Lethbridge Minute: Attendance Numbers, Byelection Candidates, and Water Conservation Efforts

Lethbridge Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Lethbridge politics

This Week In Lethbridge:

• The Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force will meet on Thursday 7:30 am. There is a singular agenda item outside of approving the minutes from the last meeting - a Summary and Recommendations Document, but no further information is available.
  
  
• The Government of Alberta is investing nearly $10 million over three years to train and educate more mental health professionals at post-secondary institutions. Among the recipients, the University of Lethbridge will receive funding to add 15 new seats in mental health programs.
  
  
• It’s Labour Day, and the City will have several service level changes as a result of the holiday. The Lethbridge 311 contact center and in-person services at City Hall will be closed, as will the Waste and Recycling Centre. Curbside collection remains unaffected. Pools, arenas, and various other facilities, including the Galt Museum, Helen Schuler Nature Centre, and Lethbridge Public Library, will be closed. Transit services will operate on a Sunday schedule, and emergency services for animal control will be available by phone.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• The United Conservative Party announced that three candidates - Erin Leclerc, John Middleton-Hope, and Shauna Gruninger - are vying for the nomination in Lethbridge West, following the resignation of NDP MLA Shannon Phillips. Leclerc has a background in politics as a former office manager, Middleton-Hope is a former police chief and current City Councillor, and Gruninger is a real estate professional. UCP members can vote in the nomination contest on September 23rd, provided they have their membership by today. A candidate forum will be held on September 12th. The UCP nominee will then run against either Rob Miyashiro or Bridget Mearns from the NDP, who will be selected by their party on September 7th.
  
  
• The City reported success in water conservation efforts this summer. Water usage has dropped by 16% compared to last summer and is 9% below the five-year average. Local farmers have also contributed by reducing irrigation. Despite these efforts, the Oldman, St. Mary, and Waterton reservoirs are below their usual summer levels, with capacities at 68%, 59%, and 69%, respectively. The City is encouraging continued water conservation and providing weekly reservoir updates on its water conservation webpage.
  
  
• Final numbers revealed that Whoop-Up Days attracted a record 40,178 attendees over five days, surpassing the previous high of 37,536 in 2019. The Canadian Pro Rodeo set new attendance records, with over 6,100 spectators across three nights and a single-day record of 2,671 guests. The Exhibition said it was a big win for Lethbridge, and that they plan to build on this year’s success.

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