Business Pioneers

Our first family Trading Post began in Alberta, Canada near the Lethbridge area back in the 1880's.

The economy of the area developed from drift mining of coal in the late 19th century and agriculture in the early 2oth century.

Before the 19th century, the Lethbridge area was populated by several Frist Nations at various times. The Blackfoot referred to the area as Aksaysim ("steep banks"), Mek-kio-towaghs ("painted rock"), Assini-etomochi ("where we slaughtered the Cree") and Sik-ooh-kotok ("coal"). The Sarcee referre to it as Chadish-kashi ("black/rocks"), the Cree as Kuskusukisay ("black/rocks"), and the Nakoda as Ipubin-saba-akabin ("digging coal"). After the US Army stopped alcohol trading with the Blackfeet Nation in Montana in 1869, traders John J. Healy and Alfred B. Hamilton started a whiskey trading post at Fort Hamilton, near the future site of Lethbridge. The post's nickname became Fort Whoop-Up. The whiskey trade led to the Cypress Hills massacre of many native Assiniboine in 1873. The North-West Mounted Police, sent to stop the trade and establish order, arrived at Fort Whoop-Up on October 9, 1874. They managed the post for the next 12 years.