick demolition the next day. Luckily, no injuries were reported.

With each loss of a historical building, it can feel like another part of our past has been lost. Many are still standing in Lethbridge, including some that have been successfully restored through civilian efforts. Preservation work is often most successful when citizens take part in organizations like the Lethbridge Historical Society. For more information on these efforts, as well as the existing historical buildings in our downtown core, visit galtmuseum.com/research.