Nenshi seeing optimism in Lethbridge & Alberta for the future

Naheed Nenshi participated in the 2024 Whoop-Up Days Parade. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: September 27, 2024

Sep 27, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: September 20, 2024

Sep 20, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: August 30, 2024

Aug 30, 2024

Nenshi says he has met with residents in Lethbridge a few times in 2024 and says they are always warm and receptive.

Despite Lethbridge often being fairly divided on the political spectrum, he told LNN that the support for the NDP in the city is growing.

“We’ve doubled or tripled the number of members we have here in Lethbridge since last year. We just decided at the last minute to throw a fundraiser before the by-election in Lethbridge-West. We did that [Monday] night and 300 people showed up. We really feel like there’s enormous excitement and optimist and momentum here in Lethbridge.”

Political parties are still searching for their field of candidates for the by-election, but two have already come forward to seek the nomination for the NDP, Rob Miyashiro and Bridget Mearns.

Nenshi says it it wonderful to see two people who are deeply rooted in the community and have local governance experience seeking to represent the city on a provincial level.

He adds that he does not have the same level of familiarity with Lethbridge as Miyashiro and Mearns and claims that this was the reason he decided not to run in the by-election himself, despite not currently holding a seat in the legislature.

The NDP leader says he will keep his eyes open for any seats that open up in Calgary or Edmonton, but until then, there is plenty that can be done outside of the provincial government’s halls, such as speaking directly with residents.

Some of the things he has heard from people in Lethbridge are the same that he hears elsewhere in the province – that people are concerned about the economy, inflation, and the state of the healthcare system.

Nenshi says he is well aware that staffing in healthcare is a serious concern in the region.

“Here in southern Alberta, it’s become the norm that in many communities, you have to go past a closed E.R. to get to one that’s open on a long weekend. It’s become the norm that women cannot deliver their babies in their own communities because there’s no obstetricians.”

He called it “reckless experimentation” for the United Conservative Party (UCP) government to close Lethbridge’s supervised consumption site without having a solid alternative.

“Far more people are dying of drug poisoning than before. Far more people are falling into addiction and mental health crises than before. It’s really difficult when you hear the premier stand up and try to take credit for improving things in the face of all of those deaths,” says Nenshi. “Here in Lethbridge, we have one of the highest per capita drug poisoning death rates anywhere in the world.”

This, according to Nenshi, is indicative of Lethbridge being a “forgotten corner” of the province, despite it being the third largest city in Alberta.

“The UCP, as we have seen, takes wide swathes of Alberta for granted because they know they’re going to vote UCP no matter what. It’s really important for the government to see that Lethbridge is in play so they start noticing Lethbridge again.”

In the months ahead, he says his priority will continue to be meeting with the people of Alberta and determining what are the best paths forward.

—

If you have a news tip, question or concern, please email Lethbridge.newsroom@Pattisonmedia.com.

by David Opinko