Community building through teamwork

Over the years, Lethbridge has established a strong reputation as a community where collaboration is the key to getting things done.

That spirit shines through in the work of Team Lethbridge, a group of community leaders from 19 local organizations who are committed to fostering a positive, co-operative relationship with the province through communication and engagement.

In November, I was honoured to be a part of Team Lethbridge’s mission to the provincial capital where we met with provincial government representatives to raise awareness about how the city of Lethbridge contributes to the province, identify opportunities for collaboration and discuss key issues like economic diversification, partnerships with Indigenous communities, healthy environment, improved public health care and quality education.

In Edmonton we met with 17 different ministries, spoke with ministers and government staff, asked questions and provided updates on the people, businesses and economic diversity of our community. This is the fifth time that Team Lethbridge has made this trip to profile the great things happening in our city and how we can align our community-building efforts with the government’s priorities. Along the way, nearly everyone we met with commented on how rare it is to see a diverse selection of community groups speaking with a single collective voice and how Team Lethbridge is a great model for others to follow.

Team Lethbridge continues to represent a group of community leaders interested in raising awareness of how the city of Lethbridge contributes to the province and how we can work with our government representatives to support long-term success for Alberta. We don’t know of another municipality that has the right combination of collaboration, positive outlook and visionary leadership to design and execute a successful mission like Team Lethbridge. It is easy to take these intrinsic qualities for granted, but initiatives like this remind us of how much we can accomplish when we work together.

Another great example of the power of collaboration is WestJet Airlines’ recent announcement that it will begin flights to Calgary out of Lethbridge Airport in March 2018. This announcement is, in part, the culmination of many years of behindthe-scenes work between partners including the City, Lethbridge County, Economic Development Lethbridge, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and other advocates to enhance the level of service at the Lethbridge Airport. It speaks to the fact that progress can often take many years of dialogue as well as ongoing discussion and requires a long-term commitment by a variety of partners.

With continued collaboration, forward-thinking initiatives and community support Lethbridge is well positioned to grow, adapt and thrive.