Lethbridge is located in the southern part of the province and receives more hours of sunshine per year than any other spot in Canada. Founded in the 1870s it was originally called "Coalbanks" for the large coal deposit upon which it was built. Also in the 1870s, the site on which Lethbridge now sits was the home of Fort Whoop-Up, a notorious site where traders illegally sold liquor to Indians. The site was shut down by the North West Mounted Police in 1874, and only the fort's foundations still remain. On the site of the fort there is now an interpretive centre, open from late May to early September.The city of Lethbridge is home to a large Japanese-Canadian population. This is the result of the relocation of Japanese-Canadians from the West coast of British Columbia during the Second World War (potential subversives was the reason). As such, the city is home to the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, one of the most authentic Japanese Gardens in North America, complete with a bell tower imported from Japan and cyprus wood from Taiwan. Hostesses in traditional kiminos provide tours through the garden. Today, Lethbridge has a population over 65,000 people and it's land mass covers almost 122 square kilometers. |