#OurDowntown

The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program and the Heart of Our City committee are adding a splash of colour to the city centre by inviting local artists to share their talents in an unconventional way. Utility boxes located in Galt Gardens and at Casa will soon be wrapped in creativity as a way to increase the vibrancy of downtown Lethbridge.

The Heart of Our City Committee announced today that it has awarded $126,000 in Heart of Our City Activity Grants to 21 events to be held in the downtown in 2020.

These events include a variety of music, arts and cultural festivals that will attract audiences and participants to downtown Lethbridge. Receiving funding are 14 multi-day events and 7 single-day events which will occur over a total of 117 days and are expected to attract more than 60,000 attendees to the downtown core.

There are a number of popular events returning including: Arts Days, Lethbridge Electronic Music Festival, Downtown Farmers Market, Word on the Street, and Wide Skies, to name a few. There will also be two new events this year including: Lethbridge Living Film Festival and Lethbridge Community Art Hive. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $10,000.

“We’re pleased and proud to provide financial assistance on behalf of the City of Lethbridge to a really great array of events that will help achieve City Council’s goal of enhancing the vibrancy of our downtown,” says Dawn Leite, chair of the Heart of Our City Committee.

The Heart of Our City Activity Grant provides funding support to help Lethbridge organizations host events that foster an exciting, vibrant downtown and attract audiences to the heart of our city.

Details on the events receiving Activity Grant funding in 2020 are available at: www.lethbridge.ca/hocactivitygrant

Efforts to continue revitalizing the downtown have been given a boost in confidence from City Council today.

Voting in favour of funding the Downtown Clean and Safe Strategy (DCSS) until 2022, Councillor Jeff Carlson says this will continue to aid in creating a positive downtown experience for residents, businesses and visitors alike and is an important step in maintaining a vibrant city.

“The work that everyone involved in the strategy has done will now continue, and will help our community see that our downtown is still a great place to live, work and play,” says Carlson. “We want to build on this work and to continue providing services that benefit our businesses, residents and the city as a whole. I cannot express enough thanks to those members of our community who participated, and their dedication to the Heart of our City.”

Local business owner and Downtown BRZ board member Hunter Heggie, says bolstering the efforts in addressing the perceptions of downtown will go a long way with business owners and gives him confidence moving into the next few years of business.

“In making this decision today, City Council has shown they stand behind our businesses and they support what we do,” says Heggie. “The programs that address the safety of downtown do so much to boost the confidence of not just the businesses but those who visit and shop and take in all our downtown has to offer. The downtown business community are a resilient and hardy group and with this positive step forward it just goes to show that when we come together as a community, great things can happen and I thank City Council for showing their support in this way today.”

Building on the existing initiatives of the DCSS which included the implementation of the Clean Sweep Program and the Diversion Outreach Team, the updated strategy looks to add a number of new initiatives including exploring a different approach to security and outreach in Galt Gardens. .

“We know downtown is a wonderful place for our residents, businesses and visitors to experience the best our city has to offer,” said Spearman. “Continuing and expanding on the good work the clean and safe strategy has done to date shows we have confidence in our downtown and we support the businesses and people come to experience our city’s centre.”

City Council voted to fund the proposed strategy for a total of just over $1.6 million. The funding is spread across three years and is being applied to 20 initiatives that focus specifically on creating a safe, clean and welcoming environment in the downtown.

www.lethbridge.ca/downtowncleanandsafe

Lethbridge, AB – Downtown is the heart of our city and this year, in support of the many great small businesses that call downtown home, it is also the heart of the holidays. Starting November 15, visitors will enjoy five weeks of events and activities including outdoor skating and business promotions highlighting the originality of downtown Lethbridge.

Heart of the Holidays will replace the one-day Bright Lights Festival which has been a downtown holiday tradition for the last 18 years. By spreading events out over a longer period of time and providing more variety, this new holiday tradition hopes to attract more people to the downtown core.

“The Bright Lights Festival has been great but it was just one night and it was very dependent on weather, says Ted Stilson, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone. “Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens now has an amazing lights display for residents to enjoy so it was time to look at something different for the downtown. By switching things up and introducing a new event, we hope everyone will find something that will bring them downtown this holiday season.”

Skating in festival square will be one of the main attractions as part of the Heart of the Holidays event. Festival square (the small parking area on 6St. S.) will be transformed into a skating rink for the week of November 15 - 24 and December 7 - 14. The Downtown BRZ, The Heart of our City Committee and Lethbridge Sports Council have partnered to bring the outdoor skating rink to the downtown. There will be synthetic ice (see attached photo) installed and maintained for the public to skate on free of charge. There will also be additional lighting and seating provided as well as treats for skaters to enjoy.

“Over the years, something we’ve continually heard through community engagement is that residents would enjoy a place to go outdoor skating,” says Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge Urban Revitalization Manager. “Our Lethbridge chinooks have always been a concern in maintaining ice but by having a synthetic ice surface, which we’ve borrowed from Lethbridge Sport Council, we now have a solution. We are really excited to offer this new opportunity for friends and family to meet downtown and enjoy skating together this holiday season.”

Over the next several weeks, Heart of the Holidays will also introduce:

• Selfies with Santa – find Santa downtown and take a selfie for a chance to win great prizes.

• Downtown Holiday Market – November 23 at Casa. Shop local at this special market showcasing downtown Lethbridge businesses.

• Plaid Days - Dec 6 & 7
  Shop local this holiday season and enjoy great deals from unique businesses. Catch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage while sipping hot chocolate then hop off for a skate at festival square.

The City of Lethbridge is hosting an open house on Wednesday October 23, inviting residents to learn about, and engage in, the development of our city.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
ATB Centre
74 Mauretania Blvd. West (enter through the ice centre doors)

There are a number of specific projects related to the Downtown that will be included in the event and the City's Urban Revitalization Manager will be on hand to discuss featured projects as well as overall strategic direction for the Downtown and core of the community.

If you are/were unable to attend the project boards/information can be found in the following locations:

- 3rd Avenue Reconstruction Project (https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/third-avenue)

- Cycling Functional Planning Study (https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/Cycling-Master-Plan)

- Parklet Pilot Program (https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/6524/documents/20117);

- Proposed Increases to Parking Rates and Fines (https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/6524/documents/20118).

This event will also include opportunities to learn about:

• Legacy Park
• Japanese Garden Pavilion
• University Drive Twinning
• Crossings Playground
• Fire Station #5
• Bicycle Bylaw
• Play Charter
• Metis Trail
• Scenic Drive North
• Transportation Safety Plan
• Downtown
• Utility Box Painting
• Library Art Project
• Parking Rates & Fines
• Indigenous Cultural Centre
• Waste & Recycling
• Airport
• Municipal Development Plan
• 5 Avenue N/13th Street
• Intersection Improvements
• 3rd Avenue S Reconstruction
• Stafford to Mayor Magrath Drive
• Mobility/Accessibility Master Plan
• Henderson Park Irrigation Replacement
• Intelligent Community
• Economic Development Lethbridge
• Property Assessment

Applications now being accepted for 2020 Heart of Our City Activity Grant

The Heart of Our City Committee has completed a review of the Activity Grant to ensure the program is meeting its intended purpose as well as the needs of the organizations who look to utilize the grant to bring exciting events to the Downtown every year. The committee is excited to announce that following consultation with past applicants and an in-depth review, there are few changes to the program proposed for 2020 and that applications are new being accepted.

The purpose of the Activity Grant is to provide funds to help Lethbridge organizations host festivals and events that create an exciting and vibrant downtown and attract audiences to the city centre.

Events and festivals located in the Downtown core or in the Civic Common are eligible for up to $10,000 annually provided they are not already receiving funding from other City of Lethbridge sources. Grants greater than $1,000 are conditional on the applicant organization providing 50-per-cent matching funds. Applicants must be a not-for-profit or apply under the auspices of an affiliate or sponsoring organization with not-for-profit status.

Heart of Our City Activity Grant applications will be accepted until November 29, 2019. Information and application forms are available at: www.lethbridge.ca/HOCactivitygrant.

Applications will be evaluated by a grant review committee based on how the event or festival contributes to an exciting, animated, and vibrant experience in Downtown. Successful applicants will be notified of a grant decision as soon as possible after December November 11, 2019.

Media Contacts:

The City of Lethbridge is excited to announce the start of construction on the first downtown redevelopment project accessing the Targeted Redevelopment Incentive Program (TRIP). Six08 Health (formerly East Meets West) will participate in the new municipal tax relief program as they embark on an estimated $4.8 million redevelopment project at 608 5 Ave. S.

Downtown Lethbridge is proudly located within the territory of the SIKSIKAITSITAPI, the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The United Nations declared 2019 to be the International Year of Indigenous Languages. Indigenous languages and their speakers are being lost at an alarming rate, which has a direct impact on the transmission of culture and knowledge within all communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Language also plays a significant role in place-making, identity and wellness.

Promoting Blackfoot and all Indigenous languages spoken in Lethbridge contributes to the well-being of our community and helps us to celebrate the values and culture that make Sikóóhkotok (Lethbridge) unique. The Heart of our City Committee and the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee invite you to learn more about the languages and cultures of the Indigenous peoples who call this City home, starting with the original Blackfoot greeting of this territory, OKI.

The three-dimensional word "Oki", the traditional Blackfoot greeting, has been created in celebration of the United Nations year of Indigenous Language.

The unique collaboration between the Reconciliation Lethbridge Advisory Committee (RLAC) and the Heart of Our City Committee (HOCC) can currently be seen on the grounds outside the Galt Museum and Archives. The project, which was designed and manufactured in Lethbridge, is made to be mobile and will be moved around the downtown for different events and celebrations.

Heart of Our City Committee member and Blackfoot Knowledge Keeper, Jordan Head, says the funding provided by HOCC was a natural step for the committee as it aligns with one of the committee's key values.

"The Heart of Our City Committee hopes to celebrate and bring greater awareness to the fact that Downtown, like the rest of Lethbridge, is located on traditional Blackfoot territory," says Head. "We want to continue demonstrating that the Downtown is an open and welcoming environment for a diversity of uses, users, and cultures."

"We know that language plays a huge part in building community, in the transferal of knowledge and in the empowerment of Indigenous people," says RLAC Co-Chair, Amanda Scout. "The Oki project is a creative and visual way to celebrate our Blackfoot culture in the city and we hope it starts more conversation around Indigenous culture and language."

The Lethbridge Regional Park 'n' Ride Transit Terminal is a multi-purpose facility that provides residents with a comfortable and safe location to access City transit services. The building is also home to regional transit partners Red Arrow and Highway 3 Connector and adds additional parking options to support growth and development in the downtown.

The facility which opened to the public on August 28, 2019 and is located at 705 - 5 Avenue South (behind the downtown Post Office).

The new Transit Terminal will provide residents with a comfortable and safe location to access regional and City transit service that is protected from the weather and offers amenities such as transit pass purchasing and washroom facilities.

To access real-time transit information visit http://myride.lethbridge.ca or download the Lethbridge Transit app. For more information on the Lethbridge Regional Park 'n' Ride Transit Terminal project visit www.lethbridge.ca/parknride.

Parking

This building includes a three level parking structure with 293 stalls.

• A parking staff member is located inside the facility to assist with any of the monthly parking inquires during business hours.
• A scrambled reserved monthly parking fob for within the Park 'n' Ride Transit Terminal can be purchased inside the facility at the parking information booth.
• Motorists with a valid monthly Park 'n' Ride fob can park in any stalls located on the covered decks of levels 4 and 5 or the level 6 roof deck.
• The cost for access to the scrambled reserved monthly parking area is $105 (GST INCLUDED) plus an initial fee for the creation of the 24 hr access fob.
• Those with a parking fob will have 24 hr access to the facility and the 4. 5 and 6 level parking decks.
• This is a secure facility with on-site security during transit hours and 24hr camera surveillance.

Here are some things to know about this new downtown facility.

Lethbridge Transit Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri | 5:45 a.m. to midnight
Sat | 7 a.m. to midnight
Sun & holidays | 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Visit myride.lethbridge.ca for real-time Lethbridge Transit information.

Red Arrow Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sat | 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sun & holidays | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Visit www.redarrow.ca for more information.

Highway 3 Connector Hours of Operation
Mon-Friday | 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Visit www.highway3connector.ca for more information.

Facility Elevator Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sat-Sun | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Red Arrow Drop-off & Parking
Those dropping friends and family off for a Red Arrow trip can do so in front of the elevators on the third level of the parking structure. Riders can then take the elevator or stairs to the main floor waiting area.Parking is available for Red Arrow passengers on level 3. Registration is required at the Red Arrow office prior to departure.

Site Security
Security guards are on-site during all operating hours. Video surveillance from 38 different cameras is operational 24/7, 365 days a year.

Breeze Card Purchases
Lethbridge Transit breeze cards can purchased at the Red Arrow ticket office during Red Arrow operating hours.

Lost and Found
Lots of belongings get left on buses and in the terminal. The lost and found for both local and regional transit can be found at the Red Arrow ticket office. Lost and found items will be collected at the Park 'n' Ride at the end of each day. For those missing an item, they can check at Red Arrow office the following day or call 311.

Parking
Parking is available at the Park 'n' Ride facility for a monthly fee of $105. Secure parking is available on levels 4-6 of the parking facility. Those wishing to try the parking, can do so, free of charge, until the end of Oct. Parking fees are expected to take effect on Nov. 1. Those wishing to rent a parking space can talk with the on-site parking administrator or call 311.

For more information visit www.lethbridge.ca/parknride.

For More Information head to www.lethbridge.ca/downtownparking

If you’re looking for a nice place to enjoy some summer shade, look no further than downtown Lethbridge. The City of Lethbridge, in partnership with the Heart of our City committee, is piloting a new project to provide outdoor seating spaces for downtown businesses in the form of a 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 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, New York.

More people and more activity creates a more vibrant downtown. Parklets help foster a sense of community by creating places for people to sit, relax, visit and enjoy the city. By converting parking space to people space, Parklets make cities more welcoming and people-friendly. They support local businesses by create a sense of place, beautify the streets and make walkable destinations for residents.

The pilot program offers two forms of support for businesses interested in establishing a Parklet in front of their business. The first option is financial support for the design and construction of a Parklet including a matching grant up to $1,000. The second option is to borrow the City owned Parklet infrastructure at no cost to the business. With either option, the pilot program will also cover the $300 fee for a Parklet permit.

As a pilot, the Heart of Our City committee will be gathering community feedback from businesses, customers and clients to determine if this is something that could become a more permanent fixture in downtown Lethbridge in years to come.

For more information on this and other projects to enhance public spaces in the downtown visit www.lethbridge.ca/publicspaces.

Residents can give feedback on the Parklet pilot project here.

To inquire about piloting a Parklet at your downtown location contact Andrew Malcolm, Urban Revitalization Manager at 403-320-3926.