Year-In-Review: Top stories from January – March

By Lethbridge Herald on December 27, 2022.

Herald photo by Dale Woodard A crowd of supporters takes part in the Ukraine Solidarity Rally outside of Lethbridge City Hall. photo by Harry Palmer Senator Joyce Fairbairn, who was inducted into the Kainai Chieftainship in 1990 and given the name Morning Bird Woman, died at age 82. Herald photo by Al Beeber A University of Lethbridge Faculty Association picketer carries a sign at the entrance to the U of L. Herald photo by Dale Woodard A flag waver greets the convoy of vehicles as it arrives in Coutts on the first day of the border blockade..

As we all prepare to turn our calendars to the new year, we take time to reflect back on 2022 and examine all the ups and downs, highs and lows and leading stories that graced the pages of The Lethbridge Herald. Each day this week will feature the top local headlines with the year split into quarters.

January

Local roots run deep for new Blood Tribe Police chief 

New Blood Tribe Police chief Brice Iron Shirt was sworn in on Tuesday, marking two decades since a Blood Tribe member has been appointed as Chief of the Blood Tribe Police Service. 

“I am from the Blood Tribe community, I was born and raised there, so it is very humbling to become the chief of police,” said Iron Shirt in an interview with the Herald on Monday prior to the swearing in ceremony. 

Adair takes the helm as new Lethbridge fire chief

Looking inward for the right fit, the City of Lethbridge has announced the selection of deputy chief Greg Adair as the new chief for Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. 

“I’m very honoured and excited to be taking on the role of chief for the City of Lethbridge,” said Adair speaking to media on Thursday. “I accept this responsibility, and this new job, and am looking forward to leading this department into the future.” 

SAGE Clan sets up shelter 

SAGE Clan of Lethbridge has opened a makeshift shelter for homeless Indigenous people on the property of the shuttered RCMP detachment on Stafford Drive South.

The shelter, consisting of a teepee and tents, was opened Sunday and will remain “as long as we can, said SAGE Clan leader Mark Brave Rock on Monday. 

The shelter was opened after the closure of an emergency warming shelter at the Sik-Ooh-Kotoki Friendship Centre. 

City hoping to determine cause of waterfowl deaths 

A number of causes could be at play in the deaths of dozens of birds at Henderson Lake this winter.

Approximately 50 to 70 waterfowl, many mallard ducks, have been seen frozen into the ice of the lake or along shorelines. 

Lethbridge County Reeve Tory Campbell released a statement earlier this week regarding the county’s position on a potential transition from the RCMP into an independent Alberta Provincial Police Service. 

Lethbridge County Council and a majority of other rural municipalities do not support this proposed transition to an Alberta Provincial Police Service, which has a potential date of 2025. 

Campbell’s statement says “We have regularly lobbied our MLAs and provincial ministers, but to this point, our concerns seem to have fallen on deaf ears.” 

Group protests school pandemic measures

A small collection of protestors from a group calling itself Freedom Hub Lethbridge gathered across the street from Ecole St. Mary School on Tuesday afternoon to express their opposition to masking and other pandemic mandates in schools. 

“We are standing up, specifically in front of the schools today, because we’re standing up for the kids,” said Chelle Landry, who organized the protest on behalf of Freedom Hub Lethbridge. 

Paula Burns resigning as college president

Paula Burns is leaving Lethbridge for her next leadership role. 

On Thursday morning, the Lethbridge College President and CEO announced she will be stepping down from her role at the end of May to take on the new challenge as President and CEO of Langara College in Vancouver. 

“It’s bittersweet, actually,” said Burns. “I love Lethbridge and I love Lethbridge College. The people here are fantastic. It was a tough decision, but I am looking forward to the opportunity at Langara College in Vancouver.” 

February

RCMP prepared for enforcement in Coutts

Coutts mayor Jim Willett supports the right to protest but the truck convoy blockade at Coutts goes too far for him. “I’m not impressed with the total blockage,” said Willett.

Alberta begins lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta’s vaccine passport ends today, with most other big COVID-19 health rules gone in the coming weeks.

Kenney told a news conference Tuesday that the vaccine passport, known in Alberta as the restriction exemption program, would end within hours – at midnight. He said strong vaccination rates, declining hospital cases and a continued drop in the spread of the Omicron variant make it possible to end the passport. 

“Our approach to COVID must change as the disease changes,” Kenney told a news conference. 

U of L faculty on strike

The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association is on strike. Pickets went up after the 11 a.m. Thursday deadline for a resolution came without any breakthroughs in negotiations between the union and the university. Faculty association president Dan O’Donnell said “it’s a sad day” for the university as passing motorists honked their horns. 

Weapons seized at Coutts border

RCMP arrested 13 people near the main United States border crossing in southern Alberta on Monday after becoming aware of a cache of firearms and ammunition. 

RCMP Supt. Roberta McKale said 11 of the arrests were made in a pre-dawn raid on three trailers in the Coutts area, where a blockade was set up more than two weeks ago to protest a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers and other pandemic restrictions. She said of officers seized 13 long guns, handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour. 

Truckers end blockade 

A blockade that paralyzed a United States border crossing for more than two weeks ended Tuesday as trucks and other vehicles with horns blaring rolled away from a southern Alberta community. 

Protesters had been restricting access to the busy crossing near Coutts since Jan. 29 to rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers and broader pandemic health restrictions. 

LPS addressing performance gaps, says Mehdizadeh

Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh of the Lethbridge Police Service says allegations that have been brought forward involving the records management unit from a time previous to his tenure at LPS were investigated thoroughly and the results showed that it was not a case of harassment but rather conflict between people. 

The service has hired Howatt HR, a human resources firm that specializes in psychological health and safety, to facilitate an Employee Experience 

LPS officer not guilty of discreditable conduct

Lethbridge Police Service Sgt. Jason Moulton was found not guilty on one count of discreditable conduct during a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

After reviewing the evidence, interviewing two witnesses and multiple definitions of the words tyrannical and oppressive, presiding officer Paul Manuel determined that Moulton’s actions did not rise to the level of tyrannical or oppressive as defined in the various sources reviewed. 

March

City stands in solidarity with Ukraine

As Ukraine continues to deal with attacks from Russia, anti-war protests in support of the country have taken place in numerous countries.

On Saturday, that rally went local as a large throng of supporters for Ukraine gathered at Lethbridge City Hall for a Ukraine Solidarity Rally. 

A few hundred supporters gathered just before 11 a.m. with flags waving, singing and chanting and holding signs declaring “Stand With Ukraine”, “Proud To Be Ukrainian”, “Stop War” and “Shelter Our Sky”. 

Lethbridge ready to rock the Brier

The house will be rocking as the 2022 Tim Hortons Brier draws into the Enmax Centre. 

“It was a big relief,” said Kirk Mearns, vice chair of the Brier Host Committee, Thursday afternoon as the final touches were put on at the Enmax Centre to host the best men’s teams across the country. 

No relief yet as gas prices keep going up

The provincial government’s plan to temporarily cut its tax on gasoline prices may not provide drivers much solace until April 1 arrives.  While the new measure is expected to save Alberta drivers about $1.3 billion at the pump, that relief isn’t helping now. 

BTPS launches first Indigenous Crime Stoppers chapter

Crime Stoppers Canada has a new chapter which is the first of its kind. And the community that developed it is hoping more will follow.

Blood Tribe Crime Stoppers is the first Indigenous-led Crime Stoppers chapter in Canada, an initiative that was made possible by a partnership among Blood Tribe Police Service, Blood Tribe Chief in Council, Blood Tribe Opioid Response and Southern Alberta Crime Stoppers. 

War veteran sentenced for pedestrian fatality

A war veteran who struck and killed her former spouse with a vehicle nearly two years ago, has received a federal prison sentence.

Melissa Dumaine Whitegrass, who was facing charges of first-degree murder, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving causing death, pleaded guilty last week in Lethbridge provincial court to the single count of dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced to nearly three and a half years in prison. 

The other two charges, particularly the murder charge, were withdrawn after it was determined Whitegrass did not intend to hit the victim with her vehicle, Lethbridge lawyer Scott Hadford said Monday. 

Fire departments stepping up for Ukraine

Paul Wasylewich has never felt so proud to be Ukrainian. The retired Lethbridge Fire/EMS employee is spearheading a campaign to get much-needed emergency response equipment to Ukraine and fire departments from Alberta have stepped up to the plate in a big way. 

With huge support from re departments in Red Deer, Magrath, Coaldale, Picture Butte and Pincher Creek, he’s managed to haul a couple of loads to Calgary to the Ukrainian Council for distribution. 

U of L strike ends after parties ratify agreement

The University of Lethbridge Board of Governors has voted to ratify terms of a new collective agreement with the institution’s striking faculty association and on Monday evening the faculty association said its members had voted to ratify the agreement. 

A Saturday post on the U of L’s bargaining page said its vote was based on recommendations contained in a report made by the mediator who held meetings with the two sides last week. 

Crowsnest Pass Herald suing Google, Facebook

Sotos Class Actions of Toronto has issued a statement of claim against Google and Facebook March 16 on behalf of the Crowsnest Pass Herald, a community newspaper that serves the Crowsnest Pass area of southwest Alberta. The class action claims damages of one billion dollars against the two tech companies, alleging that Google and Facebook entered into an agreement that allowed them to benefit financially at the expense of other digital publishers. 

Lethbridge mourns Senator Fairbairn

Tributes are fowing in to the late Senator Joyce Fairbairn who died Tuesday in Lethbridge at the age of 82. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday it was with great sadness he learned of the passing of Fairbairn, who he called “a wonderful friend to my father and me, a passionate and brilliant Albertan, and above all, a truly dedicated servant of Canada.

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