Lethbridge offers high return on investment

By Lethbridge Herald on August 1, 2025.

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? In the uncertainty of the world we live in, being pessimistic and disillusioned would be easy.

Especially when it comes to financial matters.

A July 14 blog by MNP Ltd. states that almost half of this province’s residents are $200 – or less – from being financially insolvent each month That figure, says MNP, is higher than that of any other province.

The MNP Consumer Debt Index states that two in five Albertans are afraid interest rates could push them toward bankruptcy and 66 per cent need interest rates to drop. Forty one per cent feel anxious or are stressed about their financial situation, while two in five are more cautious with how they manage their money because of financial  pressure – a figure which is higher than any other province.

The index also shows that three in 10 Albertans are financially insolvent. Up to 1.8 million Albertans are close to financial insolvency based on the proportion of people surveyed by the index, a level of financial uncertainty which hasn’t been witnessed here since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Lindsay Burchill, a licenced insolvency trustee with MNP.

The index states that 51 per cent of us are likely to say we’ve reduced discretionary spending because of financial pressures.

These are sobering figures – you can see the whole blog at mnpdebt.ca.

Balancing that report – perhaps – is a graphic released by the City of Lethbridge this week which illustrates how this community compares to the province’s other largest municipalities.

The City says the combination of matters in that graph “makes the cost of living in Lethbridge very attractive.”

In terms of property taxes, which we hear about often from residents, nine communities have a higher annual property tax on a median value single-family home than Lethbridge. Thirteen communities have a lower annual property tax.

Is this a positive or a negative? Or does that depend upon how we perceive the value we get for those tax dollars?

In terms of average cost of a single family home in 2024, the City figure shows costs were higher in 13 municipalities and lower in nine. Positive or negative? Depends again on the perception of what we have here. And an optimist would say we have much to be thankful for here.

Definitely positive is the result of a utility comparison report that shows, overall, Lethbridge has the lowest combined costs of utilities among those 23 municipalities.

It’s easy to be pessimistic about life in general these days, especially when measles rates are needlessly increasing, when we see the impact of inflation and interest rates, and the uncertainty over American tariffs. And let’s not even talk about the Blue Jays’ recent slide.

But we also have many reasons to be appreciative of this city and what it offers.

We have beautiful parklands and anyone who was in the river valley early Wednesday morning in the fog saw just how spectacular our green spaces are. Those green spaces are kept clean and well maintained by a dedicated parks crew who in my opinion do an utterly fantastic job; those at Nicholas Sheran Park such as Jeff and Brenda and others who really deserve a shout-out for their efforts.

We are a city with a vibrant and diverse arts community, one which often doesn’t get the credit it deserves for the contribution it makes to our city culturally and economically. As I discussed with Allied  Arts Council executive director Steven Foord last week after a government announcement on arts funding, the arts contribute significantly to the economic well-being of communities. But their  alue goes far beyond that.

The arts enrich communities and we need a strong arts community to keep residents here and to entice new ones, because culture matters just like sports facilities matter and well-maintained streets and infrastructure matter. Just like affordable housing matters and good jobs matter.  A strong, vibrant cultural community is a key component of any community. And we have it.

When you look at what this city has to offer, the positives far outweigh the negatives. We are a short commute from anywhere – businesses, parks, arenas, schools. This long weekend if you’re staying home, it doesn’t take much effort to  see what a great community it is that we call home.

Just take an early morning stroll at the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands or Nicholas Sheran Park, or take a ride on a bike trail through the  coulees. Check out SAAG or Casa or the Galt Museum, or hit up a sports complex, and you’ll see a Lethbridge that merits optimism, hope and gratitude. And appreciation.

And if you notice me on the roof of my house for more than an hour  this weekend  (I have to try repairing a leaky rain gutter), can you kindly pick up the ladder that surely fell? Thanks in advance!