Hanging it up: Bregg Cleaners closes store in downtown Regina

The screech of hangers on clothes racks won’t ring out at Bregg Cleaners, Tailors & Furriers any longer — the mainstay dry cleaning store in downtown Regina is closing its doors after nearly 90 years in business.

Manager Chris Thorsteinson said crowds of customers didn’t return with suits and gowns after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“The volumes have gone down,” he said. “People just don’t dress up like they used to anymore, and don’t get to use our services as much as I think they used to.”

The dry cleaners overlooks the empty Capitol Pointe lot on Albert Street and Victoria Avenue.

Thorsteinson said the Bregg Cleaners press machines take an hour to warm up. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

The business is owned by Thorsteinson’s father, who retired several years ago.

The store’s last day of business was Monday, with the final day of pick-up on Aug. 18.

Thorsteinson remembers being put to work behind the counter at 11 years old.

“(I) had to ride my bike down after school because it was cheaper than hiring a babysitter,” he said.

His father had already spent two years at the store working the press machine and dryers and in 1988, Thorsteinson’s dad bought the store from the owners.

“We worked together for 40 years and got along fairly well,” the manager said. “As anybody in a family business knows, there’s ups and downs.”

Thorsteinson has seen just about everything come through the business doors, from food-splattered suits to grungy wedding dresses.

He remembers his biggest order, taking 15 van loads of clothes out of a couple’s home after a fire.

Thorsteinson said the dry cleaning business boomed in the 1980s, but slowly dried out over the decades.

Bregg cleaners earlier closed its furrier floor that decontaminated and repaired fur coats due to a lack of demand.

“We probably had 700 fur coats we used to store in this building in our alarmed vault, but not anymore,” he said.

A few lonely fur coats remain unclaimed in the basement after their owners didn’t come to pay the bills — the oldest coat Thorsteinson found was tagged from 2013.

Thorsteinson said much of people’s fancy fashions stayed in the closet during the pandemic. When restrictions lifted, the crowds didn’t return.

Bregg Cleaners used to have a full floor to clean fur coats which closed a decade ago. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

“Downtown is kind of dead. The people are working from home or not dressing up or just don’t do it anymore,” he said. “If you go to the bank or city hall, they’re not dressed up.”

There were 20 dry cleaning businesses in the Queen City when Thorsteinson first began decontaminating clothes. Now about four remain.

Thorsteinson said it will take him a while to clean out the building, and list it for sale.

He’s grateful to all the staff and loyal customers who came through the building over the years, and said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids in the future.