MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
The location was opened on February 23, 1916 by the Standard
Bank of Canada as a sub-agency of Standard's Lethbridge branch,
with Mr. G. F. Bletcher as Coalhurst's Manager. The following year
the location became a full branch, with Mr. D. A. Currie as
Accountant-in-Charge. From 1919 to 1926 Mr. L. G. Thomas
was responsible for the branch, holding the title Acting Manager
until 1921, subsequently becoming Manager.
In 1927 Mr. Thomas was replaced by Mr. F. J. Catton, Acting
Manager, who held the position until the appointment in 1929
of Mr. V. McLeod, Manager.
In 1930 the branch became a sub-agency of the Commerce
Lethbridge branch, with Mr. K. W. Reikie Manager of Lethbridge.
The Coalhurst subagency was closed on May 16, 1935, and
the business was transferred to the Lethbridge branch.
Lethbridge Managers in the interim were Mr. C. H. Niles from
1931 to 1933, and Mr. F. L. Rhodes in 1934 and 1935.
The Coalhurst location is shown as "Main Street, Lots 11-12,
Block I".
Postscript:
The old Standard Bank of Canada, Standing wind-blown and
boarded up, was once a centre of activity for more than 1,000
residents of Coalhurst. The bank, the first and only one in that
village, opened in 1916, says long time resident of Coalhurst
Jim McDermott. It closed when the mine operated by North
American Collieries shut down. Coalhurst then had a population
of about 1400 people, he says. It was known as the Canadian
Bank of Commerce a few years after it opened and housed
the post office until 1935.
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