Lethbridge Minute: Issue 255

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week, on account of the Christmas holidays. The next meeting at City Hall will take place on January 20th, 2026.
  
  
• The City is encouraging property owners to reduce their 2026 tax bill by making early prepayments in January or February. Residents who prepay will receive a credit when tax bills are issued in May, equivalent to earning 1% annual interest from the payment date through June 30th, 2026. Prepayments are capped at the total amount of the previous year’s property tax bill. Property owners enrolled in the Tax Installment Pre-payment Plan (TIPP) already receive a monthly discount on any credit balance. Payments can be made online, through financial institutions, by mail, in person at City Hall, or via the secure drop box. While City Hall is closed from December 25th to January 1st, online and mailed payments will be honoured based on transaction or postmark dates. More details are available on the City’s website.
  
  
• Lethbridge’s Access-A-Ride transit service is under strain as demand from seniors and people with disabilities outpaces available funding. The door-to-door service, used by about 100,000 riders annually, allows residents with mobility, medical, or cognitive challenges to access social activities and medical appointments. While riders say it's a valuable service, many report increasing uncertainty, including difficulty securing return trips, which can discourage leaving home altogether. The service operates on a $3.5 - $4 million annual budget, mostly City-funded, with riders paying $3 per trip. In 2024, the City added a weekday shift using surplus funds, but that shift was cut after a $300,000 budget shortfall. City officials acknowledge demand exceeds resources and say additional funding will be considered in the new year. Lethbridge also plans to create a Transit Administrative Advisory Committee in 2026 to gather input from seniors, health providers, and disability groups on improving transit service.
  
  
• The City has opened two new multi-use pathways in an effort to improve safety and connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians. Pathway 17 runs along 43 Street South and South Parkside Drive South, linking to the green strip trail on Lakeview Drive South and creating a continuous loop in the area. The project includes two new pedestrian crosswalks at 20 Avenue South and Forestry Avenue South. Landscaping work is planned for spring 2026. Pathway 200 is a three-metre-wide asphalt trail along 28 Street North, connecting Giffen Road North to Cavendish Road North and linking to Blackwolf Boulevard North. New crosswalks and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons have been installed to enhance visibility, along with additional lighting at key intersections.
  
  
• The Lethbridge Food Bank received a major boost from the CPKC Holiday Train’s visit, which featured the Barenaked Ladies and collected donations for local food banks. Community members contributed nearly 3,000 pounds of food and about $1,100 in cash, while CPKC Rail added $8,000, bringing the total value of donations to around $20,000. The Food Bank says that the influx of support has them well-prepared for the new year, even as they roll out roughly 1,000 Christmas hampers. Each hamper includes a protein like ham, chicken, or turkey, along with traditional holiday sides and essentials. Despite this generosity, the food bank still needs items such as canned meat and fish, pasta, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables. Cash donations are particularly effective, as food banks can often buy in bulk or at discounted rates.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Council voted 7-2 to ask the Province to close the local temporary overdose prevention unit and allow its $3.8 million in annual funding to be redirected to other programs, citing sharp declines in overdose deaths, EMS calls, and site usage since 2023.

Dissenting Councillors raised concerns about losing access to supports for people currently using the site.

What do you think? Reply to this email and share your opinion!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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