Are you a Lethbridge building-owner looking to brighten up an exterior wall?

Are you a local artist seeking an opportunity to share your skills and talents with your community?

The City of Lethbridge Public Art Committee, Heart of Our City Committee, and Allied Arts Council are seeking artists and building owners to participate in a mural pilot project. This pilot enables local artists and businesses to partner to create vibrant and accessible public artwork for the community to enjoy. Funding is provided by the City of Lethbridge Public Art Program and Heart of Our City Committee.

A mural is an artwork painted or applied directly to a wall. Murals have the power to transform boring building exteriors into creative community canvases. They help add vibrancy by activating public spaces, promoting creative expression, and deterring graffiti vandalism.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) must be submitted to seek participation in this pilot project. EOIs are due September 14, 2020. The application process for this project is competitive. A maximum of ten murals will be funded, at least half of which must be located in the downtown.

Mural designs will reflect at least one of the guiding principles outlined in the City’s Public Art Master Plan: inclusivity, diversity, accessibility, creativity, sustainability, and quality. If the mural is located in the downtown, it will also celebrate at least one of the pillars of the Heart of Our City Master Plan: beautiful, livable, sustainable, exciting, accessible, and vibrant.

The mural’s intention must be artistic and cannot include promotional or commercial content.

Download the full call for EOIs at https://www.publicartlethbridge.ca/current-calls/.

Image: Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association’s Back Alley Art Gallery Project.

We heard you Lethbridge! In June we asked how you felt about lowering the speed limit in the downtown as a tool to create road safety and a comfortable place for walking and cycling. Boy, did you respond. We had one of the highest survey participation rates we’ve ever seen with 2204 people giving feedback.

In the end 77% of residents felt the speed should stay the same so we will not be moving forward with this initiative at this time. We will continue to explore other ways to improve the vibrancy of downtown and increase road safety for all visitors everyone.

If you would like to read the What We Heard Report including survey results visit: https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/6524/widgets/25788/documents/38097/download

On June 22nd the Downtown BRZ, Heart of Our City Committee, and City of Lethbridge jointly announced a new and refreshed look for Downtown Lethbridge brand. As part of the next steps of implementing the brand, the downtown is looking to develop a better understanding of those citizens who currently use the downtown and how they would like to use the downtown into the future. This will allow for the evaluation of what services and amenities are missing from the downtown, and how to attract and retain businesses, organizations and residents in those spaces.

Please take a few moments to complete the following public survey, it will remain open until July 24th, 2020.

ACCESS SURVEY HERE: https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/ourdowntown/survey_tools/downtown-personas

For more information on the refreshed Downtown Lethbridge brand check out www.downtownlethbridge.com.

In early July, the intersection at 3^rd Avenue and 6^th Street South will be closed as part of the first phase of the 3^rd Avenue Reconstruction project, while this phase will only take a few months this is the start of a project that will encompass the better part of the next two years. Upon completion 3^rd Avenue will be transformed into a much more vibrant and safer environment for pedestrians.

To build off of this project, the City, Heart of Our City and the Downtown BRZ have been discussing about making improvements to Festival Square (corner of 3 Ave and 6 St S) as a logical next step in the ongoing efforts of revitalization in Downtown. As such, Stantec Consulting Ltd. and their team of urban designers have been engaged in developing several conceptual design options based on previous plans and studies as well as discussions with City, HOC, and Downtown BRZ.

We are now looking to share these options with stakeholders and users of the Downtown to find out what components you like, dislike, and any other thoughts you may have! We hope you are able to take 15-20 minutes to review the supporting information, three (3) concept designs, and provide us your feedback through a survey.

Click here to access the survey!

If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it's that we cherish being together with family and friends and that togetherness is at the heart of Downtown Lethbridge. As businesses rise up from a difficult time, Downtown Lethbridge has a new look, a new sense of identity and a much deeper appreciation for how much stronger we are – together.

Over the next several months, residents will see many new enhancements that will showcase a new visual identity for Downtown Lethbridge. This includes parklets (on-street patios), light standard banners and a "Streetery" at Festival Square on 6 St. S., providing additional outdoor seating for food establishments while physical distancing remains in place. All of these items will showcase new Downtown Lethbridge branding that celebrates the originality of the downtown core with a uniquely crafted feel.

"Over the years, we've had different groups working on the revitalization and development of Downtown, says Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge, Urban Revitalization Manager. "We felt that we could be more successful in promoting the amazing things happening downtown if we did that all together under a single Downtown Lethbridge brand."

The City of Lethbridge, the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) and the Heart of Our City Committee of Council have collaborated to gather feedback from businesses and use research for Economic Development Lethbridge's community brand project to develop the new direction for downtown.

The groups received $50,000 in grant funding from the Alberta Government's Community and Regional Economic Support (CARES) program, to support this project.

"We're really excited for this fresh new start," says Ted Stilson, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone. "The new brand is about telling the stories of what makes Downtown Lethbridge special. The downtown businesses have been through a lot of change but they have grit and resiliency and they need our support now more than ever."

Because Downtown Lethbridge is so many different things to different people, the new visual identity focuses on font and texture rather than trying to find a single icon that could accurately represent the downtown. Using the visual appeal of the repetitive letter within the words "down" and "town", the creative reflects on areas that are similar and highlights uniqueness – just like the brand story.

"The new look for Downtown Lethbridge shows character which matches the people and places that are downtown," says Dawn Leite, Chair of the Heart of Our City Committee. "Just like Downtown Lethbridge, you'll notice it's not perfect, it's a little rough around the edges but it still has a fun and friendly feel. We were also able to use complimentary colours to the community brand and a similar "together" theme between the two."

As the new Downtown Lethbridge brand is introduced to the community, residents are encouraged to share their favourite downtown shops, restaurants, events, activities and memories on social media using #togetherdowntown and #downtownlethbridge.

For more information visit www.downtownlethbridge.com.

In an effort to support businesses in their COVID-19 relaunch efforts, the City of Lethbridge will be expediting permitting for the use of sidewalks and streets to create outdoor patios, parklets and street vending in commercial areas. Opportunities for expanded outdoor seating will be vital in allowing businesses to serve customers while still following provincial health orders and ensuring physical distancing.

For businesses in Downtown Lethbridge, the Heart of Our City Committee has developed an Outdoor Patio and Parklet Support Program. This includes a limited quantity of prefabricated parklet structures, planters, bistro tables and chairs that businesses can borrow. Further, the existing Main Street Incentive Program has been expanded beyond façade and signage improvements to include patio and parklet improvements. This expanded program will provide matching funding to businesses to assist with initial costs of developing their own patio or parklet.

A parklet is a temporary seating area that replaces one or two parking spaces by extending from the sidewalk in front of the business and into the street. Parklets were first introduced in 2005 in San Francisco and today are a mainstay in communities small and large, from Fernie, BC to New York, NY. The City piloted parklets in 2019 with great success. This year’s program has been modified slightly to incorporate changes suggested through community feedback.

A comprehensive handbook has also been created for anyone interested in exploring a patio/parklet options for their business. This resource includes operational and safety requirements, application form, and details on the review process. For more information visit: www.lethbridge.ca/publicspaces.

Residents and businesses may notice work happening in the downtown over the course of the summer as enhancements are made to the public spaces. This project is part of the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and includes the installation of parklets (seasonal patio spaces) and replacement of street furniture, planters, banners as well as trees and grates. The objective of this project is to create vibrant, beautiful and accessible public spaces in the downtown while also improving overall functionality.

Starting today, trees are being removed from the brick planters on the corner of 4 Ave and 6 St S in preparation for the replacement of both the planters and trees. There will also be additional tree removal happening at 5 Ave and 6 Street S.

Planters are scheduled to be removed next week in several downtown locations. No road closures will be required for this work but parking stalls will be blocked off and fencing will be up in these area to ensure the safety of both worker and the public. The planter replacements are expected to be installed in June with new trees being added in a later phase of the project.

These improvements are being made as part of the Public Realm Enhancement project and are in alignment with the Heart of Our City Master Plan, Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan, and the City’s Public Realm and Transportation Study.

Initiatives in the project began in 2018 and are anticipated to be full completed in the summer/fall of 2021.

For more information, visit: https://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Projects-Initiatives/Current-Projects/Pages/4-Avenue-Enhancements.aspx

Given the current restrictions in place to prevent public gatherings and promote physical distancing due to COVID-19, the Heart of Our City Committee (HOC) is opening up its pre-existing activity grant program with a new stream of grant funding to support virtual events. This new program will help support the events, artists and businesses who have found creative ways to continue promoting the vibrancy of Downtown Lethbridge during this unprecedented time.

Each year, the HOC awards activity grants to provide funding support to organization delivering events that attract people, enhance vibrancy and create excitement in the downtown core. These grants were awarded in January of 2020 but the current public health crisis has impacted many of these planned events.

“We’ve had grant recipients reach out to us saying they want to modify what they had planned given the situation as well as new inquiries around possibility of supporting new events or activities that will promote the downtown vibe,” says Dawn Leite, Chair of the Heart of Our City Committee. “We want to encourage this ingenuity and creativity and find ways we can still promote the downtown during these times. We also want to be flexible and accommodating with our partners who champion downtown and that’s what this new grant can do.”

The new program will use activity grant funding available due to the cancelation or postponement of 2020 events. The maximum amount awarded through the new grant funding is $2,000 per event and grants greater than $500 require matching funding. Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis and as funding is limited, all applications meeting the eligibility may not be supported, or may not receive the full requested amount.

In January, the Heart of Our City Committee announced grant funding for 21 events to be held in downtown Lethbridge over the next year totaling $126,000. Any recipients of the original activity grants who have questions or concerns about the possible postponement or cancellation of their events or ideas for virtual events should contact Andrew Malcolm, Urban Revitalization Manager for the City of Lethbridge at andrew.malcolm@lethbridge.ca.

The Heart of Our City Committee is committed to the revitalization of Downtown Lethbridge and will continue to support this important work now and in the future when the downtown reopens to provide the vibrant activities, events, restaurants and shopping we know and love.

For more information on eligibility and available funding visit: www.lethbridge.ca/HOCActivityGrant

Media Contact:
Dawn Leite, Heart of Our City Committee Chair
Phone: 403-393-6859

The Heart of our City Committee (HOC) is excited to announce details for the Fifth Annual Celebrate Downtown Gala which recognizes the individuals, businesses, organizations and events who invest their time, ideas and capital into Lethbridge’s Downtown.

Nominations are now open for awards in the following seven categories:

• Unsung Hero Award: committed to taking care of the downtown community, often without recognition or praise.

• Transformation Award: leading the transformation of downtown spaces, business and activities.

• Innovator Award: takes risks and is not scared to challenge the status quo as they work to create, maintain, support and promote an exciting downtown.

• From the Heart Award: social change agent, working to make downtown a welcoming place for all.

• Event of the Year: event committed to creating a vibrant and inclusive downtown.

• Volunteer of the Year: someone who freely gives up their time and energy to benefit downtown.

• People’s Choice Award: overall downtown champion.

Nominations open today and will remain open until April 3, 2020. The nomination date has been extended due to COVID-19 until Friday, May1 2020. The link to the nomination form can be found at Celebrate Downtown Nomination Form

This year’s awards recipients will be recognized on Friday, May 1 at the Multicultural Centre (421 6 Avenue South) in a fun gala event that brings together downtown friends, neighbors, colleagues and community contributors to meet, mingle and network. THE CELEBRATE DOWNTOWN EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND A DATE LATER IN 2020 IS CURRENTLY BEING EXPLORED.

For more information, visit the Celebrate Downtown Facebook Page at:

www.facebook.com/celebratedowntownlethbridge.