Construction gearing up for westside LDS temple

By Sam Leishman - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 25, 2025.

Submitted image - An artist's rendering shows the planned Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple, as construction is soon ready to get underway on the city's westside.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ready to get temple construction underway on the city’s westside.

The church announced last week that a groundbreaking service will be hosted at the build site at the corner of Mauretania Road and Whoop Up Drive West on Apr. 26, starting at 11 a.m. There will be a livestream available at templegroundbreaking.churchofjesuschrist.org for those who aren’t able to attend in-person. Elder Randall K. Bennett, a native of Magrath and President of the church’s North America Central Area, will preside.

Richard Low, the church’s communication director for the southern Alberta region, says local membership is growing steadily, so it’s a great time to get this project started.

“The Cardston temple is getting more and more used and at capacity, and our leaders have been emphasizing the importance of temple worship,” Low told the Herald. “For those reasons, we were thrilled when we were told that we get a temple right here in Lethbridge, which will be a lot more convenient.”

This will be the church’s fourth temple in Alberta, and one of 11 temples either constructed or announced for construction in Canada to date. The Lethbridge temple was first announced by President Russell M. Nelson at the April 2023 general conference, which is a twice-annual gathering that is broadcast worldwide where church leaders share important announcements, sermons and other spiritual messages.

Temples are separate from meeting houses or chapels, and are considered to be one of those most sacred spaces for members, according to the LDS Church. They are commonly known as a “house of the Lord” where special ordinances and covenants are carried out, including marriages, family sealings and baptisms.

Preliminary work began back in October to connect utilities and clear the nine-acre lot for the building.

The church says the Lethbridge temple will span approximately 45,000 square feet with an accompanying distribution centre where scriptures, books, church-specific garments and other merchandise will be available for purchase.

The PCL Construction project team shared design details with the community at an open house on Jan. 16. Low says the exterior will capture aspects of the High Level Bridge, stained glass elements will incorporate the beauty of the Oldman River and the surrounding coulees, and the interior decor will be themed around prairie wildflowers.

The Church has not shared what the budget is for this build.

While this is certainly an exciting announcement for church members, Low hopes that non-members can also find a sense of pride and belonging with this new temple.

“Whether it’s a Sikh temple or a Muslim mosque or a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple or any other religious building, I think the community as a whole can take comfort in knowing that we believe in the importance of religious freedom and religious diversity. These buildings are a symbol of that. That just brings a peace and a unity to a community that we feel that’s important.”

Low says construction will begin shortly after the April groundbreaking, and the temple should be complete within the next three to four years, depending on weather conditions. Upon completion, members and non-members will be invited to tour the inside of the building. Only members are allowed inside during services.

Further construction updates will be made available on the Lethbridge Alberta Temple Facebook page.