End of an era on Albert Street
The red sign on the white storefront that locals have known for decades is down. Bregg Cleaners & Tailors, a family-run dry-cleaning shop near the intersection of Albert Street and Victoria Avenue in downtown Regina, stopped taking orders on Monday, bringing to a close a business that documents show likely dates back to the 1930s.
Manager Chris Thorsteinson said his father bought the property in 1988, and the shop’s history and clientele stretched well beyond that. Over the years Bregg offered services such as dry cleaning, wedding dress preservation, tailoring and even fur storage. For generations of customers it was a practical service and a neighbourhood hub.
“I mean, there used to be well over 20 cleaners in Regina when I started working here and now I think we’re down to four or five, so I think that says it all,”
Thorsteinson, who began working behind the counter at the age of 11, described the business as deeply interwoven with family life and community. He recalled helping his grandparents at the shop and eating lunches prepared by his grandmother — memories that underline how small businesses often double as living rooms for neighbourhoods.
Why the doors are closing
Thorsteinson pointed to shifting customer habits and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as decisive factors in the decision to close. The pandemic significantly changed how people spend on clothing care and how often they visit downtown businesses. The drop in the number of operating cleaners in Regina — from more than 20 to an estimated four or five — illustrates that changing market.
He said the human side of the job is what he will miss most: the intergenerational relationships with customers, the banter with colleagues and the small rituals that come with running a neighbourhood store.
- Location: Albert Street and Victoria Avenue, downtown Regina
- History: Traced to the 1930s; family ownership since at least 1988
- Services: Dry cleaning, wedding dress preservation, tailoring, fur storage
- Last day taking orders: Monday (this week)
What this means for downtown
The closure is part of a broader pattern affecting main-street services in Regina and other prairie cities. As more shoppers turn to online retail, casual dress and less frequent professional clothing care, businesses that relied on repeat local customers face pressure. Downtown commercial vacancies, shifting foot traffic and higher operating costs all play into decisions by long-standing businesses to wind down.
For neighbourhoods, the loss is both practical and symbolic. Residents lose convenient access to everyday services like alterations and garment care; they also lose a place where stories and community ties were nurtured across generations.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimated founding | 1930s (based on historical documents) |
| Family ownership | Property bought by Thorsteinson's father in 1988 |
| Primary services | Dry cleaning, wedding dress preservation, tailoring, fur storage |
As downtown Regina continues to evolve, the story of Bregg Cleaners is a reminder that long-running local services can be vulnerable to changes in shopping habits, economic cycles and demographic shifts. Residents who remember dropping off suits for work or handing over a wedding dress for safekeeping will now look elsewhere — and a familiar face in the neighbourhood will be gone.
The manager has not announced plans for the property’s future use. For many longtime customers, the closure marks the end of a small but meaningful chapter in the city’s living history.
