Ryan Wolfe running for Lethbridge City Council

I’m running again because in the last election, over 7,500 Lethbridge voters embraced and endorsed my campaign. I feel strongly that there is still much work to be done to improve how the city council spends our money and runs this city. I am motivated by the many local business owners and citizens that have reached out and encouraged me to run again. I don’t want to sound trite, but I am really excited to earn my spot on council and then establish myself as a respectful disruptor, ready to play my part to make this city even greater than it already is.

What personal or professional experience do you have that you feel would make you a good city councillor?

In order to have a truly effective city council, we need to elect people with various backgrounds and skills. I offer a wealth of real-world professional and personal experience that will help as I focus on listening and collaborating. If we want to go way back, my post-secondary education includes a focus on political economics. My formal education provides a great foundation as I prepare for public service. I have previously served with SouthGrow Regional Economic Development. It was a great experience, where I learned much about the interconnectedness of the economies of Southern Alberta.

I have been a licensed mortgage broker in the city for over 15 years. The profession offers up close and unique insights into the day-to-day lives of people looking to build a life here in Lethbridge. To be successful in this profession, one must be an excellent listener and able to find solutions to complex challenges. I do this each and every day. I understand their struggles to save for a home and I understand their concerns when it comes to the cost of living, safety, crime and employment. I play the role of an advocate for each person that I meet as I try my best to help them obtain a home and thrive in the city.

A city councillor needs to be connected in the community and should care about those who live here. It is one of the best ways to see firsthand our successes and challenges. My family and I enjoy serving locally. A few of our favourite volunteer activities include serving at the soup kitchen, participating in food bank food drives and socializing with seniors at our nearby care home. We serve in our church as well and enjoy the sense of community and care we feel there.

What would be a few of your top priorities if elected?

As your candidate for Lethbridge City Council, my priorities and objectives are determined and created through feedback from voters! I work for them and I am answerable to them. My major focus is to “Listen, Learn & Lead.”

Based on feedback from community members and local small and large business owners, these are the priorities that need to be addressed and fixed so that our city can continue to attract investment, provide safe communities and offer the best quality of life in the Province.

My top priorities will focus on:

Reducing spending. Full Stop. I recently witnessed the city council approve $9,000 to hire an Edmonton-based lawyer to deliver a presentation that our city lawyer is fully capable and qualified to deliver. One councillor exclaimed, “It is not that much money.” This type of wasteful and redundant spending needs to stop. I’m confident that a respectful disruptor like myself can revive a sense of duty within the council to really consider “needs” vs. “wants” and to reclaim hundreds and thousands, if not millions, of dollars that are wasted.
Voters constantly share their concerns about crime and drugs in the city. There has been progress on these fronts, and I am grateful for the hard-working police and other first responders in our city. The reality is that there is much more work to be done. We need to continue to pursue every reasonable solution to control the illegal drug infestation and look for effective efforts to curb homelessness. City council needs to be relentless in their pursuit of solutions with stakeholders like the Province.
There exists a somewhat acrimonious relationship between many business owners and city administration. I have spoken to business owners who feel that the city is just “impossible to deal with.” Obviously, regulations are important and necessary. However, there is a confrontational culture that exists that must be remedied. We need to attract businesses to the city. They need to feel welcome and supported. As we accomplish this, then the city makes more money and more people are employed with good jobs. This seems pretty basic, but there is work to be done on this front. These same strained relations exist between the city and the county. We need to embrace a regional perspective and realize that our development goals are not mutually exclusive.

Where can people learn more about you and your platform?

Please visit my humble little website: www.voteryanwolfe.ca

I will be posting on Facebook at: Ryan Wolfe for City Council

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’m an optimist and I know that our best days are before us. My plea is for voters to get informed and to please vote. Voter turnout was disappointingly low last election. We need a council that has its financial house in order and we need a new voice on city council. I look forward to serving Lethbridge in this new and exciting capacity.

More coverage of the 2025 Municipal Election is available here.

by David Opinko

Ryan Wolfe running for Lethbridge City Council

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