Many of us move through life trying to leave a legacy.
We impact those closest to us, but few of us make a mark within the larger community that withstands the test of time.
And it seems like the less money you have, the more likely you’ll be forgotten. The rich seem to be celebrated simply because they have money.
When Lethbridge was first established, most streets were named after people with money and influence. Streets names recognized company owners and investors – often, these wealthy people didn’t even live in Lethbridge.
The Lethbridge Historical Society (LHS) decided it was time to change that one-sided legacy.
“A few years ago, we came up with the idea that if the rich people got the streets, everyone else should have the alleys,” wrote public historian and LHS member Belinda Crowson.
Celebrating the “Rest of Us”
Like the rich, the main roads get all the traffic and attention. Like the poor, Alleyways, much like many everyday people in Lethbridge, are often overlooked, forgotten, or hidden.
The LHS decided that alleyways could be utilized to remember the everyday people who would have walked them in the first few decades of Lethbridge’s history.
“Public health officials, store owners and employees, police and firefighters, housekeepers, bootleggers and madams.” are examples given by the LHS.
People like the beloved “Bert the Popcorn Man” to Quong Sang, who ran the Fashion Cafe for decades, to Carmen Smith, well-known around town in her day for sticking her tongue out at Police Cheif Gillespie in the middle of court.
The LHS has dedicated street signs to everyday local characters who quietly paved the way for Lethbridge to become the city it is today.
Every alley that has been named carries a sign equipped with a QR code. By scanning this code, you can learn all about the alley’s namesake and all the quirky life they once brought to the community.
But Not All Are Celebrated
One demographic that is notably nearly left out from the signs, however, is Lethbridge’s original community – the Blackfoot Nation.
As Crowsen explained, there’s a meaningful reason for this.
“Under the Pass System.. Indigenous people were effectively segregated onto the reserves. Therefore, at that time, there were very few Indigenous people living in Lethbridge…they weren’t permitted to live in Lethbridge proper, but instead in camps/tents in the river valley or on the outskirts.”
The society felt it more meaningful to draw attention to this history honestly, and therefore, there are notably few signs that feature Blackfoot names.
“This segregation is part of the history of Lethbridge and part of the truth that must be told as part of Truth and Reconciliation,” she said.
While the past can’t be changed, we can learn from it.
The project hopes to not only spread historical knowledge but also change current perspectives on these areas of our hometowns and highlight past wrongs.
Ambling in the Alleys
Rather than seeing alleys as service routes for garage collection, the LHS initiative encourages people to see these spaces as avenues for business growth, increased pedestrian activity, tourism, and even potential community hubs.
If you’re interested in checking out the alley signs for yourself, you can easily stroll through on foot or by using this interactive map.
The LHS will also be running guided tours to educate people on these alleys’ history starting this May, and they plan to extend the Back Alley Naming project to more areas of town.
Perspective truly is everything, and everyone deserves to be remembered in some small way.
So take to the streets (or alleys) and have a look!
