Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf -- LNN

By Connor Gunn

Year-end review: Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf

Jan 6, 2021 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB– As long and tough as this year has been, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf says there are still some positive takeaways.

Some of those positives that Neudorf is talking about are projects like the Exhibition Park expansion, Lethbridge and area Irrigation system upgrades, and the Highway 3 twinning near Burdett.

Previous story: Jason Kenney and Government of Alberta announce $27.8 million investment to Exhibition Park

Another positive, coming right near the end of 2020, was the COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Lethbridge and across Alberta.

Neudorf says the vaccine is the “biggest hope” for everyone to get their lives back to normal, and with multiple vaccines rolling out at the end of the year he remains optimistic.

Week-in-review: Federal Budget, water agreements and success for tourism industry

Apr 20, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: April 19, 2024

Apr 19, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: April 15, 2024

Apr 15, 2024

Throughout the year, he says the pandemic surely halted many projects that Lethbridge and parts of Southern Alberta were going to see, but those projects will be picked up again through “Alberta’s Recovery Strategy.”

Near a month ago, Neudorf was voted by his colleagues as “Alberta’s Hardest Working MLA” according to the Alberta Government.

The release read, “Neudorf served as the past president of the Lethbridge Construction Association and on the board of directors for the Alberta Construction Association, Alberta Construction Safety Association, and Workers’ Compensation Board.”

Neudorf accepted the title with much gratitude.

Previous story: Lethbridge-East’s Nathan Neudorf voted “Alberta’s Hardest Working MLA”

One big takeaway from the projects announced this past year is the runway and lighting upgrades to the Lethbridge Airport.

Neudorf says the upgrades will help Lethbridge accommodate more flights going forward and will attract more users to the airport.

“I’m expecting that to be a complete transformation, it’s going to be a terminal we can all be proud of,” Neudorf adds.

Previous story: Three major infrastructure projects to begin in Lethbridge

Some drawbacks for the year were obviously the COVID-19 pandemic and the complications between the Supervised Consumption Site (SCS).

The Alberta Government pulled its funding for the SCS earlier this year when they heard ARCHES was mishandling the funds.

Funding to ARCHES was set to come to an end in September, but Alberta Health immediately ceased the provincial grant funding.

Previous story: Province pulling funding from Lethbridge’s SCS

To finish off the year, some stirrings and rumours of Neudorf fleeing the country to go on a holiday to Hawaii came to the surface.

Many Albertans and people from Lethbridge were very angry over the allegations about Neudorf because if he and his family had gone on a holiday, it would be disobeying Alberta Health Restrictions.

The rumours were not true in the end, with Neudorf confirming he had not left the country for anything and spent the 2020 holiday season in Lethbridge.

Previous story: Lethbridge MLA defends himself against gossip while fellow MLA’s take flack

Neudorf says overall, the year “could’ve been better,” and “hopefully better days are ahead” for 2021.