Team Lethbridge to promote city to province
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on September 8, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com
Team Lethbridge will be meeting with members of the provincial government in November as it embarks on a journey of advocacy for the city.
Organized by Trevor Lewington, chief executive officer of Economic Development Lethbridge, the mission will be the seventh to the provincial capital by a contingent from various local organizations to meet with government officials to discuss matters of importance to the city.
Carly Kleisinger, chief of staff for the City, addressed the initiative on Tuesday at the meeting of the Advocacy Advisory Committee of Lethbridge city council.
That committee consists of chair and mayor Blaine Hyggen, deputy mayor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel and acting mayor Belinda Crowson. The latter two attended the meeting remotely while councillors Mark Campbell and John Middleton-Hope sat in on it in council chambers.
Kleisinger told the committee the Team Lethbridge trip is one of two “key events” coming up.
Team Lethbridge will be in Edmonton Nov. 1-3.
One City spot is typically reserved for administration and two for council members at the event, said Kleisinger.
City manager Lloyd Brierley, Schmidt-Rempel and Hyggen are expected to represent the City in Edmonton.
Kleisinger said the outcome of the UCP leadership race and cabinet shuffle may impact this year’s mission so after Oct. 6 there may be changes to the team.
Team Lethbridge “is a group of community leaders interested in raising awareness of how the City of Lethbridge contributes to the province and how we can work with our government representatives to support long-term success for Alberta,” according to Choose Lethbridge on its website at chooselethbridge.ca
“As individual organizations and as a group, we believe Lethbridge has a lot to offer the province, the country and the world. Our vision and commitment is to foster a community, province and nation that is not only ready to seize the opportunities of today but also the possibilities of tomorrow.”
Among those organizations are the City of Lethbridge; Economic Development Lethbridge; Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce; Lethbridge Construction Association; Alberta Health Services – South Zone; the Allied Arts Council, Downtown Lethbridge BRZ; BILD Lethbridge Region; Lethbridge and District Exhibition; Lethbridge Housing Authority; Lethbridge Family Services and Lethbridge Sport Council.
Other members include such diverse organizations as Environment Lethbridge, Holy Spirit Catholic and Lethbridge Public School divisions, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge College, the public library, Lethbridge Lodging Association and Lethbridge and District Realtors Association.
Hyggen said each group involved in Team Lethbridge has three delegates who speak about some of the struggles here.
“We just want to go up and create relationships with the government from these different agencies in Lethbridge,” he said.
“It’s been extremely successful,” said the mayor of Team Lethbridge advocacy initiatives.
Team Lethbridge will have representatives from between 30 and 32 organizations, said Schmidt-Rempel. Different groups, with expertise in certain areas, will meet with different ministers, added the mayor.
Team Lethbridge “is a fairly well-oiled machine,” said Kleisinger.
The City will also have representatives at the upcoming Alberta Municipalities Convention and Trade show, Kleisinger said.
That event is scheduled for Sept. 21-23 at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary. Brierley will be among local delegates as well as members of council, said Kleisinger.
“The work that we’re doing behind the scenes, from an administrative perspective, is looking at the resolutions that other communities have brought forward and what that means for council. And which ones you may wish to partake in some of those discussions,” she said to council members at the advocacy meeting.
“Lethbridge city council didn’t put any forward ourselves this year so it will be more about the support for some of the other municipalities,” she said.
She said attending councillors will be provided a binder full of information required to be successful, she said.
Hyggen said councillors will go through what other communities are talking about and speak with administration on what council can do to help them.
“Some of them Lethbridge may have a stance on,” said Kleisinger.
“As part of the advocacy efforts, I would say that there would be something worthwhile from this committee to discuss how we might be involved in some of those resolutions moving forward,” said Kleisinger.
Alberta Municipalities “are a very strong advocate to the provincial government,” said Hyggen, adding it’s important for council to support other communities and help with different resolutions being presented.
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An error of importance in Mr. Beeber’s article. Since September 2019, the UCP government of Alberta Ministry of Education declared that public school divisions drop the name PUBLIC. There is no longer a Lethbridge PUBLIC School Division, It is now the Lethbridge School Division.