Before European settlement of Lethbridge the area was under the control of the Blackfoot tribe of Native Americans. As more and more European settlers came many Natives were forced into a new life and eventually the Natives signed over their control of the territory to Canada. Before the Canadian government established full control over the area a booming whiskey trade took root. It took the intervention of the NWMP (North-West Mounted Police) to stop these illegal activities. Soon after this a major coal mining operation started to develop in the coulee regions of Coalbanks. Coalbanks was renamed Lethbridge in 1885. Lethbridge received city status in 1906. During World War II, many Japanese Canadians and German POW's were interned in Lethbridge. After the war many stayed having established a new life. As a result, you'll see some influences of Japanese and German culture blended with the surrounding Ukrainian, Dutch, Mormon, Native and Hutterite cultures.Today Lethbridge is undergoing a strong economic boom and as a result many new businesses are cropping up. There is also a large population boom but many businesses are still looking for people to work because there are still so few people to work. http://wikitravel.org/en/Lethbridge