River Valley Engagement

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Consultation has concluded. Thank you for your feedback.

Consisting of over 1,700 hectares, Lethbridge’s river valley is the defining natural feature of the city. Mostly undeveloped, the river valley is the home to a diverse population of plants and animals and serves as a corridor for many more. This crown jewel of Lethbridge serves area residents and visitors from a passive and active perspective. There are innumerable view points from which to take in the beautiful vistas; through hiking, running, walking, photography, and many other pursuits the valley fills the needs of many.

Along with city residents, the City is a steward of the river valley. While plans have been developed (most recently the River Valley Parks Master Plan 2017) that present visions for the river valley and identify management strategies and potential projects, City Council decided in mid-2020 to engage again with stakeholders and residents.

Throughout October the public will be asked to provide their thoughts about recreation and preservation in the river valley. Households will be mailed a postcard early in the month that directs them to a survey on the City’s Get Involved Lethbridge webpage. The postcard provides each household with its own, unique code that will allow them access to answer the questions.

Additionally the public will be able to virtually mark points on a map of the river valley. There is an interactive map available below for people to label areas of interest and importance to them: places that they think would benefit from improvement or protection.

The results of the engagement will culminate in a summary report that will identify management strategies as well as areas to recreate in and areas to simply appreciate. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Consisting of over 1,700 hectares, Lethbridge’s river valley is the defining natural feature of the city. Mostly undeveloped, the river valley is the home to a diverse population of plants and animals and serves as a corridor for many more. This crown jewel of Lethbridge serves area residents and visitors from a passive and active perspective. There are innumerable view points from which to take in the beautiful vistas; through hiking, running, walking, photography, and many other pursuits the valley fills the needs of many.

Along with city residents, the City is a steward of the river valley. While plans have been developed (most recently the River Valley Parks Master Plan 2017) that present visions for the river valley and identify management strategies and potential projects, City Council decided in mid-2020 to engage again with stakeholders and residents.

Throughout October the public will be asked to provide their thoughts about recreation and preservation in the river valley. Households will be mailed a postcard early in the month that directs them to a survey on the City’s Get Involved Lethbridge webpage. The postcard provides each household with its own, unique code that will allow them access to answer the questions.

Additionally the public will be able to virtually mark points on a map of the river valley. There is an interactive map available below for people to label areas of interest and importance to them: places that they think would benefit from improvement or protection.

The results of the engagement will culminate in a summary report that will identify management strategies as well as areas to recreate in and areas to simply appreciate. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Consultation has concluded. Thank you for your feedback.

  • Survey Closed

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    supporting image

    We are blown away by Lethbridge residents and their love for our river valley! We received over 3000 responses to the post card survey sent out earlier this month. Thank you to each and every one of you who filled out the survey and provided input on how you use and value recreation in the valley. Survey results will be posted here in the coming weeks.


  • Interactive Map - Vertisee

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    Thank you to everyone who utilized the mapping tool for this project. This section is now closed as we compile data and complete the final report.


    It’s about the river valley…and we want to hear from you!

    The City of Lethbridge is asking residents to provide their thoughts about recreation and preservation in the river valley. This information will help guide decision making about the river valley and its future use by interested organizations. Please note: the information gathered through this process will be reviewed by the City but may not lead to implementation.

    To help visualize impacted, special, or areas of concern in the river valley, we are utilizing an interactive mapping tool called Vertisee. The map is available here:

    Through this mapping tool you can identify specific places in the river valley.

    • Select an aerial image from the map styles button above as a base layer for your view.
    • Zoom (+/-) into the area on the map you wish to comment on.
    • Select a pin from the top left↖ and click on the map to leave a comment using the following options:
      1. Improve existing – use this pin to identify an existing amenity / development / feature that you think should be improved. This could point to anything that is already there such as signage, trails, and others.
      2. Develop new – use this pin to identify what new feature (amenity / development) should be located on that spot. You could use this to identify a sign that needs posting, a new trail, preservation area, or something else.
      3. Concern – this pin will identify some concern you have in an area. This could be a concern about how that place is being used or concerns about the physical condition of a feature.
      4. Protect – with this pin you can identify an area that you think should be protected. Please indicate why you think it should be protected and from what.
    • For each pin you put on the map you can label the pin and add a description of what the feature is or why you identified this location as important.
    • Click Save. Your comments will be saved and your pin will appear on the map.

    How to Explore the Area

    • Use the icons in the top right ↗ to change the map layers to learn more about the area and what others have to say:
      • Comments: Read comments from other participants by clicking Layers and checking any of the comment layers.