Race riot left black mark on early Lethbridge history

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on August 24, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward The Galt Museum's Blair Many Fingers explains the history of the Bow on Tong Co. building during the Remembering Lethbridge's Chinatown tour over the weekend.

The Galt Museum hosted a Remembering Lethbridge’s Chinatown Walking Tour on Saturday morning.

The walk took a small number of people through the journey of a vibrant history of riots, rumours, places and faces and the connection of how families lived and worked here.

“We go through downtown and there’s certain historical buildings that each building will have a story tied to it,” said Blair Many Fingers, Galt Museum and Fort Whoop Up Indigenous assistant.

“There’s stories of riots, of opium, gambling and just how Chinatown once was back in its heyday. But it also touches on deeper issues like systemic racism and the head tax. We’ll learn about that and we will have a better understanding about history and how Chinatown dwindled out and how Asian people contributed to Lethbridge’s economy.”

Many Fingers said Chinese food restaurants and the laundries were a big part of Chinatown, when asked about the impact of Chinatown on Lethbridge’s downtown.

“They were really hard workers,” said Many Fingers.

“They provided good service to their customers and it was a part of Lethbridge’s economy and they still remain a part of Lethbridge’s economy.”

Many Fingers was fascinated by the tour in the sense of how all the Chinese stuck together and how they took care of their own.

“They’ll bring people from China to work in the restaurants and they’ll just really take care of them and they’ll get labour from them and in return they’ll get a place to stay,” he said.

“And I just like how they work together to live a good life.”

Many Fingers thinks it’s important to view history through different lenses, such as the Chinatown tour.

“(It) will give us a better understanding of some of the truths that our history reveals, so we can move towards reconciliation,” he said.

One of the stops on tour was at the site of the old Coaldale Hotel, which dates back to 1895, and attached down 5th Street was the Columbia Restaurant.

“Chinese men worked in the Columbia and on Christmas Day in 1907… I think 115 years ago now, a rather important event took place here,” said Many Fingers, who was reading out of the guide tour package.

“There’s several different versions of the story and one version says that allegedly since it was Christmas, men had the day off work and had come to this part of town to drink and celebrate. Around midnight, a man called Harry Smith walked into the Columbia with some friends and ordered food. Harry Smith told the Chinese waiter Jim Lee to hurry up and (was) being rude. Jim Lee told him to leave. Harry Smith laughed it off but Jim Lee was serious. A scuffle broke out and Jim Lee grabbed a hammer and struck Harry on the head, driving him and his friends from the restaurant. The incident was reported to police and Harry Smith headed off home to enjoy his Christmas dinner.”

Many Fingers furthered the story, as there was an apparent rumour going around that Harry Smith was dead.

“A mob of angry men formed and they went back to the Columbia. They barged in and wrecked the place,” he said. “The newspapers at the time say dishes were a foot deep on the kitchen floor, chairs and tables were smashed. Another reported glass windows were broken and stones and missiles were hurled at Chinese residents and a general ruination carried the place.”

The rioters didn’t stop there as they went after other Chinese businesses.

Joe Fong’s restaurant, which was several blocks away, was also trashed.

The mob then poured across 5th Street to another restaurant where Chinese waiters and cooks hid in the cellar.

“The riot didn’t come out of nowhere,” continued Many Fingers with the story.

“Anti-Chinese riots had already broken out in Vancouver and in Calgary for years … In Parliament, the ridiculous concerns had been raised about dangerous Chinese immigrants. While some residents of Lethbridge expressed shame over the riots, there (was) still a strong anti-Asian attitude in town. For Chinese business owners, it was the beginning of their troubles.”

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