2020 had many hurdles and opportunities

To say 2020 was a year unlike any other would be an understatement as the onset of a global pandemic brought many fears, concerns, and worries for business owners not just in Lethbridge but across the world. Many businesses had to and are still managing new health and safety measures, restrictions on hours of operation and maximum capacities as well as threats to livelihoods of not just themselves but also their business partners and staff. So, when I say understatement… that may even be an understatement! One of the most frustrating pieces of the COVID-19 puzzle is that there are no magic beans or sweeping decisions that can be made to make it all go away. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

One of the top priorities of Economic Development Lethbridge early on in 2020 was partnering with regional organizations to form the Lethbridge Region Economic Recovery Task Force. The mandate of the Task Force was to get the Lethbridge region back to work as quickly as possible and focused on six priorities that would help provide tools, resources, consulting, funding options and address barriers to businesses.

The Task Force continues to operate and is always willing speak with regional businesses who have any questions about any concerns they may have. Businesses can find out more by visiting the recovery page of the Choose Lethbridge website.

(www.chooselethbridge.ca/recovery)

There were some bright spots in 2020 in the region and I do think it is important to celebrate some of the accomplishments over the past year.

Provincial and municipal funding for an expansion of Exhibition Park will see the facility become an Agri-Food hub for the province. With Agriculture comprising 20 per cent of GDP in Lethbridge, the upgraded facility at Exhibition Park will lead to it becoming an international destination in the agriculture world and lead to more jobs and new opportunities in the region. With the announcement of Ward Bros. Construction Ltd. being selected as the construction firm, it will add 350 jobs over the 22month project.

In October, it was announced that an $815million investment would also be made to help Southern Alberta farmers upgrade and expand irrigation systems in the region.

Both announcements will only help boost the work currently being done in Canada’s Premier Food Corridor. The CPFC stretches 55 kms along highway 3 between Taber and Lethbridge, and is a partnership between Taber Economic Development, Municipal District of Taber, Town of Coaldale, Lethbridge County and Economic Development Lethbridge.

The corridor is home to over 4,500 farms and 11,000 businesses and as work continues marketing and developing the CPFC, those numbers will steadily increase.

Another big piece of the work that was done in 2020, revolves around the supply chain, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Canada’s Western Gateway Trade and Logistics Corridor will focus on the development and promotion of Southern Alberta as a key ingredient to the importing and exporting of goods when it comes to both manufacturing and agriculture. The Coutts border crossing, the only 24-hour/ 7day commercial border crossing in the province, rail and highways in the region, and development of Lethbridge airport as a viable option for shipping will position our region well moving forward.

Lethbridge is very well positioned to become an even bigger player on the global market in these sectors and with the right investment strategy and partnerships, this will happen sooner rather than later.

With the collaboration of industry and government, mixed in with the hard work and dedication of our residents, post-secondary institutions, and innovators, we will get through these challenging times and ensure that both our city and region are well positioned to take advantage of increasing access to global markets. While 2020 was tough, we got through it and for the most part have a better understanding of this “new normal” we are now faced with.

It will be different, it might not be easy, but I know that it will be much better if we face and conquer these challenges as a community — together.