February 2026 Mayor's Column

A belated Happy Family Day to everyone – a day all about stepping back from the busy pace of life and spending quality time with your family and loved ones.

Whether it’s sharing a meal, getting outside together, visiting relatives, or simply enjoying a quiet moment at home, these are the connections that truly matter. Strong families and strong relationships help build a strong community. I hope your day was filled with warmth, gratitude and great memories.

Your Lethbridge City Council has had a busy start to February. One of our biggest decisions was to make some changes to our governance structure by removing the five individual Standing Policy Committees (SPCs) and replacing them with a single Community Issues Committee (CIC).

The primary intent is designed to provide focused oversight, policy review and recommendations, along with further transparency and more public participation. Despite this commitment, we have heard some discussion and misconceptions in the community.

The most frequent comment I have read is that the “CIC meeting structure will limit my ability to speak to community issues.” Let me help dispel that myth with these facts:

• Fact 1: The CIC will have a bigger audience. Except for Economic and Finance SPC, under SPCs you presented to only four Council members. Under CIC, you present to all nine members of City Council. Every decision-maker will hear you directly and can ask you questions.
• Fact 2: CICs will offer more flexibility. Previously, you had to submit your concern to the City Clerk and wait to be slotted into one of the five (SPCs). Each SPC met only eight to 10 times per year, and only on specific topics.
• Fact 3: There will be shorter waiting times. The CIC model allows any topic to be presented at any CIC meeting. The CIC will meet every two weeks, compared to SPCs meeting every four to six weeks.
• Fact 4: There will be more opportunities to present. The CIC will have about 22 meetings per year, which is significantly more than the eight to 10 for each SPC option previously available. This means quicker access, more openings and a faster response to community concerns.
• Fact 5: There will be more consistent opportunities for engagement. Previously, many SPC meetings were cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. When SPC meetings did proceed with only a single item, public participation was limited due to the narrow scope of the agenda.

Simply put: the updated CIC structure will give residents more opportunities, more effective engagement and more direct access to the full City Council. The transition period began February 19 and will continue through to the end of April, with some remaining previous-SPC Thursday dates being used to complete existing committee items. A new Tuesday meeting schedule rotation will start in May. See the updated meeting calendar here.

Another recent decision by Council has been made primarily with our taxpayers in mind. By approving our next City Council Strategic Planning Process, we decided to keep the process local, rather than heading outside of Lethbridge, and use only internal resources to considerably lower the proposed costs associated with it.

With the next Council Strategic Plan, we will aim to provide our Administration with clear direction, our priorities for this Council term and align decisions across all the City departments. We will take part in collaborative planning sessions at the end of March, followed by documentation and finalization in April.

After significant public engagement and feedback, Council recently cancelled the proposed Capital Project 18 Street Functional Planning & Design Study (also known as the Winston Churchill to Sugar Bowl Functional Plan) and to not bring this project to the next Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget deliberations later this year.  

Public engagement ran through Get Involved Lethbridge, as well as at the January 29 Community Conversation event. Survey results indicate that community sentiment was largely negative (75 per cent), driven by concerns about cost pressures, perceived lack of need or demand and fears around impacts to vehicle priority and traffic flow. Many respondents cited negative experiences with past cycling projects and expressed skepticism toward planning and engagement processes. 

We heard loud and clear from residents that cycling infrastructure is not a priority at this time. People took the time to share concerns, questions and perspectives, so we acted on what we heard. Listening to our community is essential and these decisions reflect our commitment to making choices that align with public needs and expectations.

Council has also directed the removal of any planning, design, construction and lifecycle projects that contain bike lanes on the roads. This excludes any bike-associated projects on pathways that have been identified as a multi-use pathway. 

A reminder that all City Council meetings and CIC meetings are livestreamed on the City of Lethbridge YouTube channel.

What else is going on?

• Big congratulations to Lethbridge-born athlete Taylor Austin, who recently competed in bobsleigh at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
• There is plenty of action coming to Excite Lethbridge in the next few weeks, with Ag Expo set for next week from Feb. 25-27, then the Home and Garden Leisure Show on March 12 and 13.

• Applications are now open for students aged 14-16 who may be interested in an exchange opportunity between the City of Lethbridge and the Borough of Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The two communities entered a formal city-to-city twinning arrangement in 1967 as part of a Canadian Centennial project to promote cultural and social relationships between Eastern and Western Canada. Exchanges occur annually, alternately involving seniors and students. More information is available here.
• Another way to get involved with the community is through MP Rachael Thomas’ 2026/2027 Youth Advisory Board. Those between the ages of 16 and 24, who are passionate about the community, wish to grow in leadership, and want to learn more about federal politics, are encouraged to apply through her website.
• I will be heading to Edmonton next week for the 2026 Alberta Budget announcement. We look forward to working with the Provincial Government in the coming weeks and months to learn more about what this budget will mean specifically for Lethbridge. City Council and I will continue to advocate for the supports we need in our city to best serve our residents.

As always, please be safe and kind to one another.