By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

City asking for input as they plan for the future

Dec 8, 2016 | 2:38 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The City of Lethbridge kept the 100k+ conversation going Thursday (Dec. 8), with a discussion on the process at SACPA (Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs).

The goal of the conversation – which started about six months ago – is to gather feedback from Lethbridge residents on what they want to see in our city in the future, as we approach the 100,000 population milestone.

“We’ve been kind of everywhere, we’ve been presenting to major businesses in Lethbridge, some organizations like the Downtown BRZ (Business Revitalization Zone), CHBA (Canadian Home Builders Association), the Urban Development Institute… schools, we’ve been in elementary schools across the city,” explained Andrew Malcolm, a community planner with the City.

“So the 100k+ is really our branding, and the plus is that we understand that 100,000 is just a moment in time and it’s a milestone and that’s great, but we want to plan for that next 10, 20, 30 years and the next 10, 20, 30 thousand people.”

When asked about the process and how it has been received by those they have spoken to, Malcolm says they are making progress.

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“We are starting to understand how big of a city we are,” stated Malcolm. “For a long time in conversations we’ve run into certain barriers to the fact that, you know, we’re just a small Lethbridge, we don’t have those problems or we don’t need those facilities, and really this conversation has allowed us to kind of open people’s minds that we’re actually a pretty big city now and we are going to continue to grow, and that some of these things that we thought maybe weren’t appropriate for Lethbridge are now becoming a reality.”

He also explained why it’s important to get involved in the process now, despite the fact that some of the issues discussed could still be decades away.

“At the end of the day it comes down to infrastructure improvements like roads, and facilities like a leisure centre, but the planning that goes in actually happens 10 or 20, 30 years in advance, and that’s what a lot of people don’t see,” said Malcolm. “So all the major decisions that you’re seeing kind of today taking place, those are all linked to plans that were put in place in the past.”

For those who haven’t had a say yet and want to get involved, Malcolm assured that the conversation will continue for some time.

“Our anticipation is about midway in 2018, so kind of how we’ve framed this is that when these conversations are wrapping up, it should be pretty close to the time that the population actually reaches that 100,000 milestone.”