Local institutions observing national day of mourning

By Lethbridge Herald on September 15, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Flags fly at half-mast Thursday outside of Lethbridge City Hall. The City will be observing the Day of Mourning on Monday for Queen Elizabeth II.

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The City of Lethbridge and University of Lethbridge will both be acknowledging the provincial day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II Monday but for Lethbridge College students and staff, it will be business as usual.

In a statement to The Herald, Lethbridge College stated the campus will be open Monday with all classes and services continuing as scheduled.

“Employees and students are encouraged to find ways to mark the occasion of Her late Majesty’s funeral and we will encourage our campus community to observe a moment of silence at 10 a.m. Monday,” said the college.

The university responded to a question from The Herald with the response sent to its campus community.

The statement reads “the Academic Staff Collective agreement requires ‘any other day so proclaimed by the Federal, Provincial, or University authorities’ is defined as a holiday for academic staff (Article 16.01). As a result, the University will observe this holiday and September 19th will be a paid University holiday for all employees, with no classes or assessments for students. Some services will remain open to meet operational requirements.”

The U of L said the financial cost is minimal and that the university’s general faculties council will determine how class schedules can be amended to accommodate the holiday.

Both Lethbridge School Division and Holy Spirit Catholic School Division will hold classes as usual Monday.

On its website, Lethbridge School Division states it “recognizes the longstanding commitment to public service and the leadership displayed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who first came to the throne in 1952. As such, Alberta Education Minister Adrianna LaGrange has encouraged schools to provide opportunities for students to watch the livestream of Monday’s Queen Elizabeth II memorial ceremony.”

That ceremony will be staged from 10 until 11 a.m. in Edmonton at the Alberta Legislature.

“The division joins those across the world, and those across the Commonwealth, in remembering the longest-serving monarch in British history.”

Holy Spirit said on its website staff and students will be encouraged to commemorate the queen’s life and asked people to join the division in prayer to recognize and honour her passing.

The City said some services will be impacted by its decision to recognize the day. City Hall and services will be closed on Monday as will the Waste and Recycling Centre and yard waste sites.

Limited collection and previously scheduled large item pickups may still go ahead.

Operating on their normal schedules will be Lethbridge Transit, pools and arenas, community animal services and police as well as fire and the public safety communications centre.

Operations will return to normal on Sept. 20 for those which are impacted by the recognition of the queen’s death.

Alberta has declared Monday a day of mourning but it won’t be a statutory holiday.