On behalf of Lethbridge City Council, I want to thank Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips for her dedicated public service to our community and to our province.

Highlights from the May 28, 2024, City Council meeting. 

The women’s national curling championship could be heading back to Lethbridge. Lethbridge City Council on Tuesday voted 8-1 to provide a letter of support, as well as $400,000 in cash and in-kind services, to support the Lethbridge Curling Club in its bid to host the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The event would be held from January 23 to February 1, 2026, at the ENMAX Centre and feature the top 18 women’s curling teams from across Canada, including at least two or three Alberta-based teams.

Construction is about to resume on 7 Street South from 4 Avenue to 7 Avenue to connect the bike lanes in Downtown Lethbridge to the 7 Avenue bike boulevard and the city-wide cycling network. The planned work, all weather dependent, is to begin on Monday, May 27, and is estimated to take approximately four weeks to complete.

I’m very pleased to begin this month by highlighting a wonderful collaboration between CONCEPT. Investment Partners Ltd. (CIPL), Province of Alberta and the City of Lethbridge that will soon bring 50 new housing units to the city. 

Fire safety awareness, graffiti abatement, crime prevention through environmental design, using data collection and outlining roles of various City of Lethbridge departments are among the topics that have been explored by the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force to date. At the Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee meeting on Thursday, Hunter Heggie, Chair of Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force, issued a submission to showcase a recap of the work to date.

Highlights from the May 14, 2024, meeting of Lethbridge City Council.

The cycling lanes in Downtown Lethbridge will be staying in place. On Tuesday, Lethbridge City Council directed Administration return to an SPC meeting in summer 2025 with an update on the Downtown bike lane usage – then also return in summer 2026 with a report on bike lane usage, safety, and modifications to address other issues that may arise.

With a direct tie-in to the 2023-2026 City of Lethbridge Operating Budget, approved in November 2022, property tax rates for 2024 have now been set and notices will soon be sent to property owners in the city.

Lethbridge City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to allocate $15,000 from Council Contingencies for a refreshed marketing and recruitment campaign in partnership with Alberta Health Services South Zone, Chinook Primary Care Network, Economic Development Lethbridge, and other community partners.