Lethbridge, Alberta

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Template:Redirect {{Alberta_municipality_infobox |native_name= Lethbridge |official_name= City of Lethbridge |image_flag= letflag.png |flag_caption= Flag of Lethbridge |image_logo= Lethbridge-coat.PNG |logo_caption= Coat of Arms of Lethbridge |image_map= Lethbridge, Alberta Location.png |year= 1906 |area_total= 127.19 |population_total= 77,202 (2005) |population_rank= 48th |population_density= 607.0 |location= Template:Coor dms |altitude= 900 |province_name= Alberta |census_division= 2 |mp_names= Rick Casson |mla_names= Bridget Pastoor, Clint Dunford |mayor_name= Robert D. Tarleck (Past mayors) |manager_name= Bryan Horrocks |governing_body= Lethbridge City Council |time_zone= Mountain (UTC-7) |postal_code= T1H to T1K |area_code= 403 |footnotes=Official website: City of Lethbridge }} Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is Alberta's fourth largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer, but at 127.19 square kilometres it is the third largest in area after Calgary and Edmonton. It is located near the Canadian Rockies and is 210 km (130 miles) southeast of Calgary on the Oldman River.

Contents

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History

Image:William lethbridge.jpg The city developed from drift mines opened by Nicholas Sheran (1874) and the North Western Coal and Navigation Company (1882), whose president was William Lethbridge.

Before settlement, the area where Lethbridge is located was known as The Arid Region. When geological surveys around 1880 revealed an abundance of coal, it was called The Belly River Coal District. After the Galts introduced irrigation to counter the Arid Region image around 1900, the locality was called the Irrigated District. Finally, as an aid to land sales after the rush of dryland settlement started about 1905, the non-irrigable portion was called The Winter Wheat Lands.

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Whiskey trade

After the US Army outlawed alcohol trading in 1869 with the Blood nation in Montana, traders John J. Healy and Alfred B. Hamilton started the whiskey trading post Fort Hamilton near the junction of the St. Mary and Oldman rivers. After some Blood people burned it down, they rebuilt it and named it Fort Whoop-up. The whiskey traded at this post was often not much more than alcohol, river water, chewing tobacco and lye.

The whiskey trade eventually lead to the massacre of many Assiniboines in the Cypress Hills area by some Americans in 1873. As a result, the North West Mounted Police (now the RCMP) were sent to the area to stop the trade and establish order. The NWMP arrived at Fort Whoop-Up on 9 October 1874.

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Rail

The first rail line was built in Lethbridge, being completed 28 August 1885 by the Alberta Railway and Coal Company. The line expanded for 595 kilometres beyond Lethbridge and was instrumental in feeding the main CPR lines when CPR bought them from ARCC in 1912. Because of the rail industry's dependence of coal and the CPR's immigration efforts to settle southern Alberta, Lethbridge became instrumental in the economic success of the region. In the mid-1980s, the rail yards in downtown Lethbridge were moved to nearby Kipp and Lethbridge ceased operating as a hub for rail traffic in the province.

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Names

Previous to its current name, the Lethbridge area had been known by other names.

  • Blackfoot
    • Aksaysim, also transliterated as Aksiiksahko or Steep Banks
    • Mek-kio-towaghs, also Miiksskoowa, variously translated as Painted Rock, Red Painted Rock, or Medicine Stone
    • Assini-etomochi, also Asinaawaiitomottsaawa, or Where We Slaughtered the Crees
    • Sik-ooh-kotok, Black/Rocks or Coal
  • Sarcee
    • Chadish-kashi, Black/Rocks
  • Cree
    • Kuskusukisay-guni, Black/Rocks
  • Stony
    • Ipubin-saba-akabin, or Digging Coal
  • English
    • Coalbanks
    • Sherans, or Sheran's Ferry
    • The Crossing
    • The Colliery
    • Newlethbridge
    • Lethbridge Colliery
    • Upper and Lower Town
    • Coalhurst

Since October 15, 1885, the name Lethbridge has been the official term; although the name Lethbridge was in common, if unofficial, use for the river bottom community at least as early as May 1884.

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Neighbourhoods

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Lethbridge is split into three geographical areas: north, south and west. West Lethbridge is separated from the other two by the Oldman River. North and South Lethbridge are separated by the Crowsnest Highway and the CPR rail line.

The newest of the three neighbourhoods, West Lethbridge (pop. 26,407) is home to the University of Lethbridge. The bulk of the city's growth since the early 1990s has been on the west side. It also has the youngest population of the three.

The north side (pop. 22,911) was originally populated as a result of numerous coal mines in the area. It has the oldest population of the three neighbourhoods and is home to multiple industrial parks.

South Lethbridge (pop. 27,884) is the commercial heart of the city. It contains the downtown core, as well as the bulk of retail and hospitality establishments. Lethbridge Community College is also located here.

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Climate

Lethbridge has a moderate continental climate with an average maximum temperature of 12.3 °C (54.14 °F). With roughly 2400 hours of sunshine per year, Lethbridge is one of the sunniest cities in Canada. Average precipitation amounts to 386.3 mm.

Lethbridge winters have the highest temperatures in the prairies. Its relatively mild winters are a result of several geographical factors:

  • Close proximity to the Rocky Mountains protects it from strong northwest and southwest winds, often associated with blizzard conditions.
  • High elevation (928.70 m)
  • Frequent chinooks

The summers in Lethbridge are relatively cooler than most other locations in the prairies, also a result of its higher elevation.

Month Record Low Average Low Average Temp Average High Record High Average Rain Average Snow
January-42.8 (Jan 3, 1950)-13.8-7.8-1.816.7 (Jan 19, 1944)0.1 mm21.9 cm
February-42.2 (Feb 9, 1939)-10.7-4.61.521.8 (Feb 27, 1992)0.4 mm13.5 cm
March-38.0 (Mar 8, 2002)-6.5-0.26.026.8 (Mar 30, 2004)1.4 mm25.5 cm
April-25.6 (Apr 11, 1940)-0.96.012.931.1 (Apr 28, 1939)16.1 mm16.3 cm
May-11.7 (May 1, 1954)-4.211.318.234.2 (May 30, 1986)49.4 mm4.0 cm
June-1.7 (Jun 1, 1951)8.615.522.338.3 (Jun 23, 1941)63.0 mm0.0 cm
July0.9 (Jul 16, 1999)10.518.025.539.4 (Jul 10, 1973)47.5 mm0.0 cm
August-1.0 (Aug 25, 1992)10.017.725.438.9 (Aug 3, 2001)45.1 mm0.8 cm
September-9.4 (Sep 25, 1972)5.112.620.136.7 (Sep 3, 1950)37.6 mm2.1 cm
October-26.7 (Oct 31, 1984)0.07.014.031.7 (Oct 4, 1943)8.8 mm10.4 cm
November-34.7 (Nov 21, 1996)-7.2-1.54.322.8 (Nov 6, 1949)1.2 mm17.3 cm
December-42.8 (Dec 29, 1968)-12.0-6.2-0.219.6 (Dec 30, 1984)0.5 mm18.8 cm
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Weather Records

Type Record Date
Hottest temperature 39.4 °C (103 °F) July 10, 1973
Coldest temperature -42.8 °C (-45 °F) January 3, 1950
Hottest humidex 40.9 °C (106 °F) July 11, 2002
Coldest windchill -55.7 °C (-68 °F) December 28, 1968
Most rain in one day 85.4 mm (3.36 in) May 23, 1980
Most snow in one day 55.1 cm (21.7 in) September 21, 1968
Deepest snow cover 86.0 cm (34 in) April 30, 1967
Highest sustained wind 121 km/h (75 mph) November 19, 1962
Highest wind gust 171 km/h (106 mph) November 19, 1962
Highest solar radiation 17.4 RF4 July 14, 1975
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Culture & Demographics

The city's population grew at an average of 2.2% a year between 2002 and 2005.

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Racial & Ethnic Diversity

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Religion

The most commonly observed faith in Lethbridge is Christianity. According to the 2001 federal census, there were 50,245 residents who indicated they were Christian. Of these, 62.6% were Protestant, 30.4% were Catholic, 0.6% were Christian Orthodox, and 6.3% were unspecified. The remainder of those who professed religious affiliation amounted to roughly 2%.

While Statistics Canada does not include numbers of Mormons separately in their census reports, it is estimated that there are nearly 10,000 adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lethbridge. At between nine and ten percent of the city's population, this is significantly higher than the national average of 0.5%.

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Economy

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Industry sectors

According to the 2001 federal census, Lethbridge industry sectors make up the following shares of the economy:

  • Health and education services: 21%
  • Wholesale and retail trade: 17%
  • Leisure, hospitality and food services: 13%
  • Primary and construction: 10%
  • Manufacturing: 10%
  • Professional and business services: 10%
  • Public administration: 5%
  • Transportation and warehousing: 5%
  • Finance and insurance: 3%
  • Other: 6%
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Top ten employers

In 2005, the top ten employers in Lethbridge were as follows:

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Major attractions

Image:Lethbridge Viaduct.gif The Lethbridge Viaduct or High Level Bridge (common) is the longest railway bridge of its kind in the world. Construction was completed in 1909 on what was then the western edge of the city.

Indian Battle Park, located in the coulees of the Oldman River, commemorates the last battle between the Cree and the Blackfoot First Nations in 1870. A formal peace treaty between the two nations was reached in 1871. In 2005, a city council bid to rename the park Valley Of Peace (to remove negative referents to First Nations) was rejected.

Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens, located in south Lethbridge, was opened in 1967 in celebration for the Canadian centennial. It was a royal event with Japan’s Prince and Princess Takamatsu leading a list of special guests.

Fort Whoop-Up, was also known as Fort Hamilton; during the late 1800s it served as a centre for various illegal activities. Fort Whoop-Up was first built in 1869 by J.J. Healy and A.B. Hamilton with the purpose of being a whiskey post. Its first structure was destroyed by fire within a year of its construction — whether this was an accident or deliberate arson is unknown. A second, more sturdy structure later replaced Fort Whoop-Up. [1]

Sir Alexander Galt Museum, is the local culture and arts museum in the Lethbridge area. It once served as the main hospital in the Lethbridge area during the late 1800's and early 1900's. The attractions include many local archives and local exhibits, such as the coal mining days and the Oldman River valley artifacts. It is currently undergoing major construction for future accommodation for this fast and growing city of Lethbridge. [2]

Paradise Canyon Golf Resort, located in the extreme southwest part of the city, this world class golf course and resort has all the major amenities a large city course would have. The eighteen hole course lies alongside of the Oldman river. This extreme location of the course is often prone to damage from spring floods from the water runoff of the nearby rocky mountains.[3]

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Skyline

There are several prominent structure on Lethbridge's skyline, some of which are unique to the city. Probably the most familiar (and definitely the oldest) landmark is the High Level Bridge. Nearly 100 years old, it is often displayed on tourist postcards and official city publications.

Another prominent landmark is the post office. While not as widely recognized as the High Level Bridge, it is one of the most unique buildings in Lethbridge, especially when compared to other buildings in southern Alberta. The four-storey building was built at the turn of the 20th century and is crowned by a functioning clock tower.

The remainder of prominent buildings in Lethbridge's downtown skyline consist of office towers such as the following:

In addition, some other prominent landmarks outside of downtown are the water tower, which was originally built in 1958 and sold to a private developer who converted into a restaurant, and the Alberta Terminals grain elevators.

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Education

Lethbridge is home to the University of Lethbridge, founded in 1967, and Lethbridge Community College, founded in 1957, the first public college in the country.

The post secondary student population in the city is approximately 15,000 at both the University of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Community College, which is roughly 20% of the city's population.

Grades Kindergarten to 12 are administered in Lethbridge by the public Lethbridge School District and the Catholic Holy Spirit Division.

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Sports and recreation

Image:Enmax2.jpg Lethbridge's multipurpose arena, the Enmax Centre (formerly known as the Sportsplex) was built for the 1975 Canada Winter Games. The 6,500-seat facility has hosted concerts, three-ring circuses, multicultural events, national curling championships, basketball events, banquets, skating events and the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a major WHL franchise. Some of the features of the arena are a running track, racquetball and squash courts, a full-size ice rink, and a large indoor climbing wall. There is also an outdoor sports field with capacity for 2,000 people adjacent to the centre.

In 1997, the 58,000 square foot Lethbridge Soccer Centre was built directly south of the Enmax Centre and added two regulation size indoor soccer pitches to the complex.

Lethbridge is 150 km east of the Castle Mountain ski resort. It is also home to three golf courses (including the award-winning Paradise Canyon Golf Resort) and within 30 km of several others.

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Current Amateur teams

Image:Hurricanes.jpg

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Transportation

Mass transit in Lethbridge consists of over 20 buses that cover most of the city on over a dozen routes. Traditionally, all bus routes in the city started and ended downtown. In recent years, however, cross-town and shuttle routes have been introduced.

The Parks and Recreation department maintains the city-wide pedestrian/cyclist Coal Banks Trail system (map) that is over 30 kilometers in length. The system was designed to connect the Oldman River valley with other areas of the city, including Pavan Park in the north, Henderson Lake in the east, highways 4 and 5 in the south and a loop in West Lethbridge (that includes University Drive and McMaster Blvd).

Four provincial highways (3, 4, 5, and 25) run through or terminate in Lethbridge. This has led to the creation of major arterial roads (including Mayor Magrath Drive, University Drive and Scenic Drive). This, and the fact that Lethbridge is located on the CANAMEX Corridor, has led to Lethbridge being a major shipping destination, with many shipping lines having depots located in the city.

Lethbridge is a short drive north from the United States border via highways 4 and 5; and a two hour drive (210 km) south of Calgary, Alberta via highways 2 and 3. Highways 2, 3 and 4 form part of the CANAMEX trade route between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

In addition to having significant road service, Lethbridge is very close to the Lethbridge County Airport and the CPR rail yards in Kipp. The rail yards were moved to Kipp, just west of the city, from downtown Lethbridge in 1983 to make way for commercial expansion. The county airport provides commercial flights to major Canadian cities (such as Calgary and Edmonton) and at the end of 2006 to Mexico, as well as private and charter flights to various other destinations. The airport also provides customs services for any flights coming in from the United States.

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Geography

Lethbridge is located at degrees 49.7 degrees North latitude and -112.833 degrees East longitude. The following are satellite communities of Lethbridge:

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Noteworthy

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Sister cities

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Police Services

  • Lethbridge Regional Police Service
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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Local media

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Newspapers

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Radio Stations

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Television Stations

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See also

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External links

North: Diamond City
West: Coalhurst
Lethbridge East: Coaldale
South: Welling Southeast: Stirling

Template:Albertade:Lethbridge fr:Lethbridge pl:Lethbridge pt:Lethbridge

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