Many in the community make Lethbridge a better place to live
By Lethbridge Herald on December 24, 2021.
Shannon Phillips
MLA Lethbridge West
It’s hard to believe, but another year has ended. There can be no doubt that 2021 was challenging for so many of us. From our province’s continued existential fight with COVID, to our city’s troubling doctor shortage and the ever-increasing cost of living, this year stretched many of us to our ends.
Now, as the holidays approach and a new viral variant emerges, we are preparing for another festive season characterized by careful interactions and precautions to protect our neighbours. If there is comfort in any of this, it’s that we have come together before and I have no doubt that Lethbridge and southern Alberta will rise to the occasion again.
Despite the gloom many of us are feeling this season, I wanted to take time this holiday season to thank the countless individuals and organizations in our community for the incredible work that they do to make Lethbridge such an incredible place to live.
By reflecting on the uniquely-Albertan spirit of generosity and compassion that characterizes our community, I think we can all assure ourselves that we can get through this latest wave of the virus the same way we’ve always had to: together.
While most of us think about the spirit of giving, compassion, and generosity that animates this season, there are so many groups in Lethbridge and southern Alberta for whom these same principles are alive and well each and every day through the entire year.
Whether it’s faith groups living out the highest ideals of their traditions, neighbours working together to make sure that the family down the street has enough to get by, or our Indigenous neighbours coming together to right the wrongs of racism and colonialism, folks in our community are doing the work that makes our City and region a model to the province and the country – and are some of the most important reasons why I’m so proud to represent this community.
I wanted to single out the amazing work that has been done this year by groups led by the Indigenous community.
Given the incredible flood of historic events this year, it might be difficult for many of us to remember back to the early summer when wave after wave of horrific discoveries were made at residential school sites throughout the country, highlighting the truly tragic and cruel legacy of that system.
While many of us grappled with the full reality of residential schools for the first time, so many of our Blackfoot neighbours continued the hard work of addressing the intergenerational trauma caused by that system, all while grappling with a national conversation that no doubt reminded them of just how cruel our country has been.
In particular, I wanted to recognize Opokaa’sin (“all the children” in Blackfoot) Early Intervention Society for their continued work to strengthen our community by making sure that every child and family feels supported and nurtured. Their work is fundamental to ensuring a world in which the promises we all made this summer that every child matters comes to fruition, and we meaningfully and seriously come together to ensure that our community is doing everything in our power to support kids – no matter their cultural background. So, to everyone at Opokaa’sin: thank you for your work. It is meaningful not just to the Blackfoot community in our region, but to all of us who want to see a better, fairer, and more beautiful world.
Of course, Opokaa’sin is just one of the remarkable organizations that has sprung up to make our community a better, fairer, and safer place.
I have also been impressed by the efforts of Sage Clan to make sure that our unhoused neighbours feel a greater sense of belonging, Sik-Ooh-Kotoki which has been promoting friendship in Lethbridge since 1969, and so many individuals and institutions that are doing the toiling work of reconciliation, and unspooling the decades of injustice that have led us to this point.
To all of you, and from myself and everyone else in our City that cares about a brighter and more resilient future: thank you for your work in 2021, and your continued presence.
2021 has been tough – there’s no getting around it, and for many of us, the holiday season is tough in the best of years.
Please take care of yourself through the remainder of the year, and know that you live in a community that, while we have our challenges, is at its core a remarkable collection of people that are striving to do our best by our neighbours. I fundamentally believe that Lethbridge and southern Alberta is a light to the rest of our province.
If you need some extra resources this time of year – and many of us do – there are a few numbers you should know. If you are experiencing family violence, the province has an info line at 310-1818.
If you require assistance with income support, you can access 1-866-644-5135 to help address any issues with that or other programs. Finally, if you need mental health support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the province’s Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642.
It has been an honour to continue serving the residents of Lethbridge through 2021, and I look forward to continuing that work in 2022.
I wish everyone in our community a safe and warm holiday season and a prosperous new year.
As always, please reach out to my office by calling 403-329-4644 or by emailing lethbridge.west@assembly.ab.ca if there is anything that I or my staff can do to help.
22-21
Thanks to the UCP for making Lethbridge a better place to live. Things have really gotten better since the demise of the NDP and their SCS.
Incredible how Phillips reaches new heights of virtue signaling in her latest propaganda banter piece. Most of the improvements within our province have occurred after the NDP and their silent partner unionist funders were soundly defeated in the last election.
Then, there’s this:
“Marking the 15th year of albertapolitics.ca, which begins today, Here’s a list of the top 10 UCP scandals of 2021”
http://www.albertapolitics.ca/2021/12/marking-the-15th-year-of-albertapolitics-ca-which-begins-today-heres-a-list-the-top-ten-ucp-scandals-of-2021/
No wonder, voting intentions indicate that the AB NDP would win an election now with a 99% chance of a majority. 🙂
Lethbridge crime stats skyrocketed under her watch, and now she blames the UCP for all of it. LOL
Look in the mirror once in a while! We have not forgot that you and the NDP forced a safe consumption site on us, which continues to cost Lethbridge taxpayers millions from flooding the city addicts and homeless!
Millions spent on fire/EMS/police services, social and housing programs, draining donation dollars to feed, clothe and house the addicts/homeless that could be used on cancer treatment, heart disease/stroke, veterans supports, seniors supports, not to mention killing multiple businesses or their reserves or taking out 2nd or 3rd mortgages. The rippling effects cost us tens of millions today. DOT, clean sweep, bio hazard clean-up and on and on and on!
If I were you Ms. Phillips I would take some time to review how much damage you did to this community! You destroyed a city that just a couple of years earlier than the SCS was a city called a clean and beautiful city that many wanted to come back and retire in and soon was labelled internationally as having the highest crime rates and busiest SCS in the WORLD! You and the NDP destroyed this city and ignored pleas not to build it and then shut it down!
It never solved the issues and open drug use and fatal overdoses dramatically increased after it opened. Downtown became an open shooting gallery for shooting up drugs!
You are soooo quick to shoot down other projects that work, and do not have any concrete solutions, because you are always attacking others!
Now you want to attack a police force further, for spite, even though they are dealing with the matter and other issues! IT JUST NEVER ENDS WITH YOU!
WAS IT A BAD DIVORCE OR CHILDHOOD?
Instead of representing your constituents as a whole, you have been on a rampage to attack the LPS, even though they are dealing with the matter and any other entity or person that gets in your way of ‘revenge’!
There was a time that I would have voted for you after seeing the UCP destroy healthcare and the education system, but that will never ever happen. You need to stand down and talk to a professional to help you deal with what ever it is that has caused you to display such unprofessional acts.
There is such a rule in court called the ‘reasonable man’ clause! Look in the mirror and think long and hard about that.
And get some help!!!!
Nonsense…..
Facts, not nonsense! I suspect that you, Southern Albertan, either have not paid attention what happened to this city over the last 6 years, you are a part of the camp of Shannon Phillips or Shannon herself, or you are not even from the area, but in Edmonton!
Those who live in this city and saw the destruction, the lost businesses, the open drug use that increased downtown, the impact of the attacks on LPS and the high cost this city has paid for the loss of its reputation internationally who argue against your “nonsense” comment! Some businesses spent over $50,000 securing their businesses from the crime which increased almost 6,000 % after the SCS opened!
This MLA, show is supposed to be serving the community, not ripping it apart, has just stated that there will be further deeper investigations of the LPS this year. How much will that cost the taxpayers and how much more do you want to bring down the moral of a police force that is just trying to recover from all the attacks. What happened to Shannon was wrong, but I am willing to bet that if we did a forensic search in the past of Shannon Phillip’s life, as with most people, we would find some skeletons hiding in some closets!
This is not how am elected official should be behaving after her concerns were heard and acted on and it is time we seriously considered her position in this community and as a paid/elected official.
Maybe it is time that the public did a deep-dive into the past of Shannon Phillips and see exactly who we have elected and who we are using taxpayers dollars to pay her wages and the that attacks!
I have all the facts and I can put them up for you to see, but I know you already are aware and have pretended the SCS has no impact on this city.
The Park N Ride Terminal at 705-5th Avenue South, which was built with $22 million of the taxpayer monies, is now constantly inhabited by addicts/homeless/prostitutes and almost everytime I walk by it there is garbage on the ground, spilled coffee/pop and even urine on the street, in the outside waiting area for buses. The washrooms have been destroyed by these people, where they use them for drug use, washing themselves and even their hair in the toilet! Our police/fire/EMS have been run ragged by these individuals.
Our parks and neighbourhoods have also being under siege by these people, breaking and entering homes and vehicles, stealing little kids bicycles and even the parents’ bicycles with tow carriages for their children to ride in. They do drugs anywhere they want and when they want and often are aggressive when they are asked to move along!
The hotels that were used to isolate them when they had COVID were turned into party houses, since the shelter operators that were overseeing them would not allow security to enforce the isolation. Often these infected people left in taxis or got on the but and came downtown to get more drugs or sell them, and even hang at the Park N Ride Terminal, while infected!
The NDP brought this on this city and you are dreaming if you think anyone will vote in Phillips again!
There is so much more I can add to this about how this city has been destroyed but my time is more valuable than explaining the truth to you! Get your head out of the sand or where ever it is!!!!!
What is more, in this, is your, inappropriate, personal, attack on Ms. Phillips. One can disagree with other politics/politicians, without attacking their person and, without making assumptions about their, or anyone’s, personal life. This sort of attack is, not, a mark of intelligence, and, I believe The Lethbridge Herald executives should be removing your initial comment. It is possibly interesting to note that female politicians field this sort of abusive behavior more often than male politicians…..no matter, what is said here, in loud protestation.
Not a single fact stated by pursuit driver has been refuted by you. The point was is that no one on the planet is without skeletons. Refute the facts and don’t defend Phillips, she can defend herself.
No, this personal attack definitely supersedes any ‘facts.’ The ‘facts’ could have been rendered credible without the personal attack/abuse.
Shannon, you attack others on a regular basis, it has become a norm for you. I do not hate or have any feelings for/against you. It is your constant attacks, your actions, your statements.
And don’t try to divert this as a sexism issue! It has nothing to do with race, sex, or colour!
Funny, you can dish it out constantly, but when it turns back on you, you scream ‘murder’, hang them high and remove their comments!
There were no threats made against you!
Just like catching the addicts or homeless doing something wrong, they start making accusations of ‘racism’ because they were caught committing crimes around our property downtown, property that has been devastated after the SCS opened! This has nothing to do with your sexual orientation!
I do believe that you are acting out something that happened in your life, because I have never seen a professional politician with such willingness to attack so many things and ignore important issues that cost taxpayers.
When downtown was being devastated from the impacts, the increase of open drug use, sexual acts, crime and our streets turned into garbage cans the NDP ignored the pleas of the downtown business owners and citizens. Galt Gardens, once a beautiful central park where people enjoyed events, many refuse to use it for a venue. Ribfest, the Latino Festival, even Canada Day.
Again I will say this, if you are going to attack everyone else, you better have all your ducks in a row!
I do remember the NDP having a big drinking party, while Fort McMurray burned just months after the NDP cancelled the water bomber contracts!
We are in a time where political parties should be working together to rebuild a country that has been devastated, a province hit hard, and a city that has lost a once great reputation.
Unity is the only way to do that, but the NDP wants to continue to tear apart institutions and attack others. Unity and working together is what we need!
I am not the only one that is tired of the attacks!
Every person on this planet has something that is hidden that they do not want others to know, because none of us are perfect and have made mistakes growing up!
Ever heard the saying “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”, that includes the NDP.
To add, when someone is not dealing with something mentally affecting them, often you see the type of attacks we have seen in the past year.
Alberta Justice and LPS have and are dealing with the LPS members from the illegal surveillance on you Shannon, it is being dealt with. You want to continue this, by promising in the a news release, more is coming though.
This is at a high cost to the taxpayer and the moral of department that has being over worked by the impacts the SCS has had on this city and is trying to recover from the negative events. They are getting kicked while they are down! They are many dedicated, honest, hard working members of the LPS that are being unfairly judged by those who think LPS are all bad. It is sad, very sad!
We need police! Were you not there supporting those calling to defund the police? I could be wrong, I will have to go back to the news reports, but I thought I saw you supporting them!
What happened to you was wrong, I get it, but they didn’t bug your offices or home or follow you around. It was wrong, but limited!
What you are demanding is like a drug dealer getting your friend high, she overdoses, then recovers in hospital, but you want the dealer charged with attempted murder and incarcerated for 10 years. I use this example because you brought the SCS to this city.
Enough said! I don’t mind if the Herald has to follow through with your request to remove my comments on your rant article, my point to you has being made and there are many in this community that are tired of your constant attacks. Perhaps you should go over all of your comments made against others in the news and not just under “opinion” columns. I guess it makes sense that an ex-member of Council that created strife in Council meetings is now running in the next election for the NDP. It seems to be the trend for the NDP!
For the record, I am not police or retired police. I am someone who has been impacted by the SCS!
FACT: When Ms. Phillips said things that were not true, and designed to misinform , as when she lied to and about the RCMP, she eroded her credibility now about anything she says.
Almost every politician has a hidden personal agenda; Phillips is no different. And they all have their dirty little secrets, which they will go to any length to hide or justify when exposed.
Why do you think she’s defending herself so adamantly against the LPS?
To quote a sports mantra, best defence is a good offence. Keep everyone off balance