July 2025 Mayor's Column

With so much going on in the community right now, I want to start my July column with my congratulations for this month:

• To all the organizers and volunteers involved with the recent Street Machine Weekend. Thanks also to participants and attendees who packed the city everywhere, made it a safe and fun weekend, and made a major economic impact for Lethbridge. Can’t wait for 2026!
• To Amin Iqbal, who recently organized the first-ever Chinook Charity Open golf tournament at Henderson Lake Golf Club as a fundraiser for the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation’s Bringing Hearts Home campaign. The campaign is aiming to raise $30 million in 30 months to build a cardiac care centre in Lethbridge to serve all southern Alberta. Amin was able to raise more than $20,000 at this event!
• To our local Special Olympians, who I was delighted to host at our City Council meeting this past Tuesday. Our athletes from southern Alberta brought home 57 medals from the 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games, held in Grande Prairie July 11-13. A huge thanks to all the coaches and volunteers, as well. Athletes will continue to train and compete in qualifiers to land a spot at the national Special Olympics Games in Medicine Hat in summer 2026. The national event will also serve as a qualifier for Worlds
• To our Lethbridge athletes who won 244 medals, including 124 golds, from the 2025 Southern Alberta Summer Games, held in Taber July 2-5
• To all those involved with Lethbridge continuing to be the proud official home of the Junior Little League Canadian Championship. The 2025 edition will take place from July 22-30
• To chuckwagon driver Chanse Vigen, who was at the helm of VisitLethbridge.com wagon and won the 2025 Rangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede! We sure heard the word Lethbridge quite a bit during the Stampede, which provided great international exposure to our city

I hope to see you all at the Mayor’s Community Barbecue, set for Tuesday, August 19, outside City Hall following the Whoop-Up Days parade. More information is coming soon. Let’s just say there is a chance that a certain Chanse may even be there.

I recently attended several events and met with the Premier and 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 the residents.

The first half of the annual exchange with Saint-Laurent, Quebec, just took place as a group of seniors visited Lethbridge from July 3-10. The Lethbridge delegation will travel to Saint-Laurent from August 6-13.

Our 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. Participants are matched or twinned based on their common interests and visitors stay at their twin's home for seven nights. During each of these weeks, group activities are organized to provide the visitors with an opportunity to get to know one another and discover their regions. The program consists of both organized activities and free time.

At the Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee meeting on July 10, members heard a detailed assessment of Lethbridge & District Exhibition (LDE). This Asset Management Plan is another tool Council can use to support future decision making related to LDE operations and funding.

Along with the new trade and convention centre, the report looks at the physical condition and lifecycle requirements of the old pavilions, parking lot, safety city building, Rocky Mountain Turf Club and Grandstand, as well as other City assets.

This plan helps us understand the areas of higher priority. Knowing when and where we will need to make further investments helps us make good strategic decisions as we work our way through this complex situation. The Asset Management Plan provides a strong understanding of the current infrastructure gaps, while identifying the needs to ensure sustainability and manage risk during the next 20 years.

The committee also heard an update on the progress being made to break LDE into two distinct entities – one to focus on agriculture promotion and one to operate the trade centre facility and provide event management services. This will reestablish the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society with a community board and shareholders, taking them back to the original intent of promoting agriculture in the region. Work is underway to create a municipally controlled non-profit to run the trade centre.  

The City has also been in contact with the Government of Alberta to ensure compliance with Ag Society regulations and manage a smooth transition. The majority of this work is expected to be complete by the end of the summer. Members of the community wishing to keep updated on City news and Council decisions regarding LDE can follow https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/lethbridge-district-exhibition.  

Of course, summertime also means construction season across the city. Residents are encouraged to check the online 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. 

While the next City Council meeting set for July 29, I want to remind our residents that we also have many other ways for community members to stay informed. They include:

• This Mayor’s monthly column for the City website and the Lethbridge Herald that highlights the great things happening in our community
• Our City of Lethbridge website, which includes the news subscription and closures pages
• City Council and Standing Policy Committee meetings, which are open to the public. Agendas are published here a week ahead of each meeting
• All Council news at https://www.lethbridge.ca/news/categories/council/
• Recaps of each Council meeting with Council Highlights
• Our City of Lethbridge engagement website at GetinvolvedLethbridge.ca, which seeks feedback and has information about coming projects
• 311, via call or chat, to have your questions answered

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