Lethbridge Minute: Issue 246

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• It’s Election Day! Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. In case you missed it, check out our 2025 Municipal Election Coverage, revealing where Mayoral and Council candidates stand on key issues like safety, affordability, taxation, and accountability. We have published their unedited responses so voters can make informed choices. Some candidates answered, others declined - but all responses, or lack thereof, offer insight into their priorities.
  
  
• More than 200 education support staff in the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division will keep their jobs after the Division reversed its decision to issue layoff notices. The move came after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) demanded the division withdraw the layoffs, which had been sent out despite the Education Minister’s directive that no support staff funding cuts should occur during the ongoing teachers’ strike. Holy Spirit was the only division in Alberta to issue such notices, while others. CUPE confirmed Thursday morning that the layoffs were rescinded, calling the decision a relief for workers facing financial strain. 
  
  
• Environment Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Public Library have launched the city’s first Repair Café, an initiative aimed at helping residents fix broken items instead of throwing them away. The event encourages community collaboration by pairing volunteer repair experts with residents needing help with clothing, jewelry, toys, bicycles, and other small items. The first Repair Café will take place on October 26th at the Lethbridge Public Library’s main branch, with pre-registration required so volunteers can prepare for specific repairs. Participants will not only get their items fixed but also learn how to make similar repairs themselves. Additional cafés are planned for March, June, and September 2026, with registration available through Environment Lethbridge’s website.
  
  
• After nearly a year without a contract, Access-A-Ride transit operators in Lethbridge may soon have a new deal. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 987 announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the City of Lethbridge following two days of mediated talks. The breakthrough comes after months of stalled negotiations. The union says that the deal brings Access-A-Ride operators to wage parity with other City transit workers and includes measures to improve rider safety through longer passenger load times. The City expressed satisfaction with the outcome but said it will not comment further until the deal is ratified.
  
  
• The City of Lethbridge has lifted its fire ban in the River Valley, allowing residents to have fires in the coulees again. The decision comes after recent weather changes, including higher humidity and cooler temperatures, which have reduced fire risk. Residents are still advised to exercise caution by using clean, dry wood, fully extinguishing fires before leaving, and properly disposing of smoking materials. Lethbridge County has also downgraded its fire restrictions to an advisory. Additional information on local burning regulations is available on the City’s website and through the Alberta Fire Bans website.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Make sure to cast your vote in the municipal election today! 

Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. 

Click below to find your polling station and other relevant voter information.

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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