Temple will benefit everyone in the city regardless of faith
By Lethbridge Herald on May 2, 2025.
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
The revelation by their church prophet Russell M. Nelson to build a temple in Lethbridge could be a blessing for the city.
As I wrote in Tuesday’s Herald, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned the sod on Saturday for its third Alberta temple, the newest directly across from the Cavendish Farms Centre at 38 Mauritania Road West.
The temple, when constructed, will draw members of that faith in the region and abroad to Lethbridge for temple functions and ceremony. Church members first heard of the plan to build here when Nelson announced it on April 2, 2023.
In southern Alberta, about 12 per cent of the population – more than 27,000 people – are members of that church. For the record, in case you’re wondering given the tone of this column, I’m not among them. I did grow up among church members, some of whom are still my closest friends to this day. I also have family who are part of the church.
In my experience, all people are family to members of that church, the inclusivity made clear during the ceremony in which invited guests heard that the grounds will be a place where members of all faiths are welcome.
That’s the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prefers people not use the term Mormons or LDS in describing it or its membership, a matter that I am going to respect here. To them, all people, are family.
As I wrote in my story on the ceremony which I was honoured to be invited to cover and attend, the two-storey temple will have about 44,500 square feet of space and will support the growing church membership in the area. I was among 550 in attendance at this historic occasion.
Situated on a nine-acre site, the temple will have what the church calls four instruction rooms, three sealing rooms and one baptistry. There will also be a two ancillary buildings on site.
While the temple itself will serve church members, the project has potential benefits for this entire city. Not only will members from surrounding areas come here for their temple purposes, they may shop here, explore tourist attractions and perhaps even consider moving here.
When the temple was first announced, a source in local governance told me that inquiries had been made from some in distant communities about setting up homes here. That’s what kind of attraction a temple has.
This temple could be incredibly important for the local tax base – residential as well as commercial and industrial – in Lethbridge if this city is going to meet the future demands on that tax base.
In the future, we are looking at a potential tax increase to cover the operating costs of the Lethbridge and District Exhibition on top of whatever hike – if any – is imposed by the next council.
In December, council voted against an administration recommendation that a 2.24 per cent hike be imposed this year on top of the already scheduled 5.1 per cent increase.
As I wrote in a recent column, Canadians are getting tapped out when it comes to taxes because there is only so much burden all of us can carry. So it’s imperative that the local tax base increase. And the temple has the potential to bring in new residents while also contributing to the local economy in terms of job creation and materials purchases.
If new residents can be attracted, perhaps that will spur more commercial development on the westside so people don’t have to commute to the north and south sides of the city to work, development which would ease congestion on the two thoroughfares across the Oldman River, development which would reduce carbon emissions with less daily traffic on those roads and reduce wear and tear on those roads – which would be beneficial in various ways.
As you’ve all read and heard, this city needs millions of dollars in work done on our water and wastewater treatment plants. That investment is needed now and it’s going to be needed for any future growth. To pay for that work, we need to increase tax dollars.
For residents, the most palatable way is to increase the tax base rather than put even more burden on residents.
We know many in our community are struggling financially and those struggles are going to worsen unless inflation can be put in check, tariffs eliminated, rent and mortgage costs stabilized and tax increases minimized.
We often hear about affordability which can be completely different for a person trying to make ends meet on less than $50,000, for instance, than for someone who makes a six-figure salary. What’s affordable to one segment of our community can only be a dream for others.
Civic leadership has a responsibility to make an effort to try making the city affordable for all to live here, it has – in this opinion – an obligation to see that taxes, on top of rising mortgage and rent costs, don’t force people to look elsewhere to work and live and contribute to the economy. Retirees and young residents starting out are among those vulnerable to rising taxes so if this city is going to meet needs and expectations , the tax base has to increase. Actual community needs, I will emphasize, right now should be a priority rather than wants, a point I’ve heard others also make.
And while the temple is first and foremost a place for Latter-day Saints to conduct ceremony, it potentially means so much more for our community and its future.
23-22
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I am not a Mormon and I probably would never change my faith to become a Mormon, but I respect them!
They are family oriented, focused on strong family values by faith, with their own social services and senior services programs and too many other positive programs to mention. I do agree they will benefit the community and wish them well!
A 9 acre commercial land assessed at about $1.7 million is soon to be a tax exempt church. How does that help an existing taxpayer?
Wow, I have to say this is one of the more ridiculous articles I have read in a long time. A church that pays no taxes, sends over 1 billion dollars south to BYU, has “secret” chambers and protocols, is homophobic, and has billions of dollars in cash is helping who? Oh, I forgot, we get to sit on the tax free grass and have lunch!
Having said that, I couldn’t care less if they build a shrine in West Lethbridge, just don’t blow smoke up my butt and tell me how it benefits everyone.
I have long had an issue with all of the major religions that have billions in cash and assets. I was under the impression that they were in place to help mankind by using that cash.
It is what it is, a church, benefiting it’s members, and that’s where it ends.