Lethbridge is a city in the province of
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada, and the largest city in
southern AlbertaSouthern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...
. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
,
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and
Red DeerRed Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby
Canadian RockiesThe Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
contribute to the city's cool summers, mild winters, and
windy climateChinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
. Lethbridge lies southeast of Calgary on the
Oldman RiverThe Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Taber, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins with the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into...
.
Lethbridge is the commercial, financial, transportation and industrial centre of southern Alberta. The city's economy developed from
drift miningDrift mining is either the mining of a placer deposit by underground methods, or the working of coal seams accessed by adits driven into the surface outcrop of the coal bed. Drift is a more general mining term, meaning a near-horizontal passageway in a mine, following the bed or vein of ore. A...
for coal in the late 19th century and
agricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
in the early 20th century. Half of the workforce is employed in the health, education, retail and hospitality sectors, and the top five employers are government-based. The only university in Alberta south of Calgary is in Lethbridge, and two of the three colleges in southern Alberta have campuses in the city. Cultural venues in the city include performing art theatres, museums and sports centres.
History
Before the 19th century, the Lethbridge area was populated by several
First NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
at various times. The
BlackfootThe Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
referred to the area as
Aksaysim ("steep banks"),
Mek-kio-towaghs ("painted rock"),
Assini-etomochi ("where we slaughtered the Cree") and
Sik-ooh-kotok ("coal"). The
SarceeThe Tsuu T'ina Nation is a First Nation in Canada. Their territory is located on the Indian reserve Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, whose east side is adjacent to the southwest city limits of Calgary, Alberta...
referred to it as
Chadish-kashi ("black/rocks"), the
Cree The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
as
Kuskusukisay-guni ("black/rocks"), and the
NakodaThe Nakoda are a First Nation group, indigenous to both Canada and, originally, the United States....
(Stoney) as
Ipubin-saba-akabin ("digging coal").
After the US Army stopped alcohol trading with the
Blackfeet NationThe Blackfeet Indian Reservation or Blackfeet Nation is an Indian reservation of the Blackfeet tribe in Montana in the United States. It is located east of Glacier National Park and borders Canada to the north. Cut Bank Creek and Birch Creek make up part of its eastern and southern borders...
in
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in 1869, traders John J. Healy and Alfred B. Hamilton started a whiskey trading post at Fort Hamilton, near the future site of Lethbridge. The post's nickname became
Fort Whoop-UpFort Whoop-Up was the nickname given to a whisky trading post, originally Fort Hamilton, near what is now Lethbridge, Alberta. During the late 19th century, the post served as a centre for various illegal activities...
. The whiskey trade led to the
Cypress Hills massacreThe Cypress Hills massacre occurred on June 1, 1873, in the Cypress Hills region of Battle Creek, North-West Territories , involving a group of American Bison hunters, American wolf hunters or 'wolfers', American and Canadian whiskey traders, Métis cargo haulers or 'freighters', and a camp of...
of many native Assiniboine in 1873. The
North-West Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, sent to stop the trade and establish order, arrived at Fort Whoop-Up on 9 October 1874. They managed the post for the next 12 years.
Lethbridge's economy developed from
drift minesDrift mining is either the mining of a placer deposit by underground methods, or the working of coal seams accessed by adits driven into the surface outcrop of the coal bed. Drift is a more general mining term, meaning a near-horizontal passageway in a mine, following the bed or vein of ore. A...
opened by
Nicholas SheranNicholas Sheran was an entrepreneur born in New York City. He spent his early years apprenticing as a printer, working on Arctic whalers, and serving in the United States Army.-History:...
in 1874 and the
North Western Coal and Navigation CompanyThe North Western Coal and Navigation Company also known as Alberta Coal and Railway Company, was a coal mining company formed in 1882 by Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, one of Canada's Fathers of Confederation...
in 1882. North Western's president was
William LethbridgeWilliam Lethbridge was a lawyer in England. When bookseller W H Smith owner William Henry Smith II decided to become involved in politics in 1864, he enlisted Lethbridge as a managing partner....
, from whom the city derives its name. By the turn of the century, the mines employed about 150 men and producing 300 tonnes of coal each day. In 1896, local collieries were the largest coal producers in the
Northwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, with production peaking during
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the war, increasing oil and natural gas production gradually replaced coal production, and the last mine in Lethbridge closed in 1957.
The first rail line in Lethbridge was opened on 28 August 1885 by the Alberta Railway and Coal Company, which bought the North Western Coal and Navigation Company five years later. The rail industry's dependence on coal and the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's efforts to settle southern Alberta with immigrants boosted Lethbridge's economy. After the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) moved the
divisional pointIn Canada, a divisional point is a railway depot that includes more than just a basic siding or station.- Overview :In the coal and steam era, a divisional point would include such amenities as a substantial passenger station, freight and baggage sheds, a roundhouse, water tank, coaling and sanding...
of its Crowsnest Line from Fort Macleod to Lethbridge in 1905, the city became the regional centre for
Southern AlbertaSouthern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...
. In the mid-1980s, the CPR moved its rail yards in downtown Lethbridge to nearby Kipp, and Lethbridge ceased being a rail hub.
Between 1907 and 1913, a development boom occurred in Lethbridge, making it the main marketing, distribution and service centre in southern Alberta. Such municipal projects as a water treatment plant, a power plant, a
streetcar systemLethbridge Transit manages and operates the municipally-owned public transportation system in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-History:...
, and
exhibition buildingsExhibition Park is an exhibition complex located on the eastern edge of Lethbridge, Alberta.-Facilities:Permanent structures at the site include a 10,664 m² pavilion complex , Heritage Hall, Pioneer Park, a grandstand, and Whoop-Up Downs.-Events:Roughly 950 events are held at the park every year,...
— as well as a construction boom and rising real estate prices — transformed the mining town into a significant city. Between World War I and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, however, the city experienced an economic slump. Development slowed, drought drove farmers from their farms, and coal mining rapidly declined from its peak. After World War II, irrigation of farmland near Lethbridge led to growth in the city's population and economy. Lethbridge College (previously Lethbridge Community College) opened in April 1957 and the
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
in 1967.
Government
Eight aldermen and a mayor make up the Lethbridge City Council. City voters elect a new government every three years. The last election was
October 18, 2010The 2010 Lethbridge municipal election was held Monday, October 18, 2010 to elect a mayor and eight aldermen , and five of the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 4's nine trustees . The seven Lethbridge School District No. 51 trustees were acclaimed, five being incumbents...
, with a vacancy on council filled on
February 1, 2011The 2011 Lethbridge municipal by-election was held Tuesday, February 1, 2011 to elect one aldermen at-large. On October 18, 2010, Bob Babki was elected to the eight alderman council, in the regular scheduled municipal election. He died on October 30, from a suspected heart failure, two days before...
. Lethbridge does not have a ward system, so the mayor and all aldermen are elected at large. The 2009–2011 operating budget of the City of Lethbridge was
C$The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
250–278 million, more than half of which came from
property taxA property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
. One Member of Parliament (MP) representing
LethbridgeLethbridge is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...
sits in the House of Commons in
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and two members of Alberta's
legislative assemblyThe Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
(MLAs), representing
Lethbridge-EastLethbridge-East is an provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, covering the eastern half of the city of Lethbridge. The district is one of 83 in the province mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.The...
(
LiberalThe Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
) and
Lethbridge-WestLethbridge-West is an Alberta provincial electoral district, covering the western half of the city of Lethbridge, including all of West Lethbridge....
(
PCThe Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
), sit in the legislative assembly in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Traditionally, political leanings in Lethbridge have been
right-wingIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
. Federally, from 1917 to 1930, Lethbridge voters switched between various federal parties, but from 1935 to 1957, they voted
Social CreditThe Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
in each election.
Progressive ConservativesThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
held office from
1958The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
until
1993The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, when the
Reform Party of CanadaThe Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
was formed. The Reform party and its various subsequent incarnations have dominated the polls since.
The Alberta government through
Alberta Health ServicesAlberta Health Services is the province-wide organization responsible for providing hospital and other health care in the Canadian province of Alberta. Known as the "superboard", it was created in May 2008, with the abolition of nine previous regional health authorities, the Alberta Mental Health...
administers public health services. Chinook Health oversees facilities in southwestern Alberta, such as the
Chinook Regional HospitalChinook Regional Hospital is the main hospital in southern Alberta and offers many of the health care services for Alberta Health Services. The hospital services a population of over 150,000 and is supported by the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation....
and
St. Michael's Health CentreSt. Michael's Health Centre is located in Lethbridge and offers a multi-faceted range of rehabilitation, palliative and continuing care services within the Chinook Health Region. The organization currently meets the needs of 156 continuing care residents, 36 rehabilitation patients and 10...
.
Geography and climate
The city of Lethbridge is located at 49.7° north
latitudeIn geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and 112.833° west
longitudeLongitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
and covers an area of 127.19 square kilometres (49.1 sq mi). The city is divided by the
Oldman RiverThe Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Taber, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins with the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into...
; its valley has been turned into one of the largest
urban park systemsThe Oldman River valley parks system is a continuous collection of eight urban parks in the Oldman River valley of Lethbridge, Alberta, 100 metres below the prairie level. The parks were created in the 1980s as part of the city's Urban Parks Project...
in North America at 16 square kilometres (3,953.7 acre) of protected land. The city is Alberta's fourth largest by population after
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
,
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, and
Red DeerRed Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
. It is the third largest in area after Calgary and Edmonton and is near the
Canadian RockiesThe Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
, 210 kilometres (130.5 mi) southeast of Calgary.
Lethbridge is split into three geographical areas: north, south and west. The Oldman River separates West Lethbridge from the other two while the
Crowsnest HighwayThe Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...
and the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
rail line separate North and South Lethbridge. The newest of the three areas,
West LethbridgeWest Lethbridge , is one of three geographical areas in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is the newest and the fastest growing...
(pop. 29,673) is home to the
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
, opened at that site in 1971, but the first housing was not completed until 1974 and the prime Whoop-Up Drive access opened only in 1975. Much of the city's recent growth has been on the west side, and it has the youngest median age of the three. The north side (pop. 24,514) was originally populated by workers from local coal mines. It has the oldest population of the three areas, is home to multiple industrial parks and includes the former Hamlet of Hardieville, which was annexed by Lethbridge in 1978. South Lethbridge (pop. 29,773) is the commercial heart of the city. It contains the
downtown coreDowntown Lethbridge is the commercial centre of Lethbridge, Alberta, hosting most of the city's banks and several accounting and law practices, including national firms.-Boundaries:...
, the bulk of retail and hospitality establishments, and the Lethbridge College.
Climate
Lethbridge has a semi-arid climate (
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk) with an average maximum
temperatureTemperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
of 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) and an average minimum temperature of -1.1 C. With
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
averaging 365 mm (14.4 in)–386.3 mm (15.2 in), and 264 dry days on average, Lethbridge is the eleventh driest city in Canada. Mean relative humidity hovers between 69–78% in the morning throughout the year, but afternoon mean relative humidity is more uneven, ranging from 34% in August to 64% in January. On average, Lethbridge has 116 days with
windWind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
speed of 40 km (24.9 mi) or higher, ranking it as the second city in Canada for such weather.
Its high
elevationThe elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 929 m (3,047.9 ft) and close proximity to the
Rocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
provides Lethbridge with cooler summers than other locations in the
Canadian PrairiesThe Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
. These factors protect the city from strong northwest and southwest winds and contribute to frequent
chinook windChinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...
s during the winter. Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies, reducing the severity and duration of winter cold periods and resulting in fewer days with
snowSnow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
cover.
Economy
Lethbridge is southern Alberta's commercial, distribution, financial and industrial centre (although
Medicine HatMedicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
plays a similar role in southeastern Alberta). It has a trading area population of 275,000, including parts of
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, and provides jobs for up to 80,000 people who commute to the city from a radius of 100 kilometres (62.1 mi).
Lethbridge's economy has traditionally been agriculture-based; however, it has diversified in recent years. Half of the workforce is employed in the health, education, retail and hospitality sectors, and the top five employers are government-based. Several national companies are based in Lethbridge. From its founding in 1935, Canadian Freightways based its head office there until moving operations to Calgary in 1948, though its call centre remains in Lethbridge.
Taco Time CanadaTaco Time is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in a limited menu of Mexican foods. The chain offers dine-in, take away, and drive through at about 300 locations....
was based in the city from 1978–1995 before moving to Calgary. Minute Muffler, which began in 1969, is based in Lethbridge. International
shippingShipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
company H & R Transport has been based in the city since 1955. Braman Furniture, which has locations in
ManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, was headquartered in Lethbridge from 1991–2008.
Lethbridge serves as a hub for commercial activity in the region by providing services and amenities. Many
transportationThere are many forms of transportation in Lethbridge, Alberta, including highways and public transit. Lethbridge's airport is Lethbridge County Airport , which is a short drive south of the city boundary...
services, including
GreyhoundGreyhound Canada is the prominent operator of inter-city coach services in Canada. Greyhound Canada is a subsidiary of Scotland's FirstGroup plc, linked with Dallas-based Greyhound Lines .-History:In 1929, Greyhound Canada was founded as Canadian Greyhound Coaches, Limited, operating in Alberta...
buses, four provincial highways, rail service and an
airportLethbridge County Airport or Lethbridge Airport, , is located south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10-15 driving minutes from the downtown area and has scheduled service to the Alberta cities of Calgary and Edmonton. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA...
, are concentrated in or near the city. In 2004, the police services of Lethbridge and
CoaldaleCoaldale is a town in southern Alberta, Canada, located east of Lethbridge, along the Crowsnest Highway.- Attractions :The main attractions are the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, the Land o' Lakes Golf Course, and the Gem of the West Museum....
combined to form the
Lethbridge Regional Police ServiceLethbridge Regional Police Service was established 1 February 2004 when the police services of Lethbridge and Coaldale, Alberta, amalgamated. The service covers Lethbridge and Coaldale.-History:...
. Lethbridge provides municipal water to Coaldale,
Coalhurst,
Diamond CityDiamond City is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the County of Lethbridge. It is located on Highway 25, approximately north of Lethbridge.Diamond City was first settled at the turn of the 20th century by farmers, ranchers and miners....
, Iron Springs,
MonarchMonarch is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the County of Lethbridge. It is located on Highway 3A, approximately northwest of Lethbridge.- Climate :- References :...
, Shaughnessy and
Turin.
In 2002, the municipal government organized
Economic Development Lethbridge, a body responsible for promoting and developing the city's commercial interests. Two years later, the city joined in a partnership with 24 other local communities to create an economic development alliance called
SouthGrow, representing a population of over 140,000. In 2006, Economic Development Lethbridge partnered with SouthGrow Regional Initiative and
Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance to create the
Southern Alberta Alternative Energy Partnership. This partnership promotes business related to alternative energy, including
wind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
,
solar powerSolar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and
biofuelBiofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
, in the region. Economic Development Lethbridge won first place at the Economic Developers Association of Canada 2007 Marketing Canada Awards for its "County of Lethbridge Business Investment Profile 2007–2008". In 2007,
Site SelectionThe award-winning Site Selection magazine , published by , is the official publication of the . The magazine delivers expansion planning information to over 44,000 readers including corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate professionals...
magazine ranked Economic Development Lethbridge as fourth among Canadian economic development groups for volume of capital investment and job creation.
Demographics
Census History
|
| Year |
Population |
| 1901 |
2,072 |
| 1911 |
8,050 |
| 1921 |
11,097 |
| 1931 |
13,489 |
| 1941 |
14,612 |
| 1951 |
22,947 |
| 1961 |
35,454 |
| 1971 |
41,217 |
| 1981 |
54,072 |
| 1991 |
60,974 |
| 2001 |
67,374 |
| 2006 |
74,637 |
| 2010 |
86,659 |
In its 2011 municipal census, the City of Lethbridge reported a population of 87,882, a 1.4% increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 86,659.
In 2006, the federal census reported a population of 74,637 in the city and 95,196 in the metropolitan area. In 2006, Lethbridge had a predominantly white population; only one out of eight people were non-European, compared to one in ten in 2001. Of those, 40 percent were
aboriginalAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
, most of whom came from the nearby
PeiganThe Northern Peigans or Aapátohsipikáni are a First Nation, part of the Niitsítapi . Known as Piikáni, "Pekuni" or Aapátohsipikáni , they are very closely related to the other members of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Aamsskáápipikani , Káínaa or...
and
KainaiThe Kainai Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada with a population of 7,437 members in 2005, and had a population of 9,035 members as of 9 February 2008...
nations. Of the remaining 60 percent,
JapaneseThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, Chinese and Latin American made up the largest portion at over 1,200, 920 and 705 respectively.
The most commonly observed faith in Lethbridge is
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. According to the 2001 federal census, 50,245 residents, representing 76 percent of respondents, indicated they were Christian. Just over 22 percent of Lethbridgians reported no religious affiliation, which was higher than the national average of 16 percent. The number of residents reporting other religions, including
BuddhistsBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
,
MuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s,
HinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s, Jews and
SikhsSikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
amounted to nearly 2 percent. For specific denominations,
Statistics CanadaStatistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
reported 14,965 Roman Catholics who were well over 22 percent of the population, and 10,235 members of the
United Church of CanadaThe United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
who were about 15 percent of the population. They counted 5,680 adherents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the Lethbridge Census Agglomeration Area (around 8.6 percent), but no numbers were made available for the City of Lethbridge itself. Less numerous denominations included 3,605
AnglicansThe Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
(more than 5 percent of the population), 3,025 Lutherans (more than 4 percent), and 2,155 Baptists (more than 3 percent).
According to the 2006 census, more than 85 percent of residents spoke
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a
first languageA first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
. More than 4 percent spoke
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, well over 2 percent spoke
DutchDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and almost 1 percent each spoke
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
,
ChineseThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, and
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language. The next most commonly spoken languages were
HungarianHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
,
PolishPolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
,
UkrainianUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
,
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
,
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
,
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
,
BlackfootBlackfoot, also known as Siksika , Pikanii, and Blackfeet, is the Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot tribes of Native Americans, who currently live in the northwestern plains of North America...
, and
TagalogTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
.
Arts and culture
Lethbridge was designated a Cultural Capital of Canada for the 2004–2005 season. The Southern Alberta Ethnic Association (Multicultural Heritage Centre) promotes multiculturalism and ethnic heritage in the community.
The city is home to venues and organizations promoting the arts. Founded in 1958, the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge is the largest organization in the city dedicated to preserving and enhancing the local arts. In the spring of 2007, the Allied Arts Council Facilities Steering Committee initiated the Arts Re:Building Together Campaign, a grass roots campaign initiative to raise awareness and support for improving arts facilities in Lethbridge. The campaign identified three arts buildings: the Yates Memorial Centre, the Bowman Arts Centre and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery as cornerstone facilities in the community requiring care and attention. On 14 July 2007, the Finance Committee of City Council approved four arts capital projects for inclusion in the City’s Ten Year Capital Plan. Under the campaign to 2010, the renovation and expansion of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery was completed, a new Community Arts Centre will be built in downtown Lethbridge, the City of Lethbridge has a Public Art Program, and a committee was formed to research the possibility of a new Performing Arts Centre in Lethbridge.
Lethbridge has a
public libraryThe Lethbridge Public Library is a public library service that is provided by the municipality of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It was established in 1919...
and three major museum/galleries. The
Southern Alberta Art GalleryThe Southern Alberta Art Gallery is located in downtown Lethbridge, Alberta and is known as one of Canada's top ten contemporary art galleries. It has three gallery spaces and a gift shop.-History:...
is a contemporary gallery; the Bowman Arts Centre, administered by the Allied Arts Council, operates three galleries; and the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery produces contemporary exhibitions including works from its extensive collection of Canadian, American and European art.
The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra has been performing in the city since 1960. It has produced spin-off music groups, the Lethbridge Musical Theatre and the Southern Alberta Chamber Orchestra. Vox Musica is a community choir based at the
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
and has been performing since 1984. Theatrical productions are presented by the University of Lethbridge's theatre department and the New West Theatre, which produces seven shows annually. New West Theatre performs at the
Genevieve E. Yates Memorial CentreThe Genevieve E. Yates Memorial Centre houses two performance theatres in downtown Lethbridge, Alberta. The centre was built starting 15 August 1965 and officially opened 1 May 1966. Deane Yates, a local retailer, donated over $200,000 towards its existence and asked the centre be named Genevieve E...
using its two theatres: the 500-seat
prosceniumA proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
Yates Theatre and the 180-seat black box Sterndale Bennet Theatre.
Sports and recreation
Lethbridge has designated 16 percent of the land within city boundaries as parkland, including the 755 hectare (1,865 acre)
Oldman River valley parks systemThe Oldman River valley parks system is a continuous collection of eight urban parks in the Oldman River valley of Lethbridge, Alberta, 100 metres below the prairie level. The parks were created in the 1980s as part of the city's Urban Parks Project...
. It has facilities for field sports and baseball, a
disc golf courseNicholas Sheran Park is an urban park in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and is named after one of the city's founders, Nicholas Sheran. The largest park in West Lethbridge, it was conceptualised as a regional park in 1969, and constructed in 1974.-Amenities:...
, a
skate parkA skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
, a
BMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
track, a
climbing wallA climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
, a dozen tennis courts, and seven pools. It is home to five golf courses, including the award-winning Paradise Canyon Golf Resort, and is within 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) of several others.
Built for the
1975 Canada GamesThe 1975 Canada Winter Games were hosted in Lethbridge, Alberta from 11–23 February 1975. Despite being hosted by Lethbridge, the games were held in 12 communities in southern Alberta spread out over 34,000 km²...
, the
ENMAX CentreThe ENMAX Centre is a 5,479-seat multi-purpose arena, in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.It features a full-size ice rink, a running track, racquetball courts and squash courts. An outdoor sports field, with capacity for 2,000 people, is adjacent to the centre...
is Lethbridge's multipurpose arena. The 6,500-seat facility has hosted concerts, three-ring circuses, multicultural events, national
curlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
championships, basketball events, banquets, skating events and the
Lethbridge HurricanesThe Lethbridge Hurricanes are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the Western Hockey League in Lethbridge, Alberta. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.-History:...
, a major
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
franchise. The arena has a running track, racquetball and squash courts, and a full-size ice rink. An outdoor sports field with capacity for 2,000 people is adjacent to the centre. In 1997, the 58000 square feet (5,388.4 m²)
Community Savings PlaceServus Sports Centre is a 5,388 m2 facility in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, that houses 2 regulation-size indoor soccer pitches with grandstand seating for approximately 2000 persons...
(formerly the Lethbridge Soccer Centre) was built directly south of the ENMAX Centre and added two regulation size indoor soccer pitches to the complex.
Several winter sports venues are in or near Lethbridge. The city has six indoor ice arenas with a total ice area of 11,220 square metres (120,800 sq ft) and a total seating capacity of 8,149. Other than the ENMAX Centre, all ice surfaces are available from October to April only. Lethbridge is 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) east of the
Castle Mountain ski resortCastle Mountain is a ski resort located in the Westcastle Valley of southwest Alberta, Canada in the Rocky Mountains. It is approximately from Calgary and the Calgary International Airport; from Lethbridge; and west of Pincher Creek...
.
Current amateur teams
| Team | Sport | League |
| Lethbridge Bulls The Lethbridge Bulls are an amateur baseball team playing at the Spitz Stadium in Lethbridge, Alberta. The team is a member of the Western Major Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the prairie provinces of Canada. The team was founded by Doug Jones, former mayor of...
|
Baseball |
Western Major Baseball League The Western Major Baseball League or WMBL is a collegiate summer baseball league. The league can trace its roots back to 1948, as it has gone by many names over the years, including the Alberta-Saskatchewan Baseball league, Western Canadian Baseball League and Saskatchewan Baseball League before...
|
Lethbridge HurricanesThe Lethbridge Hurricanes are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the Western Hockey League in Lethbridge, Alberta. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.-History:...
|
Hockey |
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
|
Major attractions
The city, which began as a frontier town, has several historical attractions. The
Lethbridge ViaductThe Lethbridge Viaduct, commonly known as the High Level Bridge, was constructed between 1907–1909 at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada at a cost of $1,334,525.- Overview :...
, commonly known as the
High Level Bridge, is the longest and highest steel trestle bridge in North America. It was completed in 1909 on what was then the city's western edge.
Indian Battle ParkIndian Battle Park is a park located in the Oldman River valley urban park system of Lethbridge, Alberta. The park was developed in 1960 and commemorates the Battle of the Belly River held in the area on 24 October 1870 between the Blackfoot and the Cree...
, in the
couleeCoulee is applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley or drainage zone.The word coulee comes from the Canadian French coulée, from French word couler meaning "to flow"....
s of the
Oldman RiverThe Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Taber, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins with the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into...
, commemorates the last battle between the
Cree The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and the
BlackfootThe Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
First NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
in 1870.
Originally known as Fort Hamilton,
Fort Whoop-UpFort Whoop-Up was the nickname given to a whisky trading post, originally Fort Hamilton, near what is now Lethbridge, Alberta. During the late 19th century, the post served as a centre for various illegal activities...
was a centre of illegal activities during the late 19th century. It was first built in 1869 by J.J. Healy and A.B. Hamilton as a whiskey post and was destroyed by fire a year later. A second, sturdier structure later replaced the fort.
As the cultural centre of southern Alberta, Lethbridge has notable cultural attractions.
Nikka Yuko Japanese GardenNikka Yuko Japanese Garden is a garden near Henderson Lake in Lethbridge, Alberta, designed by Dr. Tadashi Kubo of Osaka Prefecture University in Japan. The pavilion, shelter, bridges and gates were built in Japan by artisans who later reassembled them in the garden...
in south Lethbridge was opened in 1967 as part of a Canadian centennial celebration attended by Japan’s
Princewas the third son of HIM Emperor Taishō and HIM Empress Teimei and a younger brother of the HIM Emperor Shōwa . He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya , one of the four shinnōke or branches of the imperial family entitled to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne in default of a direct heir...
and
Princess TakamatsuPrincess Takamatsu of Japan, , known informally as Princess Kikuko, was a member of the Japanese imperial family. The Princess was the widow of Prince Takamatsu , the third son of the Emperor Taishō and the Empress Teimei...
.
Galt Museum & ArchivesGalt Museum & Archives is the primary museum in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and is the largest museum in the province south of Calgary. In 2006, the museum cared for a growing collection of over 20,000 artifacts and 300,000 archival documents and photographs record the history of Lethbridge and...
is the largest museum in the Lethbridge area; the building housing the museum served as the city's main hospital during the late 19th century and early 20th centuries.
Several structures such as the post office are prominent on the skyline of Lethbridge. Less well-known than the High Level Bridge, the post office is one of the most distinctive buildings in Lethbridge. Built in 1912, the four-storey structure is crowned by a functioning clock tower. Other prominent buildings include office towers; the water tower, which was originally built in 1958 and sold to a private developer who converted it into a restaurant; and the Alberta Terminals grain elevators.
Education
The
Lethbridge School District No. 51Lethbridge School District No. 51 is the public school board in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-Size:Lethbridge School District No. 51 operates 19 schools covering grades ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Enrolment for 2007/2008 was 7,800 students. As well, the school district operates six...
and the separate
Holy Spirit Roman Catholic School DivisionHoly Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No.4 is the Catholic school board in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-Size:The Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 4 runs 13 schools in Lethbridge, Taber, Coaldale, Picture Butte and Pincher Creek. The school board enrollment...
administer grades
kindergartenA kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through 12 locally. The Palliser School Division, which is based in Lethbridge, administers public primary and secondary education in the outlying areas. Lethbridge School District No. 51 administers three high schools (Chinook High School,
Lethbridge Collegiate InstituteLethbridge Collegiate Institute is the largest school operated by Lethbridge School District No. 51. The public high school is one of four in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, that serve grades nine through twelve. Entry into LCI is loosely based on resident location in either south or west...
, and
Winston Churchill High SchoolWinston Churchill High School is the smaller of two public secondary schools in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, serving grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Entry is loosely based on location in north Lethbridge.Locally, Winston Churchill High School is often referred to by one of two...
), four middle schools, and 12 elementary schools in Lethbridge. At a total enrollment of approximately 7,800 students, the Lethbridge School District No. 51 is the most populous school district south of
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. Immanuel Christian Schools operates Immanuel Christian Elementary School (K–6) and Immanuel Christian High School (7–12). Started in 1962, these schools are private Christian schools with a total enrolment of 400 students.
Lethbridge is home to Lethbridge College, founded in 1957, and the
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
, founded in 1967.
Red Crow Community CollegeRed Crow Community College is a college located on the Kainai Nation reserve in southern Alberta, Canada with a campus in Lethbridge.-History:...
has a campus in the city. During the 2003–2004 school year, the University of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge College had a combined enrolment of 14,000, which was 20 percent of the city's population.
Media
Lethbridge has three major newspapers: the daily
Lethbridge HeraldLethbridge Herald is the leading paper in the Lethbridge, Alberta area, with an average weekday circulation of 18,185 in the six-month period ending March 31, 2007. This local paper has been serving southern Alberta since 1905....
and the weekly
Lethbridge Sun TimesLethbridge Sun Times is a weekly paper in the Lethbridge, Alberta, area, with a circulation of 24,000 in 2007. The paper is part of Horizon Operations Ltd, the same company that publishes and distributes the daily Lethbridge Herald.-History:...
and Lethbridge Journal. The university and college each have a student-run, weekly newspaper. There are 11 FM radio stations and 6 broadcast television channels, including
CKXU-FMCKXU-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 88.3 FM, from the University of Lethbridge, in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-History:CKXU began as CKUL in 1972, when a public address system was set up in Section A of University Hall at the University of Lethbridge to broadcast musical content...
, a
campus radioCampus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station located at the University of Lethbridge.
Transportation
Mass transit in Lethbridge consists of 40 buses (with an average age of 10 years) operating on more than a dozen routes. Traditionally, bus routes in the city started and ended downtown. In the early 21st century, however,
Lethbridge TransitLethbridge Transit manages and operates the municipally-owned public transportation system in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.-History:...
introduced cross-town and shuttle routes, such as
University of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
to Lethbridge College, University of Lethbridge to the North Lethbridge terminal, and Lethbridge College to the North Lethbridge terminal. Several routes converge near the
Chinook Regional HospitalChinook Regional Hospital is the main hospital in southern Alberta and offers many of the health care services for Alberta Health Services. The hospital services a population of over 150,000 and is supported by the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation....
, although it is not officially a terminal.
The Parks and Recreation department maintains the citywide, 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) pedestrian/cyclist
Coal Banks TrailCoal Banks Trail is a 30-kilometre multipurpose recreational path in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It connects all of the city's major urban parks, all three geographical areas, and many smaller parks...
system (
map). The system was designed to connect the
Oldman RiverThe Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Taber, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins with the Bow River to form the South Saskatchewan River, which eventually drains into...
valley with other areas of the city, including Pavan Park in the north, Henderson Lake in the east, Highways 4 and 5 in the south and a loop in West Lethbridge (including University Drive and McMaster Blvd).
Four provincial highways (
3The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...
, 4, 5, and 25) run through or terminate in Lethbridge. This has led to the creation of major arterial roads, including Mayor Magrath Drive, University Drive and Scenic Drive. This infrastructure and its location on the
CANAMEX CorridorThe CANAMEX corridor is a corridor linking Canada to Mexico through the United States. The corridor was established under the North American Free Trade Agreement.Currently the corridor is defined by a series of highways...
has helped make Lethbridge and its freight depots a major shipping destination. Lethbridge is 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) north of the United States border via Highways 4 and 5 and 210 kilometres (130.5 mi) south of
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
via Highways 2 and 3. Highways 2, 3 and 4 form part of the CANAMEX trade route between
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the United States, and Canada.
Lethbridge is near the
Lethbridge County AirportLethbridge County Airport or Lethbridge Airport, , is located south southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. It is 10-15 driving minutes from the downtown area and has scheduled service to the Alberta cities of Calgary and Edmonton. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA...
and the
CPRThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
rail yards in Kipp, Alberta. The rail yards were moved to Kipp, just west of the city, from downtown Lethbridge in 1983 to make way for commercial expansion. The county airport provides commercial flights to Calgary and Edmonton, as well as private and charter flights elsewhere. The airport provides customs services for flights arriving from the United States.
See also
External links