Genevive E. Yates Memorial Centre

The Yates Memorial centre was officially opened on May 1, 1966 as a theatre for the people of Lethbridge. The Yates is a 500-seat theatre which has held theatrical presentations, fashion shows, art shows, conventions, and musical presentations.

The Yates had its beginnings in 1945 when Dean R. Yates, owner of Yates Lumber Yards, sold his business to the Beaver Lumber Company. Some of the money from this sale ($200 347) was given to the city so that it could build a cultural facility. The fund was named the Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Fund, after Yates' wife. The fund sat and gained interest for eight years while council tried to find a use for the fund. Several options were discussed, including using the fund for a new library or art gallery.

P19752205196 The Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre.

By 1963 council had agreed to build a 500-seat theatre using the Yates Memorial Fund but they were still not sure of where to build it. Eventually, a site was chosen and construction went ahead; the total cost of the building was $546 151. Located on 4th avenue and 10th street south, the facility is still enjoyed by Lethbridgians today.

The quality and number of Lethbridge's cultural facilities is interesting because of the city's business history. Cultural facilities in Lethbridge developed during the time when Lethbridge's main industry was coal. The coal industry made Lethbridge unique among prairie communities because it was an industry that used urban people for its work, and so the city's cultural facilities were urban in nature. But, over time the coal industry lost its importance and the agricultural industry became more important to the city. The difference between the two industries was that the people who worked in agriculture had rural cultural institutions. This Lethbridge the cultural facilities that reflected the city and country at the same time.