Lethbridge Minute: Goose Hazing, Encampment Response, and Gross Mismanagement Revealed

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, a day to support causes that make a difference. If you appreciate the work we do and want to help us continue advocating for common sense at City Hall, we’d be grateful for your support. We don’t usually make an explicit ask in these emails, but given that we’re a non-profit and don’t take a dime of government funding, we rely on your support to keep us going. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. If you’d like to contribute, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you!
  
  
• A meeting of the Audit Standing Policy Committee, originally scheduled for Wednesday, is cancelled. On Thursday, at 1:30 pm, the Assets and Infrastructure Standing Policy Committee will meet. The Committee will receive a presentation regarding amendments to the Country Meadows Outline Plan and a submission regarding progress updates for the 10 Avenue South / 9 Avenue South Functional Planning Study.
  
  
• The City is introducing the Goosinator, a remote-controlled hazing device, to address the growing issues caused by geese and other waterfowl at Henderson Lake. The City has noticed an increase in the local goose population, particularly during the winter, due to warmer weather and human interference. This has led to conflicts with humans, poor water quality, and damage to turf and wildlife health. The device will be used in late fall and winter to encourage migration, with exceptions during nesting and hatching periods.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• City officials expressed alarm after a third-party review uncovered significant mismanagement in the construction of the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre. The review, conducted by Deloitte Canada, revealed that the Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) failed to communicate an additional $27 million in costs until emergency funding was needed. The review also highlighted issues such as the absence of a formal procurement process and non-compliant CEO and board expenses. In response, the City has referred the findings to the police service's economic crimes unit for investigation. City Administration proposed a 2.24% property tax increase for 2025 to cover the costs, in addition to the 5.1 percent annual hike already planned for residents.
  
  
• The City said it is preparing for significant changes in the 2025 municipal election due to the Province’s Bill 20, which bans automated voting equipment like tabulators. As a result, ballots will be hand-counted, causing delays in the release of election results, potentially up to four days. Voters will use separate ballots for Mayor, Councillors, School Board Trustees, and referendum questions, and more ballot boxes will be required. The City will implement 'super-sized' voting stations and utilize 20 teams for the counting process, expected to take about 18.5 hours to complete. According to the City, these changes, along with the creation of a permanent electors register, will increase election costs, with the 2025 budget estimated at $665,546, more than double the 2021 election expenses.
  
  
• Lethbridge’s Encampment Response Team (ERT) reported a 19% increase in encampments between August and November 2024, but a notable 65% decrease in encampments in public parks such as Galt Gardens and Civic Field. The area around the Lethbridge Shelter and Resource Centre remains the highest hotspot for encampments. The Lethbridge Police Service has assisted the ERT with drone technology, efficiently locating encampments in hard-to-reach areas like the River Valley, though debris removal has increased by 179%. The ERT has removed 15,900 kg of debris, up from 5,700 kg in 2023.

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