Council gives thumbs up to new society for Exhibition
By Lethbridge Herald on May 28, 2025.
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
Lethbridge city council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a recommendation calling for the creation of a non-profit corporation to operate the Lethbridge and District Exhibition.
The motion, contained in the consent agenda, also approves the recommendation by the Deloitte third-party review of the LDE to “reorganize and refocus the operations of the LDE on its core business and restore the governance shareholdings and share structure of the Exhibition to such extent is reasonable and practicable in the circumstances as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.”
The initial recommendation was made by council acting in its capacity of Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee on May 8.
At that May meeting, the SPC heard presentations from City administration and Deloitte on the consolidation of event management in Lethbridge.
As part of its review presented to council last fall, Deloitte recommended a new model in which the City would consolidate some activities under a new event attraction agency and the LDE would put a greater focus on agricultural events.
The Deloitte report says this would ensure signature Exhibition events would continue and enable it to focus on agriculture and community engagement while maximizing the lifespan, availability and use of the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. And the new model would ensure the LDE is sustainable in the long-term.
A report by the City says the LDE must be structured and delivering programs in compliance with provincial charitable gaming policies by Aug. 31.
Core requirements by the AGLC for an ag society include a minimum of 25 voting shareholders should should live in the community and respective district, a board of directors established from those shareholders and the entity must be incorporated as a not-for-profit society or under an ag society.
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Council playing chess game with citizens of Lethbridge with our dollars?