File photo of Lethbridge, with downtown in view. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

2022 Community Survey results released in Lethbridge

Jun 24, 2022 | 6:44 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The quality of life in Lethbridge has been ranked as good or very good.

That’s according to 90% of respondents to the 2022 Community Survey. The Governance Standing Policy Committee has received the results of the questionnaire, which was completed earlier this spring. It collected residents’ feedback on topics like satisfaction, importance and usage of City of Lethbridge services, communication, customer service and overall quality of life in the city.

City Councillor Belinda Crowson, who also serves as Chair of the committee, said the survey is “a very important tool for City Council.”

“As we head into the Operating Budget deliberations this fall, we need to understand how our community feels about the programs and services we provide so we can make good funding decisions. It also helps us evaluate our strengths and areas for improvement.”

According to the results, the 2022 quality of life ranking dropped slightly from the 94% recorded in 2020, with the City noting factors like COVID-19 (up nine points) and the economy (up 18 points) contributing to why residents felt like their quality of life declined.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

Of the respondents that said their quality of life has gotten worse, crime was the number one reason at 24%, consistent with results from the 2020 survey.

The City scored high in customer service with a 92% satisfaction rate. 93% of residents who have contacted Lethbridge 311 said they are satisfied with the service. The overall satisfaction with City programs and services was at 82%, which a slight four-point drop from 86% in 2020.

Fire, police and ambulance services all saw a decline in satisfaction in 2022 but continue to be high on residents’ list of important programs and services. In contrast, the satisfaction of recycling services in Lethbridge continued to climb and has gone up 23% since the introduction of curbside recycling.

The survey results showed that some of the top-of-mind topics for citizens in 2022 include transportation, drugs, crime and social issues.

Crowson said, “the survey results definitely show some areas we need to continue to pay attention to.”

“I think we could probably have expected a drop in satisfaction given everything we’ve been through the last few years and that will likely be a trend across many municipalities,” she said.

“The question is – how do we rebound from that? How do we look at what is most important to Lethbridge residents and find the best way to balance spending with meeting those expectations? That is never an easy task but that will be the question Council has to answer.”

When asked about making the choice of increasing taxes or cutting services to compensate for the rising costs of operating the City, residents were split with 43% preferring increased taxes and 44% in favour of cutting services.

A full report on the survey, along with the results from past questionnaires is available at the City of Lethbridge website.