Lethbridge Transit busses at the downtown terminal. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko / with files from The Canadian Press

Lethbridge Transit to receive $1.2 million to make up for lost revenues during pandemic

Apr 13, 2022 | 1:05 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Alberta government says it will match federal funding for municipal transportation across the province because a lot of revenue has been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Jason Kenney told a news conference in Calgary that Alberta will contribute about $80 million to bring the combined provincial-federal support to $159 million.

“Transit systems took a financial beating during the pandemic with a significant loss in ridership as people worked from home and businesses cut back on staff or completely shut down. This funding will keep buses and trains moving to meet increased demand as we recover from the pandemic.”

While Calgary and Edmonton will receive the largest amounts at $82 million and $66 million respectively, other communities including Lethbridge will benefit.

The province confirmed that the City of Lethbridge will receive $1,234,833. As well, $627,653 will help to bolster Medicine Hat’s transit system.

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Those numbers are based on 2019 ridership statistics.

Lethbridge City Councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel says she and the rest of council are thrilled to be receiving this funding under the RESTOR program.

“Council is in the process of reviewing our cityLINK system and we know how important public transit is for our community. We look forward to exploring the possible options. The timing of this one-time funding will be beneficial to help further address some of the issues our riders are concerned about.”

Last week, a city committee recommended that Lethbridge City Council reinstate $350,000 in funding for the new cityLINK transit system and that the redesign become permanent.

Randy Boissonnault, federal Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, says it is important to ensure Canadians have reliable public transit.

“Public transit connects our communities and people, helping them get to where they need to be – whether it is to visit loved ones, to access essential services or to get home after a hard day at work. This investment helps strengthen our public transit as demand post-pandemic picks up, while helping to make life more affordable for Albertans.”

The full list of municipalities in Alberta that will benefit from this funding are as follows:

• Funding for the Calgary region:
  • Calgary – $82,364,776
  • Airdrie – $305,871
  • Okotoks – $20,920
  • Rocky View County (Crossfield, Irricana/Beiseker) – $18,609
  • Cochrane – $15,269
• Funding for the Edmonton region:
  • Edmonton – $66,968,451
  • Strathcona County – $1,335,318
  • St. Albert – $795,334
  • Spruce Grove – $113,151
  • Leduc – $103,863
  • Fort Saskatchewan – $76,910
  • Beaumont – $63,901
  • Stony Plain – $5,000
• Funds will also be provided to other communities across the province:
  • Red Deer – $2,095,524
  • Lethbridge – $1,234,833
  • Wood Buffalo – $1,194,284
  • Bow Valley (Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise) – $1,162,420
  • Medicine Hat – $627,653
  • Grande Prairie – $332,852
  • Cold Lake – $123,632
  • Whitecourt – $23,369
  • Hinton – $5,000
  • Camrose – $5,000
  • Black Diamond – $5,000