Mayoral candidate Bridget Mearns gives a speech to her supporters after loss to Blaine Hyggen on Oct. 18, 2021. Blaine Hyggen edged out Bridget Mearns by only 500 votes to win the mayoral race in Lethbridge on Oct. 18. Hyggen took 42.79 per cent of the vote and received 11,973 votes to become Lethbridge’s newest…
Lethbridge municipal election 2021
Lethbridge welcomed a higher voter turnout and a new mayor and city council during the municipal election Monday night. The 2021 Lethbridge municipal election brought many changes for the city as well as Lethbridge resident’s views on non-binding city and provincial questions. The non-binding city council ballot questions were “do you support using a ward…
Electronic Music Festival brings community together
Electronic music artist Hypesetterz takes to the Luminosity Stage at Lethbridge’s Electronic Music Festival on Sept 25, 2021. Local vendors and residents got the opportunity to celebrate live music at the Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival last weekend. Despite new restrictions laid out by the Government of Alberta, the event was allowed to go ahead as…
To vaxx or not to vaxx; passport does not care
Concerned citizen, George Adams, expresses his frustration with the pandemic management in Alberta. The Government of Alberta has made the decision to start its own version of the vaccine passport program, announced during a press event earlier this month, which left many Albertans confused and frustrated. Details and clarification will remove the confusion for many…
Lethbridge residents to vote on ward system
On Oct. 18, Lethbridge residents will be asked to vote on whether they would like to see the City of Lethbridge adopt a ward system for municipal elections. During the municipal election, Lethbridge residents will be asked to vote on whether they would like to see the City of Lethbridge adopt a ward system for…
Lethbridge Police feel impacts of budget reduction
The Lethbridge Police Commission presented a report to city council, highlighting the implementation strategy for the $1 million reduction in their budget early last week. Lethbridge city council passed a resolution on Dec. 14, 2020 that the Lethbridge Police Service Budget be reduced by $1 million for 2021 and 2022. Council voted unanimously to accept…
Temporary mandatory face covering bylaw extended until April 30
The temporary mandatory face covering bylaw was extended by Lethbridge city council early last week. The bylaw has been in place since Aug. 24, 2020. The Community Standing Policy Committee recommended to city council in early February, to let the bylaw expire on Feb. 23, 2021, as it was intended from the previous extension back in…
Time to retire for Spearman
After almost eight years as the mayor of the City of Lethbridge, Chris Spearman has made the decision to not run for re-election in October. He recently announced his decision during a press conference to give possible candidates time to prepare for the Oct. 18 election. Spearman believes that anyone running for city council…
New city bylaw may potentially see newspaper advertisements trimmed
City council began budget deliberations on Nov. 23, part of the process includes the new bylaw 6251, which was brought forward by the city clerk’s department to potentially save money. A new city bylaw had its first reading last week resulting in the possibility of newspaper advertisements published by the City of Lethbridge to be…
Some local businesses report growth decline over past six months
Many businesses have shut down due to COVID-19. But, despite the challenges of the pandemic, many local businesses in Lethbridge are still able to sustain themselves. According to Cyndi Vos, CEO of the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, businesses used to a large customer base, struggled to grind out a profit. The chamber saw a decrease…