I want to begin this month with a sincere Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our Lethbridge residents! This, of course, will be the final monthly column installment of 2023 – a year which has certainly had plenty of items on the go throughout.

Today, Lethbridge City Council approved initial steps that would pave a new path forward for Lethbridge & District Exhibition and the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. In response to a letter of intent received from the Lethbridge & District Exhibition, City Council passed a resolution that will provide emergency interim resourcing to create stability and business continuity and explore a vision for the future.

Highlights from the December, 12, 2023, Lethbridge City Council meeting.

Late in the day, we received confirmation from the Government of Alberta that they have declined our request to provide $1.04 million in capital funding to support the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre.

City Council today received an update on the repurposing review of the Main, North, South and West pavilions as well as Heritage Hall and Safety City buildings located on the Exhibition grounds.

The Downtown Lawlessness Reduction (DLR) Task Force, which will consist of members from City Council, City Administration, the Downtown BRZ, Lethbridge Fire and EMS and the Lethbridge Police Service, is now officially operational. On Tuesday, Lethbridge City Council voted to approve the Task Force’s Terms of Reference

The City of Lethbridge, like many communities across the country, has been impacted by complex social issues including a drug crisis and increased homelessness. This is something that is concerning to our entire community and has affected the health and safety of our residents. These challenges span many demographics, involve a multitude of social issues, and are managed across several government jurisdictions. Solutions aren’t simple but we are proud of the tremendous efforts over the last 12 months as we partnered with the Government of Alberta and community stakeholders to improve our city.

Highlights from the November 28, 2023, Lethbridge City Council meeting.

The Lethbridge Animal Shelter will soon be adding a fenced dog run on its property to provide new opportunities for exercising, training and socializing dogs available for adoption.