Landmark Building
BARRACK SQUARE, 1885
4th-6th Ave. & 9th-11th St. South, Lethbridge
Built in 1885
'); "RCMP Barracks Complex")
In 1885 an area two blocks square was set aside as parade grounds for the North-West Mounted Police. Title to the property was turned over to the Dominion government in 1886 and 1889. Various buildings were located on the north half of the property: the guardroom, jail and quarters for the men, houses for officers, and stables (erected in 1886).The south half was used for training, and paddocks for horses. It served as headquarters of K Division NWMP (1887-1904), RNWMP (1904-1920), and RCMP (1920-1938). It was the site of the City of Lethbridge's only execution when, on January 14, 1911, Wasyl Chobatar was hanged in one of the barns for the murder of Alex Lazaruk. Between 1912 and 1956, 18 hangings took place at the Lethbridge provincial jail, east of the city limits.
In 1939 the property was sold to the City of Lethbridge, with the Mounted Police retaining only a small portion on 9th Street opposite 5th Avenue South. The property was turned over to the military in September 1939 for use as barracks, and reverted back to the city in 1946. After 1944 plans were proposed for its post-war use as a civic centre. Though three plans were devised, none were implemented. However, over the years, the area became built up with a variety of institutional, recreational and cultural buildings which, taken together, effectively became a civic centre. A new City Hall (910 - 4th Avenue South) was built in 1949 (since replaced by a third City Hall, designed by architects Horton, Ferrari & Westwood, and opened on July 1, 2000. It was followed, in 1950, by the Civic Ice Centre (6th Avenue & 9th Street South), with its skating and curling rinks, and the Fritz Sick Memorial Centre (410 -11th Street South) funded by a donation from the prominent Lethbridge brewer. In 1951 the Courthouse (1010 - 4th Avenue South) was erected, and then the RCMP Divisional Headquarters (427 Stafford Drive South) in 1955. In addition, the Genevieve E.Yates Memorial Centre (1002 - 4th Avenue South), a theatre with seating for about 500 people, was built in 1966.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from Lethbridge Historical Walking Tour. Alberta Community Development and the Sir Alexander Galt Museum & Archives, n.d., with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.