Lethbridge Minute: Issue 260

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• The Emergency Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday at 1:30 pm. The Committee will receive an update on the City’s emergency management program, including results from a 2025 provincial audit, recent training efforts, and the impact of new provincial legislation. City staff are recommending amendments to the Emergency Management Bylaw to comply with Bill 49, which introduces clearer definitions of emergencies, a legal duty to publish emergency orders, and new requirements tied to provincial disaster funding. The update highlights improved training and preparedness, including dozens of staff completing incident command training and multiple emergency exercises conducted in 2025. While there is no immediate financial request, staff warned that failing to update the bylaw could put future disaster recovery funding at risk. The Committee is being asked to direct Administration to bring an amended bylaw to Council by May 31st, 2026.
  
  
• Mayor Blaine Hyggen used Lethbridge’s 2026 State of the City address to warn residents that tighter budgets will force the City to prioritize needs over wants in upcoming capital plans. He cited rising costs, shrinking grants, and a drop in provincial municipal funding. Hyggen said major projects like a performing arts centre or a third bridge may be delayed unless other governments contribute, to avoid shifting costs to taxpayers. He highlighted improvements in public safety, noting crime rates are falling alongside major increases in outreach and referrals tied to the City’s encampment response. He also pointed to $9.2 million secured for critical water treatment plant upgrades and emphasized the need to expand infrastructure as west-side growth accelerates.
  
  
• The Lethbridge Professional Fire Fighters have officially withdrawn from the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), blaming AFL leadership for poor coordination and “significant inaction” during last fall’s teachers’ strike. In a letter, union president Brent Nunweiler said the federation lacked the cohesion and clarity workers needed and called on AFL president Gil McGowan to resign, arguing Alberta labour needs stronger, more effective leadership. McGowan responded that most firefighter locals left earlier, saying they viewed the AFL as too political and confrontational with the UCP. He said Lethbridge’s exit reflects frustration that unions couldn’t agree on a general strike after the government used the notwithstanding clause to end the teachers’ strike. McGowan said the AFL is democratic, with major actions requiring majority support, and noted he was re-elected by a wide margin in April.
  
  
• Lethbridge is beginning a planned upgrade of residential and commercial electricity meters as older units reach the end of their 10-year lifespan. Under Measurement Canada rules, the City must send a portion of aging meters for accuracy testing. If the tested meters pass, the City can extend the service life of other expired meters by up to eight years. If they fail, more replacements may be required. Property owners whose meters need replacing will receive a mailed notice, and a City of Lethbridge technician will install the new meter. Residents who prefer a specific time can book an appointment using the instructions in their letter.
  
  
• The City is seeking public input on a preliminary design for infrastructure upgrades to 5 Street South between 1 and 6 Avenue South in the downtown core. The early-stage plan, budgeted at $1 million in the City’s 2022-2031 Capital Improvement Program, aims to transform the corridor into a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly main street while supporting existing businesses and encouraging new development. Proposed concepts include upgraded infrastructure, traffic calming measures, and improvements to better accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. City officials stress that this phase focuses on feasibility and feedback, not construction approval. Residents and business owners can share their views through an online survey or by attending a community conversation on January 29th from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Any future construction would require separate Council approval and secured funding.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Lethbridge is developing a preliminary design to upgrade 5 Street South downtown, aiming to improve infrastructure, slow traffic, and create a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly main street.

Have your say by taking the City’s survey and help shape what this key downtown corridor will look like in the future.

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!