Lethbridge means business
The City of Lethbridge is putting its Economic Development Strategy into action.
Following City Council’s approval of the Economic Development Strategy earlier this year, City staff and community partners are meeting November 4 and 5 to advance a new implementation plan aimed at supporting business growth, attracting investment and preparing Lethbridge for future opportunities.
“The strategy gives us a clear direction for economic development in Lethbridge,” says Bridget Mearns, Investment & Growth Officer with the City of Lethbridge. “Now we’re focused on the work needed to put it into action. These workshops bring the right people together to identify roles, build partnerships and move the work forward.”
There are 27 actions within the plan. They range from practical improvements, such as making City information easier for businesses to find and use, to major infrastructure initiatives that will support future residential, commercial and industrial growth.
The actions roll up into six main categories:
- Enabling Infrastructure
- Business Retention, Expansion & Investment
- Talent, Research & Innovation
- Tourism
- Indigenous & Government Partnerships
- Community Health & Safety
One example is the City’s proposed $287 million regional water and wastewater expansion program, an action item under the Enabling Infrastructure theme. The program would support an estimated 22,000 new homes, 44,000 jobs and development on approximately 4,000 hectares of land in southeast Lethbridge.
“This is a good example of what it means to prepare our community for growth,” says Joel Sanchez, Director of Infrastructure Services with the City of Lethbridge. “Having the right infrastructure in place helps ensure Lethbridge and our region are ready when new development and investment opportunities arise.”
The workshops will also help City staff and community partners better understand how their work contributes to economic development and where collaboration is needed.
“Economic development isn’t the responsibility of one person, department or organization,” says Mearns. “It takes people across the community working toward the same goals. The strategy gives us that common direction, and the action plan gives us practical steps to get there.”
Existing businesses interested in growth or new investors wanting to learn more about the City of Lethbridge can visit: www.lethbridge.ca/investment&growth.