Lethbridge Minute: Issue 223

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 12:30 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. Mayor Blaine Hyggen will bring forward a Notice of Motion to consider joining the Border Mayors Alliance (BMA), a group of 35 Canadian Mayors representing municipalities along the Canada-US border. The BMA advocates for the economic interests of these border communities, especially in light of US tariff threats. As part of this initiative, Mayor Hyggen would serve as the City's representative on the BMA. The membership fee for the period ending August 31st, 2025, is $5,792.80, which City Council is being asked to approve and fund from Council Contingencies.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 1:30 pm, the Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee will meet. The Committee will review the 2024 Public Art Program Annual Report, which summarizes the work completed in 2024 by the Public Art Committee. It notes that 18 public art projects were completed, including the Niitoyis itsinika’si / Lodge Stories mural, which had a budget of $45,000, the Embodied vinyl wrap, which had a budget of $5,000, and the Sending Blessings mural, which had a budget of $50,000. The report also outlines upcoming projects for 2025 and beyond, such as the Youth Engagement Pilot Project with a budget of $75,000 and various Indigenous commemoration initiatives totalling $150,000. Budget adjustments were reviewed in March 2025, involving reallocations within the existing budget, including adjustments to the Henderson Asphalt Art project, which now has a total budget of $175,000, and the Airport public art activation, which has been allocated $90,000.
  
  
• The Committee will also receive the 2024 Lethbridge Public Library Board Report and Report to Community. The report highlights a year of record-breaking engagement, with 25,632 active library cards - nearly one-third of city households. Key developments include the addition of unique spaces like the Siipistaakomotaan Owl Sanctuary, a new Makerspace, and the Library of Things, which allows patrons to borrow recreational equipment. The library also enhanced digital offerings with the Beanstack reading app and expanded its Read On literacy program, supporting 470 adult learners. Major facility upgrades took place at the Crossings Branch and Main Branch, including new furnishings and children’s spaces. A revamped website, improved printing services, and a new Program Guide streamlined user access to resources. The library deepened community partnerships and hosted its first donor recognition event, IMPACT. There were nearly 1.3 million items circulated and 324,841 visits recorded.
  
  
• Also on the Committee’s agenda is a submission from the Lethbridge Police Commission (LPC). The LPC is the civilian oversight body for the Lethbridge Police Service, mandated by Alberta’s Police Act to ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to provincial policing standards. It is responsible for setting local policing priorities, approving annual policing plans and budgets, supervising the Chief of Police, overseeing complaints and discipline processes, and guiding collective bargaining. The LPC is composed of seven members appointed by City Council and two by the Government of Alberta. The LPC has set three strategic priorities to guide its oversight and support of the Lethbridge Police Service. The first priority, Governance, focuses on ensuring effective oversight of policies and procedures to maintain efficient police services. The second, Organizational Excellence, aims to build internal capacity and foster innovation to enhance public safety, crime prevention, and sustainable community policing. The third, Partnership, emphasizes developing collaborations to share resources and create mutually beneficial solutions.
  
  
• The City is considering splitting the Lethbridge & District Exhibition (LDE) into two separate organizations. One entity, temporarily named “EventCo,” would operate the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre under City governance, while the other would become a community-run agricultural society focused on promoting regional agriculture. The change was recommended by Deloitte, who advised that EventCo be a municipally owned corporation that employs current LDE staff. This restructuring would help ensure compliance with provincial Ag Society and gaming grant regulations. The new Ag Society is expected to partner with EventCo for events and receive an estimated annual budget of $550,000 from grants and fundraising. Council will decide on the proposal at an upcoming meeting and may also consider broader event coordination through a Municipally Controlled Corporation.
  
  
• Mike Schmidtler is the first announced candidate running for Lethbridge City Council in the upcoming October municipal election. A retired general manager with 29 years at Lafarge, he brings experience in business leadership, union collaboration, and community involvement. Schmidtler is emphasizing efficient service delivery, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable economic growth, including leveraging Lethbridge’s role in agriculture. He also served as President of BILD Lethbridge and has been active in various local organizations. His campaign, built around “Concrete Leadership,” aims to support working-class families, challenge inefficient practices, and oppose wasteful spending. He highlights his working-class roots and long-standing ties to the city’s northside.

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