A new task force aims to help businesses navigate U.S. tariffs. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By Haven Thibert

Lethbridge community partners step up to help local businesses tackle tariffs

Mar 4, 2025 | 3:31 PM

As Canadian tariffs begin to set in, a group of nine key business companies in southern Alberta are coming together to help local businesses.

The Lethbridge Region Economic Resilience Task Force will be focusing on developing strategies to support businesses in the region and ensure they can navigate the challenges posed by the tariffs, implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

All of the participating groups are working together to support Lethbridge’s economy and create new innovations to keep the economy strong.

Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance Board Chair Brent Feyter says, “Tourism, agriculture, and industry are all dependent upon the flow of people, goods, and services, and it will be important to offset any potential drop in commerce to and from the United States by identifying opportunities from other areas of Alberta and Western Canada and being prepared to manage supply chain impacts.”

The group includes several influential partners such as:

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• Alberta Southwest Regional Alliance (Bev Thornton, Executive Director)
• Community Futures Lethbridge Region (Troy Grainger, Executive Director)
• Economic Development Lethbridge (Trevor Lewington, CEO)
• Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce (Cyndi Crane, CEO)
• Lethbridge Construction Association (Erin Low, Executive Director)
• Lethbridge Polytechnic (Bryon Anderson, Director, Government and Public Affairs)
• SouthGrow Regional Initiative (Peter Casurella, Executive Director)
• Tourism Lethbridge (Erin Crane, CEO)
• University of Lethbridge (Richard Westlund, Executive Director, Communications, Marketing & Government Relation)

Together, these partners are focused on ensuring businesses can adapt to challenges related to tariffs and advocating for resources and connections.

Some of their key goals include removing interprovincial trade barriers, diversifying global trade and expanding export opportunities.

The task force aims to raise the region’s profile on national and international stages, attract investment, and reduce regulatory red tape to make doing business easier.

The group also plans on supporting entrepreneurs and making investments in post-secondary institutions. Working together, they plan to address key economic issues.

According to a report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce 91.7% of goods exported from the Lethbridge region go to the United States. That makes up 19.4 per cent of the city’s GDP.

READ MORE: Lethbridge would be among the hardest-hit Canadian cities from tariffs: report

Economic Development Lethbridge Board Chair Timothy Hachkowski says, “By convening dedicated community leaders through this task force, we can better support our industries as they tackle the challenges posed by wide-reaching tariffs.”

In response to the tariffs imposed on March 4, Trudeau is introducing 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products. Additionally, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the tariffs unjustifiable.

READ MORE: Trudeau says the U.S. launched a ‘very dumb’ trade war and Canada is fighting back

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