November 2025 Mayor's Column

I am so very pleased to be back writing my monthly column.  

And that is thanks to the wonderful residents of Lethbridge who, through the 2025 Municipal Election in October, gave me the opportunity to serve for another four years as your Mayor. 

I truly believe in this city and possess the deepest gratitude for your continued trust. I look forward to working for you and I’m humbled to be your Mayor. I look forward to continuing to give my perspective and commentary in this space as we embark on a new term. 

Looking back, I thank my former Council colleagues Jeff Carlson, John Middleton-Hope and Nick Paladino for their years of service to Lethbridge. Looking forward, I congratulate my returning colleagues, specifically the new members of Council in Al Beeber, Rufa Doria and Ryan Wolfe. Importantly, I recognize that our strengths for Council lie in our individual diversity of experiences, knowledge and perspectives. 

I also want to stress that this Council is asking our residents to be civil to each other and to us. We all deserve respect in person and online, so please treat others how you wish to be treated. 

Since the election, most of our time has been spent on orientation and strategic planning and I’m really excited to see how our Council is already working together during the first four weeks. We’ve spent time through our orientation learning about the important processes and procedures through the Municipal Government Act we need to follow as a City Council. We’ve received context from City Administration about the big pieces of work underway and the challenges we may have before us.  

At the Council Swearing-In Ceremony, I spoke about re-affirming the commitment to building a stronger and more united city. I commend our City Manager Lloyd Brierley and his Administration staff, whose dedication, professionalism and tireless work has helped us navigate challenges and seize opportunities. 

I also focused on looking ahead by continuing to build on the momentum started, as well as leading with integrity, passion and courage. Let’s continue to make Lethbridge a place where businesses grow and where every resident feels safe, heard and valued. Let’s be bold in our vision, thoughtful in our actions and united in our purpose. Together, we’ll move our city forward. Not just through policies and projects, but through the tone we set, the respect we show and the legacy we leave. 

Right after the election, I made a trip to Edmonton for the Throne Speech and Minister meetings. Then last week, Council members were at the Alberta Municipalities Convention in Calgary. It was a great opportunity to meet with Provincial Ministers and continue to advocate for the support we need in our city to best serve our residents.  

I was also recently elected to the executive for Alberta’s Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus (MCMC). The 24 municipalities that compose MCMC represent 28 provincial ridings and more than one million Albertans – nearly 25 per cent of Alberta’s population.  We collectively look forward to seeing results from our meetings and advocacy efforts. 

One of the biggest and most positive news items since my last column in September was the announcement of a major, multi-use development coming to The Crossings on the west side. 

Construction is set to begin in 2026 on more than $300 million in total new investment for residential, commercial, hospitality and seniors living initiatives. This will include a hotel, more than 450 planned urban residences and Green Acres Foundation advancing plans for a new senior living community. 

These investments showcase the strength of local collaboration among developers, builders and community partners and will have a major impact for the more than 45,000 people now living on the west side. Trust me – we’ve heard loud and clear, we need more businesses, more retail shopping and other amenities. This overall development should ultimately also help alleviate the stress of people having to come across to the south side or the north side to be able to shop or work. 

Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure of lighting the Christmas Tree at City Hall as part of this year’s Christmas Hope launch. Christmas can be an amazing time to celebrate with family and friends. But we know that not everybody in our community has the same opportunities. Christmas can be a very difficult time for many people. 

Council is thrilled to help these fantastic community organizations: Lethbridge Food Bank, Interfaith Food Bank, Lethbridge Family Services Angel Tree, MyCityCare Shop of Wonders, Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization Golden Giving Tree, Volunteer Lethbridge and Salvation Army. This collective will help about 250 seniors, 3,000 adults and 6,000 children for supplies needed during this holiday season. We know there is a big need in Lethbridge, so we are asking our residents to do what they can to help each other out. Please visit christmashope.ca to learn more. 

Another great initiative is the Giving Machines at Park Place Shopping Centre until December 8. They function as vending machines that allow donations toward goods for those in need, such as meals or clothing. The local machines raised more than $150,000 last year. 

Congratulations this month to: 

• All the organizers and attendees at the Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11 
• To the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation for their 31st annual Christmas Tree Festival, which ran November 16-19 

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