Lethbridge Minute: Curling Funding, Exhibition Expansion, and Green Shirt Day

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• There will be a City Council meeting on Tuesday - the public session begins at 1:30 pm. Mayor Blaine Hyggen will bring forward an Official Business Motion asking Council to permit the Mayor’s Office to proclaim April 7th, 2023 as “Green Shirt Day” as a tribute to Lethbridge resident, Logan Boulet. Boulet was killed in the tragic Humboldt Broncos accident but his organ donations saved six lives. Another Motion to amend the Administrative Election Sign Guidelines to prohibit the installation of election signs within the public road right-of-way will be brought forward. A Public Hearing will be held at 3:00 pm regarding a few land use amendments.
  
  
• On Thursday, there will be a meeting of the Governance Standing Policy Committee at 1:30 pm. The Committee will receive several presentations, including one regarding amendments to the Lethbridge Police Commission Bylaw, another concerning Performance Review and Training Opportunities for City Council, updates from both the Lethbridge Reconciliation Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Council, and finally, a presentation on Honorariums for Public Member Volunteers serving on Council Boards and Commissions.
  
  
• On Friday, there will be a meeting of the Advocacy Advisory Committee at 9:00 am. On the agenda is a resolution calling on Alberta Municipalities to advocate for the Province to provide full funding for the construction of schools, including the necessary infrastructure servicing, to avoid municipalities having to provide "backstop" funding for such projects.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• Representatives for the Lethbridge and District Exhibition made a presentation to a Council Committee to request $4.6 million for their new expansion project. The project is over budget and the money is needed to demolish three existing pavilions located at the future site of the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. In November 2022, Lethbridge County kicked in $2 million for the project and in January 2023, it received the largest commitment in Western Canada from the federal Tourism Relief Fund, which provided over $3.5 million. Those funds are in addition to almost $30 million from the Province, $25 million from the City of Lethbridge, and a $17.8 million loan.
  
  
• The Lethbridge Curling Club asked for $900,000 in cash and in-kind support from the City to host the 2025 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. If approved, the $900,000 would account for the vast majority of the total available grant funding for the 2023-2026 operating budget. The Economic Standing Policy Committee voted unanimously to refer the request to a future City Council meeting. 
  
  
• The University of Lethbridge formally announced that Terry Whitehead will serve as its 15th Chancellor. Whitehead will be only the second alumnus to serve as Chancellor in the institution’s 56-year history. During his years as a student, he served on the University of Lethbridge Student Union, worked as a sports editor for the campus paper, and performed in fine arts productions. In his new role, Whitehead will serve a four-year appointment as Chancellor, where he will act as Chair of the Senate, preside over Convocation ceremonies, and advocate for new initiatives.

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