Lethbridge Herald

Hammering It Home: Brothers win BILD building contest

The sound of hammers striking nails echoed across the exhibition floor as students leaned over workbenches, measuring, sawing and sanding against the clock. At this year’s “Who Built It the Best” competition, the challenge was simple — but far from...

Home, Garden & Leisure Show has lots to offer this year

The Home, Garden & Leisure Show is now at full swing at the Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre until Saturday, offering attendees an opportunity to interact with hundreds of exhibitors, chances to win prizes and enjoy demonstrations, competitions...

Council to have tough budget decisions forthcoming

Mayor Blaine Hyggen said Wednesday he understands the frustration from residents about the increases to provincial educational property taxes in a time of affordability crisis. “There are certain things that we can control, and as council we control...

City CFO presents budget impacts during council meeting

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer Darrell Mathews provided a presentation on Provincial Budget Impacts during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, for information only. During the meeting, before Mathews gave his presentation, Mayor Blaine Hyggen...

Agriculture Rotary Scholarships cultivate future leaders

Community leaders, farmers, students and industry partners gathered Thursday evening to celebrate agriculture and the young people preparing to carry the industry forward. The 8th Annual Rotary Ag Scholarship Awards Dinner, hosted by the Rotary Club...

CANstruction Lethbridge supporting local food banks

CANstruction Lethbridge has returned for their 12th year to help restock the shelves of local food banks with much needed canned food, while displaying the creativity, engineering, and community spirit showcased in the structures on display at the...

CRH campaign receives half a million dollar donation

The Bringing Hearts Home Campaign received a $500,000 donation from Witdouck Farms, a fourth-generation southern Alberta producers Thursday. Crystal Elliott, CEO of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation Crystal Elliott said the agricultural...

Lethbridge School Division, ATA react to Budget 2026

After having some time to review the Budget 2026 allocation for education, the Lethbridge School Division and the Alberta Teachers’ Association have shared their thoughts on the matter. The Lethbridge School Division said they welcome the Government...

Green Shirt Day theme and shirt logo revealed

With Green Shirt Day quickly approaching, Toby and Bernadine Boulet released this year’s shirt logo during a ceremony at City Hall Tuesday morning, a day after what would have been their son Logan’s 29th birthday. Green Shirt Day on April 7 is a day...

Province announces $59 million investment for expanded services

Premier Danielle Smith was at the Chinook Regional Hospital Monday, to announce the provincial budget investment of $59 million over three years into expanding cardiac services and intensive care capacity in Southern Alberta. The announcement was made...

Budget 2026 is focused on growing a highly skilled workforce

Minister of Advanced Education Myles McDougall, says a strong economy starts with a strong postsecondary system and Budget 2026 invests in the programs, training spaces and campus infrastructure needed to prepare Alberta’s students for the jobs of...

Budget 2026 to have a $9.4 billion deficit, if passed

President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, Nate Horner spoke to media Thursday afternoon and said Budget 2026 is focused on what matters most for Albertans, as the province prepares for a challenging year ahead. Minister Horner said this...

Hyggen responds to WestJet announcing the discontinuance of Lethbridge flights

WestJet announced on Monday they will be discontinuing their commercial flights out of Lethbridge as of June 24. Mayor Blaine Hyggen says this announcement came as a complete bombshell to him, but was a prime example of “if you don’t use it, you lose...

Motion passed to request paused implementation of ADAP program

It was standing room only in the City of Lethbridge council chambers yesterday afternoon as a motion was passed unanimously to send a letter to the Alberta government requesting them to pause implementing the Alberta Disability Assistance Program...

Lethbridge Police Service meet all 159 standards after recent audit

The Lethbridge Police Service recently released its Provincial Policing Standards Audit report, where they were fully compliant with all 159 standards. Inspector Robin Klassen said all police services across Alberta must go through these audits every...

Rally set for Sunday afternoon as Neudorf recall signage period ends

With the Nathan Neudorf recall petition signing period ending on Monday, a group of citizens plan to hold a rally for people who feel dismissed after not being able to sign the petition on Sunday afternoon. Gaye Metz, organizer of the event, says she...

Smith to put immigration, Constitution questions on fall referendum

Premier Danielle Smith announced a packed referendum slate coming Oct. 19 during her televised address to the province Thursday evening. The referendum questions will cover a number of topics, including non-constitutional questions that ask whether...

Carney one step closer to majority government as Jeneroux joins Liberals

Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux is now the third Conservative to cross the floor to the Liberal caucus in recent months — and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is accusing him of betraying voters in his Alberta riding. Jeneroux’s decision to cross the...

Poilievre says he’s spoken with Jivani about U.S. trip and MP ‘speaks for himself’

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday Ontario MP Jamil Jivani does not speak for the party after Jivani told a right-wing U.S. news site that Canada is harming itself with an “anti-America hissy fit.” In a scrum with reporters, Poilievre...

Police tape down in Tumbler Ridge as a victim was honoured 14,000 km away

On a cold grey morning, residents of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., made their way to their churches’ first Sunday services since the recent shootings in the tiny community in which nine people died. An invisible thread connected the worshippers with another...

Province to invest in classroom complexity teams

Premier Danielle Smith, alongside Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides, announced Thursday the Alberta Government will be investing $143 million to establish 476 complexity teams, comprising one teacher and two educational...

Shy smiles and braces: RCMP release names, photos of eight Tumbler Ridge shooting victims

The names and photos of eight children and adults shot to death in a small B.C. town were released Thursday in a sombre visual rollcall of chubby cheeks, shy smiles and braces. The 2,700 residents of Tumbler Ridge, meanwhile, began coping not only...

12-year-old boy charged with attempted murder has been sentenced

A 12-year-old boy charged with the attempted murder of his seven-yearold brother has been sentenced to three years of Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision. The accused, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has...

Hapag Ala Eh brings Filipino flavours to historic downtown location

Downtown Lethbridge is getting a new taste of the Philippines with the opening of Hapag Ala Eh, a familyowned restaurant in a space with deep culinary history. “Hapag” refers to a dining table— specifically one where people gather to eat. “Ala Eh” is...

Murray Chevrolet donates $1 million to Bringing Hearts Home Campaign

Inside the shell of Chinook Regional Hospital’s future cardiology centre, the promise is clear — but the work is far from done. Unassembled cubicles, hospital beds, and equipment await installation, and fundraising for the services and infrastructure...

SACI cuts ribbon for new building at Lethbridge Polytechnic

High school students in southern Alberta have the opportunity to experiment when making the biggest decision of their life-what they want to do with the rest of their life, thanks to the brand new Southern Alberta Collegiate Institute (SACI), which...

Alberta’s Smith owes answers before separation vote: former federal minister Dion

The man who helped write the rules on separation votes in Canada says if Alberta’s premier is going to take her province down that “worrying” path, she has a duty to spell out to everyone how it will be triggered and what happens afterward. Stéphane...

Warm spell gives city head start on winter pothole repairs

Potholes—those rim-bending reminders of freeze-thaw cycles—typically announce themselves in March and April. But this February, an unusual stretch of warmer weather has given city crews a rare opportunity to tackle road repairs early, patching hazards...

‘Hitting everybody so hard’: Alberta town remembers three hockey players killed in crash

Tributes across Canada and the hockey community have embraced a small Alberta town, where three junior hockey players died in a car crash trying to cross a divided highway to get to morning practice. Although most of the Southern Alberta Mustangs are...

February is Heart Health Month

With February being recognized as Heart Health Month, this provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of improving access to care closer to home, and to do just that, the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation is taking part of the Bringing...

New U of L exhibition digs deeper into the meaning of soil

Most people don’t think much about soil unless it is clinging to their boots or smudged on their hands — something to be brushed off, swept away or worked through to get to what really matters. A new exhibition opening at the University of Lethbridge...

2026 Polar Plunge to take place in Festival Square

The Lethbridge Police Service and the Law Enforcement Torch Run are encouraging community members to register for the 2026 Polar Plunge and brave the cold to raise funds for Special Olympics. Cst. Gavin Enns with the Downtown Policing Unit told media...

PAACT supports pets and their owners through initiatives

A volunteer run non-profit organization based in Lethbridge is looking to help pet owners with questions regarding their beloved animals, while also looking for volunteers, and foster homes for pets needing a new forever home. Pet & Animal Advocacy...

Lethbridge Soup Kitchen expands to meet growing needs

Before the ribbon was cut on its newest expansion, the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen’s executive director Bill Ginter stood before a bare stretch of wall inside the dining room and explained to visitors that a wall once stood on that spot until it was...

Burns Night returns after hiatus

After a nine-year hiatus, the skirl of bagpipes, the weight of tradition and the long-awaited return of haggis filled the Lethbridge Royal Canadian Legion General Stewart Branch #4 Sunday evening as Burns Night finally returned after a nearly 10-year...

Funding a main topic at the mayor’s annual State of the City

Mayor Blaine Hyggen used his State of the City address on Thursday to frame the year ahead as one of tough choices, cautious optimism and doing more with less, telling business leaders the city must decide between “needs” and wants. His address,...

Alberta Education at tipping point , ATA survey finds

Alberta teachers are sounding the alarm about a deepening crisis in education, with a new union survey showing unprecedented stress levels and waning confidence in the future of their profession. The ATA says increasing classroom complexity and recent...

McNally Contractors now operates under Volker Stevin

Founded in June 1976, McNally began with portable asphalt operations out of Fort Macleod before following work across Western Canada. In 2004, the company established permanent operations in Lethbridge. McNally has been part of the Volker Stevin...

First citizen recall petition against Alberta legislature member fails

The first of more than two dozen recall petitions launched against members of Alberta’s legislature has come up short. Jenny Yeremiy submitted to Elections Alberta Tuesday her petition against Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides -- but said she...

City encourages residents to report encampments

Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, Lethbridge Police Service and the City of Lethbridge’s Community Social Development department are asking residents to report encampments. Sean Middleton, encampment support specialist with the city of...

Moe, canola farmers say trade deal with China ‘very good news’

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and canola farmers are hailing Canada’s new trade deal with China as “very good news” that could restore exports for the major Prairie crop. Moe accompanied Prime Minister Mark Carney to Beijing this week to strike the...

LPS seeking witness after offender was re-arrested

Lethbridge Police re-arrested 50-year-old Skye Atoa for breaching the conditions of a release order approximately half an hour after his release from custody. According to Lethbridge Police, upon his release, Atoa was required to go to a court-ordered...

Blood Tribe opposed to separation

As the citizen-initiative petition on Alberta independence has begun collecting signatures, Indigenous groups across the province are calling for legal changes to prevent separatist efforts, which they say contravene Indigenous rights under treaty...

STARS Lottery Dream Home named after local resident

STARS Lottery is back for their 33rd year with one of the grand prize dream homes named after a local resident who is alive today thanks to STARS. “The Broc James” Dream Home was built by Van Arbor Homes it is located at 684 Devonia Road West, and it...

Canada encouraged to co-ordinate response to Maduro’s ouster

Foreign policy experts say Ottawa should reach out to nations threatened by the United States to co-ordinate a response to the Trump administration’s ouster of Venezuela’s autocratic ruler. “We’re a long way from a democratic transition here. This...

Friends of Medicare concerned by overdose prevention site closures

Friends of Medicare are expressing their alarm and concern about the closure of many supervised consumption sites province wide, saying it will not only affect those who rely on the services to survive, but the impact will spread to those needing...

Good Movement focuses on community and culture

A Blackfoot man who found fitness to fill a void he had while recovering from addiction is now using his knowledge to help youth find community and culture to prevent them from the firm, dark grasp of addiction where he spent many of his years as a...

Alta. group gets green light to collect separation signatures

Alberta’s election agency has fired the starter’s pistol on the race to collect enough names for a referendum on the province quitting Canada. Elections Alberta announced Friday that Mitch Sylvestre and the Alberta Prosperity Project have from...

Community rings Joya No Kane for new year

Over 100 members of the community gathered at the Friendship Bell at Nikka Yukko Japanese Garden Wednesday evening to take turns ringing the Joya No Kane (New Year’s Eve bell) to welcome the New Year with reflection and renewal. The traditional...

EYES ON THE HEALTH CARE PRIZE

The Alberta government in 2025 completed the final legal foundations of its new healthcare system — and Premier Danielle Smith says she’s working in 2026 to prove it was worth it. The massive reorganization saw Smith dismantle Alberta Health Services...

Expansion a key part of 2025 focus, says mayor

With 2025 coming to an end, Mayor Blaine Hyggen recounts some highlights and lessons learned throughout the year, not only as a mayor but also as part of council. “It’s been a very busy year, and different than most years as we had an election in the...

THE YEAR THE SHOE DROPPED

The people anxiously sipping hot chocolate in the Canadian Embassy in Washington on a cold night in January almost a year ago couldn’t have predicted the roller-coaster of trade provocations and bilateral blow-ups the next 12 months would bring. In...

RECALLS REACH 26

Elections Alberta issued three more recall petitions Tuesday for members of the provincial legislature — two United Conservative backbenchers and one Opposition New Democrat. It brings the current total of active petitions to 26. All but two are for...

THE NATIVITY COMES TO LIFE

DITCH RCMP, QUIT CPP?

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s hand-picked panel re-examining the province’s relationship with Ottawa says it’s time to ditch the RCMP and hold a provincewide referendum on quitting the Canada Pension Plan. The Alberta Next panel, in a report with...

No injuries in explosion at community centre

While there were no injuries when a large explosion rocked the interior of the Taber Community Centre on Wednesday afternoon, pure luck appears to have been a significant factor in that positive outcome. At approximately 4 p.m. on Dec. 17, an...

Amery latest UCP MLA to face recall petition

Alberta’s justice minister is the latest member of Premier Danielle Smith’s caucus to face a citizen recall petition. Elections Alberta announced Wednesday petitions against Mickey Amery and fellow United Conservative Party legislator Jackie...

WIN-WIN SITUATION

A new lottery is being launched to help cardiac care at the Chinook Regional Hospital. The Downtown Rotary Club of Lethbridge has launched their 2025-26 Catch the Ace lottery with all proceeds headed to the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation’s...

Three children die of the flu in Ottawa region

Ottawa’s top doctor says the death of three children in the region over the past two weeks from influenza-related complications is unusual and could signify a difficult flu season ahead. Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Health Unit medical officers of...

MYSTERY DEEPENS

There’s a second “mystery man” in the Nathan Neudorf recall campaign to join absentee organizer Ryan Tanner, according to two city women who came forward with their story this week. Lucretia Apperloo and Barb Phillips both sent emails to...

City couple still stealing Christmas 30 years later

Christmas decorations can take on a life of their own: start with one simple homemade wooden Grinch poking out of a chimney placed atop a roof in 1995, add at least one new decoration continually every year and the next thing you know Lethbridge has...

Whoop-Up speed limit permanantly drops to 70

The speed on Whoop-Up Drive has been permanently changed to 70 km/h to improve road safety and reduce the risk of serious collisions. Darwin Juell, general manager of transportation and transit said the change of speed has been in the works for the...

NO ICE IS SAFE ICE

With the recent fluctuating temperatures, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services is reminding residents to be safe around bodies of water that may seem frozen enough to be on them. Jaydon McCarthy, co-team lead with the water rescue team with LFES...

Courts shouldn’t be gatekeepers: Smith

Premier Danielle Smith says anyone seeking an independence referendum should not have “gatekeepers,” like the courts, standing in their way. Smith was asked about the independence question Saturday on her radio call-in show, weighing in for the first...

THE BEAR NECESSITIES

Lethbridge Hurricanes Kai Anderson and Jake Evans admire the smallest of stuffed toys on the ice during the 29th annual Canadian Tire Toque and Teddy Toss Game against the Wenatchee Wild on Friday night at VisitLethbridge.com Arena. The Hurricanes are...

DRIVE SOBER!

Now that the holiday season celebrations are beginning to take place, Lethbridge Police Service and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are reminding motorists to drive sober. Sgt. Tony Ramotowski with the Traffic Response Unit said Check Stops will be held...

CITY STRIKES DEAL WITH FIREFIGHTERS

It took a while but the City of Lethbridge and the local firefighters’ union have reached an innovative new deal. The previous collective agreement between the City and the International Association of Firefighters Union (IAFU) Local 237 expired in...

Province won’t comply with feds’ gun buyback

The provincial government is taking a stand against Ottawa and the federal gun buyback program Minister of Justice Mickey Amery has introduced a motion under the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act to protect gun owners in Alberta. Amery...

UCP not a separatist party, says Smith

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her United Conservative Party isn’t a separatist party. Last week’s historic energy deal between Alberta and Ottawa was met with skepticism, and at multiple points by boos, by members at the party’s annual...

City police point out dangers, damage of electric dirt bikes

The City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Police Services are warning residents of the damage unregulated electric dirt bikes are causing to the river valley and the safety risk that they pose for those walking the trails. Sergeant Ryan Darroch with the...

THEY’VE GOT THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW

Life is ducky once again for pet ducks Chasey and Chicken after running “afowl” of the law. The pair were in danger of being evicted from their home on the corner of 12 Street and 6 Avenue North where they live with retirees Laurel and Mitch...

Neudorf among latest round of recall petitions

Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Lethbridge East and Minister fir Utilities and Affordability, is among the list if five new recall petitions against UCP caucus members issued by Elections Alberta on Tuesday, bringing the total to 14. The new total means that...

Smith says report is a roadmap for classes

The Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team has concluded its work and submitted the final report to Alberta’s government. Premier Danielle Smith, alongside Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides, released the report on...

Caldwells kick off Christmas

The Caldwell family is ready to welcome members of the community tomorrow to their eight annual Christmas with the Caldwells kick-off party, to begin collecting toys for the Salvation Army Toys for Tots campaign and nonperishable food for the...