ˈæftɚ ðə sˌiːpˌiːˈɑːɹ mˈuːvd ðə dᵻvˈɪʒənəl pˈɔɪnt ʌv ɪts kɹˈoʊsənɪst lˈaɪn fɹʌm fˈɔːɹt məklˈaʊd tə lˈɛθbɹɪdʒ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈaɪv, ðə sˈɪɾi bɪkˌeɪm ɐ ɹˈiːdʒənəl sˈɛntɚ fɔːɹ sˈʌðɚn ælbˈɜːɾə; sˈʌmθɪŋ ðə ɹˈiːdʒən dɪdnˌɑːt hæv pɹˈiːviəsli.
After the CPR moved the divisional point of its Crowsnest Line from Fort Macleod to Lethbridge in 1905, the city became a regional centre for Southern Alberta; something the region did not have previously.