Lethbridge Minute: School Returns, Transit Concerns, and Social Media Backlash

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• It’s going to be a relatively relaxed week at City Hall with only one meeting scheduled. The Community Safety Standing Policy Committee will meet on Thursday at 1:30 pm. At this meeting, Council will elect a chair and vice chair for the Committee and receive presentations on a proposed light nuisance bylaw.
  
  
• With the extreme cold impacting Lethbridge’s most vulnerable residents, homeless shelters across the city are in need of a wide array of donations as well as volunteers. For readers who are able, support is needed at organizations like Alpha House and the Lethbridge Food Bank, which are among some of the local nonprofits on the front lines aiding these residents.
  
  
• K-12 students will return to in-person learning today. This is welcome news for many parents who had to make last-minute plans going into 2022 after the provincial government announced that schools wouldn’t be back in session until January 10th. Teachers unions' are warning that a move to online learning is still a looming possibility, however, thanks to staffing shortages.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• City officials were left to respond to a backlash on Thursday after a social media post alleged the impending closure of an emergency shelter. Confusion arose after the Sage Clan Patrol, a local non-profit organization, asked for help and donations, claiming that the City of Lethbridge would be shutting down the emergency shelter at the Sik-Ooh-Kotoki Friendship Society. The City said no such closure had occurred. Global News reached out to Sage Clan for comment but was told that none would be provided.
  
  
• On Thursday, the Civic Works Standing Policy Committee discussed the challenges facing the cityLINK transit system. The City of Lethbridge launched the transit redesign on Aug. 25, 2021. Since then, over 438 comments have been received, the majority of which have been negative. City Transit General Manager, Tim Sanderson, called the issues "growing pains".
  
  
• Do you know of a particular area in the city that could use a little more attention when it comes to street sweeping and snow removal? Well, now is the time for you to make your voice heard. The City has opened up the ability for residents to provide feedback regarding its street clearing initiatives and you have until February 13th to let them know what you think. Feedback received from residents will be taken into account for the next winter season.

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