Growth, celebration the highlights of 2017
Cavendish Farms announcement, Reconciliation Plan among the achievements for city in the past 12 months
It’s been a year of growth, celebration and status quo for the City of Lethbridge. And Mayor Chris Spearman is excited about what 2018 has in store.
The year 2017 was a memorable one, filled with many significant anniversaries and remembrance ceremonies.
“There were many opportunities to celebrate, certainly good things offered here in the city,” said Spearman.
In April, Lethbridge commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge with a parade and ceremony to show we will never forget. The year also marked the 75th anniversary of the City’s relationship with 429 Squadron. A monument was placed outside City Hall, which was unveiled on Remembrance Day.
It was also the 50th anniversary of Lethbridge’s twin-city relationship with Saint-Laurent, Quebec, commemorated with an art exchange.
Not only was it Canada’s 150th, but the city also celebrated Lethbridge College’s 60th and the University of Lethbridge’s 50th. Henderson Lake Golf Club celebrated a century in business and Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden celebrated it’s 50th in royal fashion, with a visit from Her Imperial Highness Princess Ayako of Takamado.
“It was certainly special to have the Princess here as part of those celebrations,” said Spearman. In October, Nikka Yuko learned it would be honoured with a Provincial Historic Resource designation.
It was also a year of partnerships, said Spearman. He refers to success with settling Syrian refugees in the city, as well as collaboration with Indigenous partners to create a 10-year Reconciliation Plan. In September, the city held its first Reconciliation Week beginning with a flag raising at City Hall. These initiatives were recognized during the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association meeting in November as a best practice for other communities to follow.
“We’ve been recognized as leaders in the province at addressing the issues,” said Spearman. “It’s recognition of the opportunities we have to work together going forward. We’re making positive steps in the right direction, addressing social issues that have existed in our city for decades and recognizing the value of working together.”
But it’s not just about opportunities, he said.
“We have to make sure the outcomes are going to be the same for all people who come here.”
Spearman encourages everyone to consider their role in the Reconciliation process, from educational institutions to employers to community members.
“How is everyone going to fit into the Reconciliation Plan? And at the City, we have to be the leaders to say this is the direction we need to head in.”
Partnership played a big role in the fight against opioid abuse with the formation of a leadership coalition. Members from 16 local agencies including ARCHES Lethbridge, police, fire/EMS, Alberta Health Services, and government officials united to work on a strategy. Their perseverance resulted in the approval to build, and federal exemption to run, a supervised drug consumption site, set to open in early 2018. Health Canada approved the application by ARCHES Lethbridge to establish the services, and it is the first site in North America to offer four modes of consumption.
“We’re hoping that’s going to make a significant impact on some of the social issues that have occurred,” said Spearman. The fallout from opioid abuse was the number one source of complaints to the city in 2017, he explained.
“The needle debris, the visible use of drugs in the community. That didn’t exist two years ago,” he said. “We never could have anticipated two years ago that this would be a greater problem than it was then. But now that it is, we have to deal with it. We have been leaders in the province at responding. Other communities are asking us what did we do and how did we do it.”
Working with AHS, Spearman said the focus will be on prevention and finding ways to assist people with recovery.
While Lethbridge continues to maintain its economic stability, Spearman says the city continues to look for ways to enhance development and attract more investors.
In September, the sod was turned to begin construction on the largest capital investment in the city’s history — a new $360-million Cavendish Farms facility in the Sherring Business and Industrial Park. The new plant will replace the aging facility in Lethbridge and almost triple Cavendish Farms’ annual potato processing capacity, as well as add hundreds of jobs.
“I think it’s very positive that we’re continuing to show that Lethbridge is a great place to invest in and work as well,” said Spearman.
Taxes continue to be top of mind for residents. Spearman says Lethbridge has a smaller non-residential tax base than similar cities, “so there’s more onus on residential taxpayers to support taxes.”
However, economic development is the solution, he says, to lower the burden on residents.
“We need to continue to attract investors who not only pay a larger proportion of taxes but also provide employment.”
Spearman said it’s slowly improving, and will continue to progress once Cavendish Farms and other investors are underway.
With the formation of the Lethbridge Destination Management Organization, Spearman says they hope to increase tourism and visitor attraction to the city. The LDMO will be up and running in the new year.
“And then tourism ... will become a larger portion of our economy as well — people coming here to use our hotels, restaurants and spend money,” he said.
There has been a big change in downtown Lethbridge, too, with several historic buildings being revitalized and given new life as residential or commercial units. Recreation, transportation and conservation are also key to the city.
The City adopted the Cycling Master Plan to improve cycling infrastructure, and the River Valley Parks Master Plan to balance protection and usage. Council will be revisiting the Transit Master Plan next year.
The much-anticipated RiverStone Dog Park also opened in August, becoming a popular destination for dog owners to bring their canine companions for some off-leash exercise.
The month of October was also full of excitement in anticipation of the Municipal Election. Spearman ran against two contenders to keep his Mayor’s chair, while 29 candidates vyed for eight councillor seats. In the end, seven of the nine previous members of council were reelected (Coun. Bridget Mearns did not seek re-election). Council said goodbye to Liz Iwaskiw after serving for three terms.
“It’s an opportunity for the community to have their say about what’s happening,” said Spearman. “I think generally most people are happy to see the progress that’s been happening in the city. We have our critics ... and there’s always room for improvement.”
When council goes into it’s strategic planning process, Spearman said they will look for ways to be more focused in some of those areas. The past council had a lot of accomplishments, he said.
“We’ve got a positive investment climate ... positive relationships with provincial and federal government,” he explained, which resulted in a $12-million federal infrastructure funding announcement for a wastewater project.
For a full week in May, council deliberated and approved a new 10-year Capital Improvement Program that includes funding for several significant projects over the next four years. This includes funding for the planning and design of a new Performing Arts Centre and design funds for the Exhibition Park Trade and Convention Centre.
They also approved funding for enhancements at several local attractions including Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.
In response to quick commercial and residential growth on the west side, council advanced the construction of Metis Trail and twinning of Whoop-Up Drive by four years. Construction began in April on the two key arterial road projects in west Lethbridge and is set to be complete by fall 2018.
“As the developments were occurring in west Lethbridge, that infrastructure was definitely needed,” said Spearman. “Now that Whoop-Up Drive is open and Metis Trail is nearing completion, we’re seeing a lot of relief of the traffic congestion. I’m happy that we made that decision and brought forward construction by four years.”
Looking forward to 2018, there will be several new initiatives and a few longterm projects brought to a close.
The supervised consumption site will open in early 2018, and renovations to the Yates Memorial Centre will be complete by summer. Next spring, the finishing touches will be put on Legacy Park in north Lethbridge set to open May 1.
In March 2018, WestJet will be adding three daily flights between the city and Calgary. The city is working with Lethbridge County on a joint governance model and will continue to seek federal and provincial funding to make improvements at the airport, “to make sure it’s a better experience for those who use the airlines,” said Spearman.
Council will also select a new City Manager in 2018, following the retirement of Garth Sherwin. In the new year they will seek a consultant to assist with the recruitment process to ensure they receive the best possible applicants.
“We don’t hire City Managers very often but they’re very key to city council’s success. We have to hire the very best person,” said Spearman. The city also has a new Treasurer with the appointment of Hailey Pinksen to the role, following Corey Wight’s retirement.
Spring 2018 will also mark the rollout of the city’s residential curbside recycling program to the first 1,000 residences. The homes will be a random selection from different neighbourhoods to collect data in advance of the full city implementation in 2019. The goal is to increase waste diversion targets and provide access to recycling for many who don’t have the ability to get to the recycling stations, said Spearman.
“The advantage to being one of the last cities to implement curbside recycling is we can learn a lot from what others have done.”
Work will continue on the new Transit Terminal downtown and Phase 2 of the ATB Centre — both to open in 2019. The City can also anticipate the completion of the Destination Project at the University of Lethbridge in fall 2019.
“I think people have to be optimistic about the future,” said Spearman. “I think we need to continue to work together as a community ... look at all the assets we have and the opportunities. I think we’re in a great place as a city to move forward.”
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