Lethbridge
Lethbridge | |
|---|---|
City | |
| City of Lethbridge | |
 Downtown Lethbridge on 4th Avenue South in July, 2003 | |
 Logo | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: Ad occasionis januam
"Gateway to Opportunity"[1] | |
 City boundaries | |
  Lethbridge Location in Alberta  Lethbridge Location in Canada  Lethbridge Location in Lethbridge County | |
| Coordinates: 49°41′37″N 112°50′31″W / 49.69361°N 112.84194°W[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Planning region | South Saskatchewan |
| Municipal district | Lethbridge County |
| Settled[4] | 1874 |
| Incorporated[5] | |
| • Town | November 29, 1890 |
| • City | May 9, 1906 |
| Named for | William Lethbridge |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Blaine Hyggen (Past mayors) |
| • Governing body |
|
| • MP | Rachael Thomas (CPC) |
| • MLAs | Nathan Neudorf (UCP) Rob Miyashiro (NDP) |
| • City Manager | Lloyd Brierley |
| Area (2021)[6] | |
| • Land | 121.12 km2 (46.76 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 64.00 km2 (24.71 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,958.96 km2 (1,142.46 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
| Population | |
• City | 98,406 |
| • Density | 812.5/km2 (2,104/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 92,563 |
| • Metro | 123,847 |
| • Metro density | 41.9/km2 (109/sq mi) |
| • Municipal census (2023) | 106,550[10] |
| 1446.2 | |
| Demonym | Lethbridgian or Lethbian[11] |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Alberta Time) |
| Forward sortation areas | |
| Area codes | 403 587, 825, 368 |
| Highways |  Highway 3 Highway 4 Highway 5 Highway 25 |
| Waterways | Oldman River |
| GDP (Lethbridge CMA) | CA$6.1 billion (2016)[12] |
| GDP per capita (Lethbridge CMA) | CA$52,243 (2016) |
| Website | www |
Lethbridge (/ˈlɛθbrɪdʒ/ LETH-brij) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 municipal census,[10] Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to the city's warm summers, mild winters, and windy climate. Lethbridge lies approximately 215 km (134 mi) southeast of Calgary on the Oldman River, 169 km (105 mi) west of Medicine Hat, and 105 km (65 mi) northwest of the Canada–United States border at the Sweetgrass–Coutts Border Crossing.
Lethbridge is the commercial, educational, financial, industrial and transportation centre of southern Alberta. The city's economy developed from drift mining for coal in the late 19th century and agriculture in the early 20th century. Half of the workforce is employed in the health, education, retail, and hospitality sectors, and the top five employers are government-based. Post-secondary institutes in the city include the University of Lethbridge, the only university in Alberta south of Calgary, as well as Lethbridge Polytechnic and Red Crow College. Cultural venues in the city include performing art theatres, galleries, museums, gardens, and sports centres.
History
[edit]
Before the 19th century, the Lethbridge area was populated by several First Nations at various times. The Blackfoot referred to the area as Aksaysim ("steep banks"), Mek-kio-towaghs ("painted rock"), Assini-etomochi ("where we slaughtered the Cree") and Sik-ooh-kotok ("coal"). The Tsuutʼina (Sarcee) referred to it as Chadish-kashi ("black/rocks"), the Cree as Kuskusukisay-guni ("black/rocks"), and the Nakoda (Stoney) as Ipubin-saba-akabin ("digging coal").[13] The Kutenai referred to it as ʔa•kwum.[14]
After the United States Army stopped alcohol trading with the Blackfeet Nation in Montana in 1869, traders John J. Healy and Alfred B. Hamilton started a whisky trading post at Fort Hamilton, near the future site of Lethbridge. The post's nickname became Fort Whoop-Up.[13] The whisky trade led to the Cypress Hills Massacre of many native Assiniboine in 1873. The North-West Mounted Police, sent to stop the trade and establish order,[13] arrived at Fort Whoop-Up on October 9, 1874. They managed the post for the next 12 years.[13]
Lethbridge's economy developed from drift mines opened by Nicholas Sheran in 1874 and the North Western Coal and Navigation Company in 1882. North Western's president was William Lethbridge, from whom the city derives its name.[15][16] By the turn of the century, the mines employed about 150 men and produced 300 t (300 long tons; 330 short tons) of coal each day.[13] In 1896, local collieries were the largest coal producers in the Northwest Territories,[17] with production peaking during World War I. An internment camp was set up at the Exhibition Building in Lethbridge from September 1914 to November 1916.[18] After the war, increasing oil and natural gas production gradually replaced coal production,[13] and the last mine in Lethbridge closed in 1957.
The first rail line in Lethbridge was opened on August 28, 1885, by the Alberta Railway and Coal Company,[13] which bought the North Western Coal and Navigation Company five years later.[19] The rail industry's dependence on coal and the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR) efforts to settle southern Alberta with immigrants boosted Lethbridge's economy. After the CPR moved the divisional point of its Crowsnest Line from Fort Macleod to Lethbridge in 1905 and a new Lethbridge Canadian Pacific Railway Station (Union Station) was built in 1906, the city became the regional centre for Southern Alberta.[13] In the mid-1980s, the CPR moved its rail yards in downtown Lethbridge to nearby Kipp, and Lethbridge ceased to be a rail hub.[20]
Between 1907 and 1913, a development boom happened in Lethbridge, making it the main marketing, distribution and service centre in southern Alberta.[13] Such municipal projects as a water treatment plant, a power plant, a Lethbridge Transit, a streetcar system, and Exhibition Park—as well as a construction boom and rising real estate prices—transformed the mining town into a significant city.[13] Between World War I and World War II, however, the city experienced an economic slump. Development slowed, drought drove farmers from their farms, and coal mining rapidly declined from its peak.[13] After World War II, irrigation of farmland near Lethbridge led to growth in the city's population and economy. Lethbridge became a centre for post-secondary education in Southern Alberta with the opening of Lethbridge Polytechnic (formerly Lethbridge College) in April 1957 and the University of Lethbridge in 1967.[13] The University of Lethbridge campus moved to the west side of the Oldman River in 1971, marking the beginning of developmental expansion into the area.[21]
From March 2018 to August 2020, Lethbridge was home to ARCHES, 24-hour supervised drug use site. It was the busiest SCS in North America with 663 visits a day. The Star called it a "new landmark". The SCS featured injection drug and inhalation drug facilities[22] and it was a subject of disagreement by the nearby business community.[23][24] The site closed at the end of August 2020 after the province removed grant funding following discovery of misappropriation of public funds.[25]
Geography
[edit]
The city of Lethbridge is located at 49.7° north latitude and 112.833° west longitude and covers an area of 127.19 km2 (49.11 sq mi). It is divided by the Oldman River; its valley, the Oldman River valley parks system, has been turned into one of the largest urban park systems in North America at 16 km2 (4,000 acres) of protected land.[26] Lethbridge is Alberta's third-largest city by population and area after Calgary and Edmonton. It is located near the Canadian Rockies, 210 km (130 mi) southeast of Calgary.
Lethbridge is split into three geographical areas: north, south and west. The Oldman River separates West Lethbridge from the other two, while Crowsnest Trail and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail line separate North and South Lethbridge.[27] The newest and largest of the three areas, West Lethbridge (pop. 40,898)[28] is home to the University of Lethbridge—which opened at that site in 1971. Although several farms existed on what is now the Westside, the first housing development was not completed until 1974 and Whoop-Up Drive access opened only in 1975.[29] Much of the city's recent growth has been on the west side, and it has the youngest median age of the three. The north side (pop. 28,172)[28] was originally populated by workers from local coal mines. It has the oldest population of the three areas, is home to multiple industrial parks and includes the former Hamlet of Hardieville, which was annexed by Lethbridge in 1978.[30][31] South Lethbridge (pop. 32,412)[28] is the commercial heart of the city; it contains the downtown core, Downtown Lethbridge, the bulk of retail and hospitality establishments, and the Lethbridge Polytechnic.
Climate
[edit]Lethbridge has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) with an average maximum temperature of 12.8 °C (55.0 °F) and an average minimum temperature of −1.1 °C (30.0 °F). With precipitation averaging 380.2 mm (14.97 in), and 264 dry days on average, Lethbridge is the eleventh driest city in Canada.[32][33] Mean relative humidity in the morning hovers between 69 and 78% throughout the year, but afternoon mean relative humidity is more uneven, ranging from 38% in August to 58% in January.[34] On average, Lethbridge has 116 days with wind speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) or higher, ranking it as the second city in Canada for such weather.[32]
Its high elevation of 929 m (3,048 ft) and close proximity to the Rocky Mountains provides Lethbridge with cooler summers than other locations in the Canadian Prairies.[35] These factors protect the city from strong northwest and southwest winds and contribute to frequent Chinook winds during the winter. Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies, reducing the severity and duration of winter cold periods and resulting in fewer days with snow cover.[36] The average daytime temperature peaks by the end of July/beginning of August, when it reaches 26.4 °C (79.5 °F).[37] The city's temperature reaches a maximum high of 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) or greater on average once or twice a year.[34]
The highest temperature ever recorded in Lethbridge was 40.5 °C (104.9 °F) on August 10, 2018.[38] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −42.8 °C (−45.0 °F) on January 7, 1909; December 18, 1924;[39] January 3, 1950; and December 29, 1968.[34]
| Climate data for Lethbridge Airport, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1886–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 20.0 | 21.8 | 26.3 | 30.2 | 35.4 | 37.7 | 41.7 | 40.1 | 36.1 | 30.1 | 23.0 | 17.8 | 41.7 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) |
21.8 (71.2) |
26.8 (80.2) |
33.9 (93.0) |
34.2 (93.6) |
38.3 (100.9) |
40.0 (104.0) |
40.5 (104.9) |
36.7 (98.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) |
1.7 (35.1) |
6.4 (43.5) |
12.6 (54.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
21.8 (71.2) |
26.3 (79.3) |
26.3 (79.3) |
21.0 (69.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
5.5 (41.9) |
0.7 (33.3) |
12.8 (55.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.4 (65.1) |
17.9 (64.2) |
13.2 (55.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
5.9 (42.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.1 (10.2) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
9.4 (48.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.8 (−45.0) |
−42.2 (−44.0) |
−38 (−36) |
−27.2 (−17.0) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−26.7 (−16.1) |
−35.6 (−32.1) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −54.5 | −51.3 | −49.7 | −32.6 | −16.3 | −6.9 | 0.0 | −2.6 | −13.9 | −36 | −47.1 | −55.7 | −55.7 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 11.0 (0.43) |
10.3 (0.41) |
16.6 (0.65) |
28.4 (1.12) |
57.2 (2.25) |
92.9 (3.66) |
39.9 (1.57) |
32.5 (1.28) |
32.1 (1.26) |
24.2 (0.95) |
15.9 (0.63) |
11.5 (0.45) |
372.5 (14.66) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.2 (0.01) |
0.4 (0.02) |
2.0 (0.08) |
19.2 (0.76) |
45.4 (1.79) |
96.6 (3.80) |
37.7 (1.48) |
32.7 (1.29) |
34.7 (1.37) |
12.6 (0.50) |
2.3 (0.09) |
0.5 (0.02) |
284.3 (11.21) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 13.3 (5.2) |
15.1 (5.9) |
18.0 (7.1) |
13.1 (5.2) |
5.1 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (0.5) |
1.3 (0.5) |
9.5 (3.7) |
16.4 (6.5) |
14.8 (5.8) |
107.9 (42.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.4 | 6.8 | 9.2 | 10.4 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.9 | 113.4 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.29 | 0.17 | 1.3 | 6.9 | 11.0 | 12.9 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 9.1 | 5.3 | 2.1 | 0.59 | 66.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.18 | 0.38 | 2.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 44.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 LST) | 59.9 | 53.9 | 49.7 | 40.4 | 40.5 | 44.5 | 39.2 | 36.6 | 39.9 | 44.4 | 56.9 | 57.3 | 46.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 110.2 | 147.0 | 186.1 | 233.4 | 277.0 | 290.3 | 322.1 | 297.5 | 228.5 | 189.7 | 119.1 | 106.5 | 2,507.3 |
| Percentage possible sunshine | 41.1 | 51.5 | 50.6 | 56.7 | 58.2 | 59.7 | 65.6 | 66.5 | 60.2 | 56.6 | 43.5 | 41.8 | 54.3 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[34][40][41][39][42][43][44] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 2,072 | — |
| 1906 | 2,313 | +11.6% |
| 1911 | 8,050 | +248.0% |
| 1916 | 9,436 | +17.2% |
| 1921 | 11,097 | +17.6% |
| 1926 | 10,735 | −3.3% |
| 1931 | 13,489 | +25.7% |
| 1936 | 13,523 | +0.3% |
| 1941 | 14,612 | +8.1% |
| 1946 | 16,522 | +13.1% |
| 1951 | 22,947 | +38.9% |
| 1956 | 29,462 | +28.4% |
| 1961 | 35,454 | +20.3% |
| 1966 | 37,186 | +4.9% |
| 1971 | 41,217 | +10.8% |
| 1976 | 46,752 | +13.4% |
| 1981 | 54,072 | +15.7% |
| 1986 | 58,841 | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 60,974 | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 63,053 | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 67,374 | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 74,637 | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 83,517 | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 92,729 | +11.0% |
| 2021 | 98,406 | +6.1% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55] [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67] | ||
In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Lethbridge had a population of 98,406 living in 40,225 of its 42,862 total private dwellings, a change of 6.1% from its 2016 population of 92,729. With a land area of 121.12 km2 (46.76 sq mi), it had a population density of 812.5/km2 (2,104.3/sq mi) in 2021.[6]
At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Lethbridge CMA had a population of 123,847 living in 48,647 of its 51,735 total private dwellings, a change of 5.5% from its 2016 population of 117,394. With a land area of 2,958.96 km2 (1,142.46 sq mi), it had a population density of 41.9/km2 (108.4/sq mi) in 2021.[9]
The population of the City of Lethbridge according to its 2019 municipal census was 101,482,[28] a change of 1.7% from its 2018 municipal census population of 99,769.[68] With the 2019 municipal census results, the City of Lethbridge became the fourth city in Alberta to surpass 100,000 people.
In its 2023 municipal census, the City of Lethbridge's population was found to have grown to 106,550, an increase of 4.99% from its 2019 municipal census population of 101,482.[10]
In the 2016 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Lethbridge had a population of 92,729 living in 37,575 of its 39,867 total private dwellings, a change of 11% from its 2011 population of 83,517. With a land area of 122.09 km2 (47.14 sq mi), it had a population density of 759.5/km2 (1,967.1/sq mi) in 2016.[67] The same census reported that the metropolitan area of Lethbridge was 117,394 in 2016, up from 105,999 in 2011.[69] Subsequent data from Statistics Canada showed that the 2020 metropolitan population was 128,851, an increase of 1.5% over the previous year.[70]
Religion
[edit]In 2021,[71] 49.8% of residents were Christians, down from 64.6% in 2011.[72] 16.1% of the population were Catholic, 12.9% were Protestant, and 11.3% were Christians of unspecified denomination. All other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions made up 9.6%, including a large population of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adherents (5.8%). 44.3% of the population was nonreligious or secular, up from 32.4% in 2011. 8.1% followed a religion (or spiritual belief) other than Christianity. The largest non-Christian religions were Islam (1.9%), Hinduism (1.3%), and Buddhism (1.1%).
Language
[edit]According to the 2021 census, 83.9% of residents spoke English as a first language. Other common mother tongues were Spanish (1.6%),Tagalog (1.4%), Nepali (1.0%), German (0.9%), French (0.8%), Chinese Languages (0.7%), Arabic (0.7%) and Dutch (0.6%). 1.7% of residents claimed both English and a non-official language as their first language.
Ethnicity
[edit].jpg)
The most common ethnicities in Lethbridge as per the 2021 census are English (22.9%), German (19.2%), Scottish (17.3%), Irish (13.6%), Canadian (13.4%), Dutch (7.3%), French (7.3%), Ukrainian (6.7%), Norwegian (4.7%), and Polish (3.7%).[74]
Lethbridge had 12.9% visible minorities and 7.1% Aboriginal in 2016. Below is a full break down of the demographics. The city is also the home of the largest Bhutanese community in Canada.[75]
| Panethnic group |
2021[76] | 2016[77] | 2011[78] | 2006[79] | 2001[80] | 1996[81] | 1991[82][83] | 1986[84][85][86]: 86 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||||
| European[a] | 74,245 | 77.12% | 73,505 | 81.24% | 70,630 | 86.78% | 65,000 | 88.42% | 60,150 | 90.77% | 55,520 | 89.27% | 52,760 | 87.65% | 52,945 | 91.18% | |||
| Indigenous | 6,395 | 6.64% | 5,290 | 5.85% | 3,770 | 4.63% | 3,455 | 4.7% | 2,290 | 3.46% | 1,810 | 2.91% | 2,980 | 4.95% | 1,710 | 2.94% | |||
| Southeast Asian[b] | 3,105 | 3.23% | 2,390 | 2.64% | 1,125 | 1.38% | 655 | 0.89% | 395 | 0.6% | 555 | 0.89% | 515 | 0.86% | 230 | 0.34% | |||
| African | 3,105 | 3.23% | 1,895 | 2.09% | 805 | 0.99% | 410 | 0.56% | 205 | 0.31% | 230 | 0.37% | 115 | 0.19% | 55 | 0.09% | |||
| East Asian[c] | 3,065 | 3.18% | 2,770 | 3.06% | 2,885 | 3.54% | 2,360 | 3.21% | 2,495 | 3.76% | 2,990 | 4.81% | 3,085 | 5.13% | 2,675 | 4.61% | |||
| South Asian | 2,990 | 3.11% | 2,055 | 2.27% | 920 | 1.13% | 575 | 0.78% | 265 | 0.4% | 235 | 0.38% | 290 | 0.48% | 70 | 0.11% | |||
| Latin American | 1,955 | 2.03% | 1,510 | 1.67% | 680 | 0.84% | 705 | 0.96% | 365 | 0.55% | 705 | 1.13% | 365 | 0.61% | 275 | 0.47% | |||
| Middle Eastern[d] | 740 | 0.77% | 720 | 0.8% | 235 | 0.29% | 230 | 0.31% | 40 | 0.06% | 55 | 0.09% | 85 | 0.14% | 105 | 0.18% | |||
| Other / Multiracial[e] | 665 | 0.69% | 350 | 0.39% | 335 | 0.41% | 130 | 0.18% | 65 | 0.1% | 85 | 0.14% | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | |||
| Total responses | 96,275 | 97.83% | 90,480 | 97.57% | 81,390 | 97.45% | 73,515 | 98.5% | 66,270 | 98.36% | 62,190 | 98.63% | 60,195 | 98.72% | 58,065 | 98.68% | |||
| Total population | 98,406 | 100% | 92,729 | 100% | 83,517 | 100% | 74,637 | 100% | 67,374 | 100% | 63,053 | 100% | 60,974 | 100% | 58,841 | 100% | |||
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | |||||||||||||||||||
Economy
[edit]
Lethbridge is southern Alberta's commercial, distribution, financial and industrial centre (although Medicine Hat plays a similar role in southeastern Alberta). It has a trading area population of 341,180, including parts of British Columbia,[35] and provides jobs for up to 86,000 people who commute to and within the city from a radius of 100 km (62 mi).[35]
Lethbridge's economy has traditionally been agriculture-based and is still home to many agri-food processors and the Lethbridge Research and Development Centre; however, it has diversified in recent years. Half of the workforce is employed in the health, education, retail and hospitality sectors,[87] and the top five employers are government-based.[88] Several national companies are based in Lethbridge. From its founding in 1935, Canadian Freightways based its head office there until moving operations to Calgary in 1948, though its call centre remains in Lethbridge.[89] Taco Time Canada was based in the city from 1978 to 1995 before moving to Calgary.[90] Minute Muffler, which began in 1969, is based in Lethbridge.[91] International shipping company H & R Transport has been based in the city since 1955.[92] Braman Furniture, which has locations in Manitoba and Ontario, was headquartered in Lethbridge from 1991 to 2008.[93]
Lethbridge serves as a hub for commercial activity in the region by providing services and amenities. There are many transport services in Lethbridge, including Red Arrow buses, four provincial highways, rail service and Lethbridge Airport, are concentrated in or near the city. In 2004, the police services of Lethbridge and Coaldale combined to form the Lethbridge Police Service.[94] Lethbridge provides municipal water to Coaldale, Coalhurst, Diamond City, Iron Springs, Monarch, Shaughnessy and