City of Lethbridge to provide free bus passes for refugees

Jul 6, 2022 | 11:31 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council is taking a new step to support new refugees living in the city.

At the regular council meeting on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, members voted unanimously to approve extending the Recreation and Culture Fee Assistance program to include the provision of six-month free bus passes for any new refugees arriving in Lethbridge in 2022.

A maximum of $90,000 from council contingencies will be utilized for this initiative.

The motion was introduced by Councillor Ryan Parker, who felt that the city needed to do more to help those who have already faced such traumatic experiences and are entering Canada with little in terms of resources.

When he first thought of the idea, he says it was only going to include refugees from Ukraine, but he later realized that it would be fairer to provide free public transit to refugees from any country.

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Councillor Belinda Crowson suggested using funding from the Recreation and Culture Fee Assistance Program because it would not only be easier for administrative staff to extend an existing program but would also make it easier for refugees applying for free bus passes to access other services covered under the program.

The last time Lethbridge saw a large influx of refugees was in 2015 and 2016 when approximately 200 people from Syria found a new home in the city.

City officials are unsure of how many new refugees Lethbridge will have by the end of 2022.

A report on the free bus pass initiative will be provided to Lethbridge City Council by October 25, 2022.

Earlier this week, the Government of Alberta announced a series of new support measures for displaced Ukrainians who are fleeing to Alberta.

by David Opinko