Back in May, I wrote a post called “City squares want your circles,” which was about the Lethbridge ’s “Plan Your City” initiative. Although I only participated in the “visioning workshops” (for the donuts and coffee), a number of Lethbians formed think tanks/circles and submitted their ideas to the city, which is now published online.
As part of the Plan Your City Municipal Development Plan / Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (MDP/ICSP), an estimated five hundred Lethbridge residents participated in City Circles, providing their insight into what it will take to make Lethbridge an even better place to live into the year 2050. In all, there were 48 City Circles who made a total of 55 submissions. This Ideas Book is a collection of those submissions.
But nothing I haven’t thought of already.
Ideas Book 2009 (PDF link)
If you’re looking to score some LSD, Layne Whipple is not your man. However, he passed along a rare treasure from days long past – one that smelled more like old books than anything else.
This little capsule was put on the streets by the Travel and Convention Association of Southern Alberta, showing that people weren’t always so tight-assed (but I guess it was the 70s, after all). Hit the jump to see its contents! Continue reading ‘Lethbridge’s Straight Dope’
Here’s a bit of surprising news from the Lethbridge Herald this morning:
In what promises to be a major downtown makeover, city council has enthusiastically endorsed a plan to build two major new arts facilities along a one-block plaza just east of Galt Gardens.
The two-phase plan is to begin with a new $12.6-million community arts centre on the eastern portion of the former IGA site by 2012, followed in subsequent years by a neighbouring performing arts centre. The latter would extend westward into the park, resulting in the closure of what is now a section of 7 Street South and creating a downtown arts district.
Local arts community leaders are lauding council’s decision, which was unanimous.
Downtown “revitalization” has always seemed like talk to me, but this is the positive sign that Lethbridge is actually becoming less hick moving forward. Hopefully, it also means there’s a place to display the large collection of art that both the university and college have locked away in their vaults.
Now if we could only get that third bridge…
Dramatic plans in store downtown
On Facebook and Twitter the other day, I petitioned my dear followers to answer this question:
“What brought you to Lethbridge? What makes you stay? Good or bad – I’m curious to know!”
Here are a few of the more interesting responses:
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Sarah: My Dad was transferred here in 1998, and I fell in love with Lethbridge and its Arts community! It is a great size city to raise my children in, has great schools, wonderful people, and lots of wind to blow any worries away! |
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Kelly: Schooling brought me here, career opportunities and my fiance (and our newly purchased house) keep us here. |
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Kevin: Moved here for college and fell in love with the city. Such a great sense of community, and the people are fantastic! Graduated in April of 2009 and refused to leave. |
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Michael: My job; I brought the Wife; the mortgage is currently keeping us there after my job was swallowed by the “economy” last summer. |
More responses after the jump! Continue reading ‘Speak now, what brings you here?’
With an upcoming refresh to the Canadian edition of Monopoly, you can throw around money like our very own city council! Though Lethbridge is one of many Canadian cities who are nominated to appear in the game, we Lethbians must vote for our city to secure it’s spot.
MONOPOLY is launching a new Canadian Edition and is inviting Canadians to vote for their favourite cities. The vote will determine the top 20 cities and the top 2 wildcard cities that will be the property spaces on the MONOPOLY Canada game board. Please vote for your friend’s cities or choose your own cities!
On a side thought, this reminds me of the “Lethbridge On Board” game from about six years back. Has anyone even played that?
Has our city got game? (via @LethbridgeNews)
Although Lethbridge didn’t start off as a mining town, it’s well known for that. And the whiskey trade, train bridge, chinook winds and Pilsner beer. So it’s National Mining Week – a big deal for a town that once called itself “Coalbanks” (I think they changed the name because of the Inn’s reputation).
First celebrated in 1996, National Mining Week recognizes the importance of the Canadian mining industry to the economic development of Canada.
Continue reading ‘I think I’m getting the black lung, pop’
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Plan Your City, where the city began gathering public input to figure the hell out which direction it should take for the next 40 years. Part of that includes city circles, where citizens are encouraged to take part.
Cory Armfelt, city consultant, writes:
Hey everybody the City Cirlces are up and running!
Get a group of friend’s together, record what you like about Lethbridge and/or what you don’t like (please include a way to solve the problem…) and submit it to the City. We are hoping for a variety of mediums- Personally I’m hoping that someone comes up with an interpretive dance about what Lethbridge means to them and is willing to present it at the ideas fair in October…
City Circles
100th post! w00t!
The Leisure Guide is an informational booklet and schedule of all the recreational activities that happen in Lethbridge, such as aquatics, arts, culture, heritage, fitness & recreation, nature & outdoor programs and more.
Our Goal is to provide a monthly advertising medium for the City of Lethbridge, community organizations and the community in general, to promote activities, programs and services to the citizens of Lethbridge.
I’m sure you can find these booklets in print somewhere, but for the life of me I have not seen one in years. The 65MB file is a hefty download, so look here for things to do while you wait.
@windymay – did you see how clever I was to post the “May” issue? Hopefully you’ll find something to do now!
Leisure Guide
Today, Joanne and I had the opportunity to meet with city consultants Cory and Brian, who are involved with the process of bringing Lethbridge into the 20th 21st century. They’re part of the “Plan Your City” initiative, where Lethbridge might actually listen to its citizens, so as to shape our future up to the year 2050 (before beastmen enslave humanity).
Listen, Lethbridge matters to me, or else I wouldn’t have started this blog. If you’re a young person like me (I’m 28) who has ever referred to this city as “Deathbridge,” this should matter to you.
Continue reading ‘Plan your city: Bring life back to Deathbridge’
