July 2024 Mayor's Column

July is already off to a hot start – in temperature form and with all the activities taking place in our community.

I want to start this month’s column by reminding our residents of the City resources available to help residents stay cool and safe.

City of Lethbridge facilities are open to the public to seek reprieve from the sun. Public water stations are available in Nicholas Sheran Park, Legacy Park, Henderson Lake Park and in Galt Gardens downtown. The stations hook up to hydrants, providing a continuous water source. Local pools are open, including Henderson Outdoor Pool. Spray parks at Legacy Regional Park and Rotary Centennial Fountain at Galt Gardens will be open for expanded hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To help meet another community need and help our residents cool down during the current hot weather forecast, Gyro Spray Park on the westside will be also open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Please be mindful of the use of electric appliances and keep air-conditioning units at a moderate temperature to help prevent overloading the power grid.

The vulnerable members of our community are likely most at-risk during extreme temperatures without access to shelter. There are many local service organizations that are available to help during the hot weather, with the full list on our website. We also have links to provincial resources, including information from Alberta Health Services and Environment Climate Change Canada. Read more online here.

Since my June column, City Council has been busy with a number of items:

• We have approved a pilot program to improve resident accessibility for winter, while maintaining cost savings
• We heard a status update on the new outreach team providing further supports in the community
• We approved the Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan
• We received information on changes happening within Lethbridge Transit that are showing positive outcomes to ridership and revenues
• We approved a funding request for Galbraith gymnasium to upsize the space to increase community access as part of the long-standing Joint Use Agreement between the City and the Lethbridge School Division

In their July report to Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee, Lethbridge & District Exhibition (LDE) highlighted important changes made to improve the quality of service and economic sustainability at the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. 

They provided information on both financial and operating changes to the end of May 2024, including the replacement of the venue’s food and beverage provider with the important goal of shifting this area of the business from an expense to a revenue generator.

LDE has also made the operational decision to expand a roughed in area in the lobby of the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre to establish a concession. This will be controlled by LDE to provide another revenue opportunity while increasing service to both rental clients and visitors, something that has been requested often. The new concession is expected to be open in time for this year’s Whoop-Up Days.  

The openness and transparency from LDE to make these difficult but important changes shows Council and the community that they are committed to both quality and sustainability. We understand that you sometimes must take a step back to move forward and with careful evaluation, these changes will help make that happen.

Read the latest full update here. Any members of the community wishing to keep updated on City news and Council decisions regarding LDE can follow https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/lethbridge-district-exhibition.  

I recently attended several events and met with several Provincial Ministers during the Calgary Stampede. These meetings yielded some great conversations about future planning for our community. As always, City Council and I will continue to advocate for the supports we need in our city to best serve our residents.

Of course, summertime also means construction activities across the city. Residents are encouraged to check the WebMAP and allow for additional time to get to their destination to help reduce road construction frustration. The map provides residents with accurate and up-to-date information on road closures, facility closures and City projects and initiatives. 

Lethbridge motorists looking to access more live-time information on the city’s busiest roadway have a new tool to plan or adjust their route. Four new traffic monitoring cameras have recently been installed to look at Whoop-Up Drive, both westbound and eastbound, as well as at Whoop-Up Drive exit ramps at University Drive and Scenic Drive. The 24/7 cameras, which can be viewed here, take still images in two-minute increments with each photo stored for 20 minutes.

Congratulations this month to:

• The 13 newest members of the Lethbridge Police Service. LPS is currently accepting applications for the next cadet training class in January 2025
• The seven newest members of Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. LFES is currently accepting applications for the next cadet training class
• To our local Olympians and Paralympians. For a city of our size, the number of athletes, coaches and broadcast members we have sent to the Olympics over the years is something to be very proud of. Lethbridge City Council is thrilled to cheer on our local connections here in 2024! Best of luck to all of our athletes set to compete on the world’s biggest stage. Go Canada Go! Go Lethbridge Go! See a comprehensive list of all Lethbridge Olympians on the Lethbridge Sport Council’s website here
• The Canadian men’s soccer team for making it to a semi-final of a major tournament, the recent Copa America, for the first time. I’m excited to see them at the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada!
• To all the organizers and volunteers involved with the Street Machine Weekend. Thanks also to participants and attendees who packed the city everywhere and made it a safe and fun weekend. Can’t wait for 2025!

Lethbridge City Council will next meet on July 23. One of the agenda items is an official ask to support a bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup. What a great event that would be for our city and region. Stay tuned!

I hope to see you all at the Mayor’s Community Barbecue, set for Tuesday, August 20, outside City Hall following the Whoop-Up Days parade. More information coming soon.

As always, be safe and kind to one another.