Welcoming Newcomers in Lethbridge: A Team Effort

The City of Lethbridge, working together with Lethbridge Family Services, is making sure our newest neighbours feel right at home. The newcomer program initiative is all about helping new residents get to know their new community.

The initiative is the result of a partnership between different organizations, with a focus on interactive events that connect newcomers to vital community resources. 

On November 10, the City’s latest newcomer day saw the collaborative efforts of Lethbridge Family Services, the Recreation and Culture department, Lethbridge Transit, Helen Schuler Nature Center, the Lethbridge Curling Club and the YMCA come together to offer a full day of tours, programs and fun!

The newcomer day saw 38 new residents from eight different countries speaking 11 different languages to learn about the city.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome and introduce our newest Lethbridge residents to the outstanding recreation and cultural resources in our city,” says Jennie Sudo, Partnership Strategist with the City’s Recreation and Culture department. “It’s great to see City departments and partners work together to make this day happen.”

Starting in the morning, the new residents were first taken to the Cavendish Farms Centre where they got to tour three different areas of the building. They got a tour of the two ice surfaces where they learned about the arenas, see how the ice was resurfaced and could even choose to go out on the ice or sit back and watch some talented figure skaters.

The next tour was through the Lethbridge Curling Club, were they got to tour the curling centre and learn about Canada’s quintessential sport. They heard about learn to curl programs and even got to see a few rocks go down the ice!

Finally, they toured the YMCA facility where they got to learn about the aquatic centre, gymnasium space and child-minding areas.

The newcomers spent the afternoon at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre where they learned about different programming available and ways they could connect with nature.

Lethbridge Transit assisted throughout the day with the smooth transportation from each of the different locations. While on the bus, they were provided an education on how the City’s transit service worked, along with fee assistance options for riding the bus.  

The newcomer program is a testament to the City’s commitment to inclusivity and community building. As Lethbridge continues to grow and diversify, the newcomer program stands as a shining example of how collaboration can make a lasting impact on community integration. 

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