CITY
Excellence
Proud to inform the residents
of the City of Lethbridge
King
Hill
of the
Ray Waddle keeps
Brewery Garden
growing
The grass roots
of recycling
Ways to recycle your yard waste
West Lethbridge Centre: A facility for everyone
PAGE 2 • SUMMER 2010
Welcome to the first edition of City Excellence. The City
of Lethbridge is proud to provide you with information
about the programs and services we offer. With our strong
commitment to communicate, we are working hard to
make you proud to call Lethbridge home. The Mayor,
City Council, and City staff invite you to get to know more
about our facilities, services and people – everything that
makes our city a great place to live, work and play.
CITY
Excellence
Proud to inform the residents
of the City of Lethbridge
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
4
5
5
6
8
9
10
11
11
12
Summer activities to save you
from school-break-boredom
Park upgrades: See what’s
new in places to play
Capital improvements
help grow with the city
Ray Waddle’s green thumb
is his job and his passion
Behind the canals of the
wastewater treatment plant
Don’t dump your yard
waste, recycle it
West Lethbridge Centre
opens in the fall
Election time is upon us!
What you should know
Focus on BBQ safety
Last word
COVER: Ray Waddle has flowers on the
brain a lot since the weather has been
cooperating for a green Lethbridge.
See story on page 6
CITYExcellence • SUMMER 2010 • PAGE 3
Keep it safe
on the river
T
he City of Lethbridge has a
highly-trained water rescue
team of 20 people who respond
to water emergencies in the city and
the surrounding area. The members,
all from the city’s Fire and Emergency
Services, are skilled in swift water rescue
techniques, weir rescue, shore rescue,
boat rescue and even ice rescue.
But they’d be the first to tell you that
they’d much prefer never to receive a
call in the first place.
After the tragic death of a city man
last year, the City of Lethbridge is
strongly promoting safety on the Oldman River this summer. To that end,
signs have been posted at each of the
four boat launch areas on the river,
warning people about the dangers of
the weir and undertow, and reminding
people to always have a partner and
wear a life jacket.
With the increased popularity of
tubing on the river should come an
increased awareness of the dangers involved. People riding inner tubes should
remember that the same rules apply as
would apply to a raft or any other craft –
wear a lifejacket and don’t overload.
For more information on water
safety, visit www.lethbridge.ca
and look under Public Notices.
Detour ahead!
We all know the old joke - there
are only two seasons in Lethbridge,
winter and road construction.
But without the construction
season, important upgrades that
help keep drivers moving safely
would never get done. The city
wants you to know what’s coming
up in road work this summer so that
you can plan your driving accordingly. Watch for these projects in the
weeks to come:
• Major upgrades to 43rd
Street North, including
paving the gravel section
at the far north end and
upgrades to the intersection at 5th Avenue North.
• Work continuing on Scenic Drive at 4th Avenue
South to accommodate
fire and emergency vehicles at the new fire hall.
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• A new road at 20th Street
and 3rd Avenue North by
Kirk’s Tire.
• Intersection Improvements on University Drive
at MacLeod Drive and
Rocky Mountain Blvd. in
West Lethbridge.
PAGE 4 • SUMMER 2010 • CITYExcellence
WHO KNEW???
According to an urban forest inventory completed in
2009, Lethbridge has 18,500 park trees and 19,000
street trees!
A family takes a
walk around the new
rattlesnake feature in
Indian Battle Park.
Lethbridge activities beat the summer blues
They’re the two little words that every
parent dreads to hear from their children:
“I’m bored!”
Luckily, there’s enough to see and do in
Lethbridge this summer that even the most
stubborn kids will have to admit they’re
having fun.
“First of all, there are a ton of playgrounds, parks and pathways throughout
the city,” says Andrea Knecht, recreation
and culture co-ordinator. “The great thing
about them is that they’re all absolutely
free.”
So are the Gyro Spray Park behind
Nicholas Sheran Leisure Centre in West
Lethbridge and the water park feature at
Rotary Centennial Plaza in Galt Gardens.
Kids can spend the day getting soaked and
cooling down from the summer heat. If
that’s not wet enough for them, there are
three indoor and two outdoor pools for a
nominal fee.
For kids who are into the outdoors,
nature, ecology and wildlife, there are
plenty of programs at the Helen Schuler
Coulee Centre to keep them entertained
and engaged. Programs are available for
children of all ages. Find out more at www.
lethbridge.ca. Outdoor adventure camps
for older kids (13 – 17 years) are also available at the University of Lethbridge.
There’s also lots to see and do at the
Galt Museum and Archives, and the Nikka
Yuko Japanese Garden, throughout the
summer. Check out their websites, www.
galtmuseum.com and www.nikkayuko.
com to find out more.
If parents are looking for something
more organized, there are day programs
available through the Lethbridge YMCA
(www.lethbridgeymca.org) and the Boys
and Girls Club of Lethbridge (www.bgclethbridge.com).
If you’d rather have the summer fun
come to you, the Lethbridge YWCA hosts
the Neighbourhood Play Program at six
different day sites throughout the city. It’s
a free service that runs from 9 a.m. – noon
and 1 – 3:30 p.m. offering supervised play
and learn activities for kids 6 – 12 years
old. Registration is not required. For a
schedule of times and locations, go to
www.ywcalethbridge.org/neighbour-playprogram.
You say your child’s more of an artist than a naturalist? The U of L features
Drama and Art summer camps in July
and August that will help children explore
their talents and encourage them to grow
their creativity. To find out more, call the
U of L at 403-329-2227, or register at 403329-2706. New West Theatre, Lethbridge’s
professional theatre troupe, also holds a
series of summer theatre camps for kids to
hone their acting skills.
Sports camps abound throughout the
city in the summer, covering everything
from hockey to soccer to climbing to
dance and more.
“Just look in the Leisure Guide and
you’ll find something that your kids will
enjoy,” says Knecht. “There are a lot of
great activities in the city that can keep
your kids entertained.”
Leisure Guides are available free of charge at City Hall
or download at www.lethbridge.ca
CITYExcellence • SUMMER 2010 • PAGE 5
For more info or to view
designs, visit www.lethbridge.ca
and look under Public Notices.
Park
upgrades
When it came time to design a
brand new park for North Lethbridge,
the city knew just who to consult about
the project: the citizens of Lethbridge.
That’s right, the Regional Park,
included in the city’s recent Capital
Improvement Program, was designed
partly based on input from the public,
says Dave Ellis, city parks manager.
“We had a lot of public involvement,” he says. “We used Facebook, we
had an online survey, we had meetings
with the designers so that the public
could have a say. There was a great response; I think people really took some
ownership in the project.”
Some of the suggestions that may
become part of the park are a toboggan
hill, a pond, a community centre, an
amphitheatre and a skate park.
The city is also developing a new
residential neighbourhood around the
park, which Ellis says is unique. The
two will go hand-in-hand to create a
true urban recreational area.
“This will really be a park for the
people.”
The city will also be upgrading a
number of green projects throughout
the city over the spring and summer.
But first, a set of unique new features
were unveiled in June at the Indian
Battle Park playground.
There are new swingsets, a miniature
climbing wall, a giant rattlesnake (with
working rattle!), a replica beaver lodege, a “spiderweb” pathway and more.
“We tried to build everything to
fit into the natural environment,” says
Ellis. “It also works as an outdoor
classroom for the Helen Schuler Coulee
Centre.”
Five city playgrounds will also be
replaced with new equipment during
the season, new pathways will be laid
throughout the city and University
Drive south will receive some new
landscaping.
Corey Wight, City Treasurer, has a great view from his City Hall office. But the view of
the city will likely change in the coming years, thanks to the Capital Improvement Plan.
A capital idea
L
ethbridge residents don’t have a
crystal ball but are still able to see
into the future – at least when it
comes to big improvements for the City of
Lethbridge.
The Capital Improvement Program
(CIP), approved by City Council sitting as
Finance Committee last month, maps out
the city’s plan for large projects that will
improve the quality of life in Lethbridge in
the years to come. The program is updated
every three years; the current one covers
the span between 2011 and 2020.
“There’s an awful lot of planning that
goes into the CIP before it reaches the
stage where council votes on it,” says Corey
Wight, city treasurer. “There are a lot of
master plans that go out to the community.
“We find out what the desires of the
community are and then we compare that
with what we’re realistically able to do.”
Some projects outlined in the CIP are:
• The Community Arts Centre
• The Twin Ice Arena
• Smart Cards for City Transit
• Helen Schuler Nature Centre expansion and renovation
• Transit Facility expansion
• A new cemetery site near Pavan Park
• Expansion of police headquarters
• Exhibition Park upgrades
Wight points out that there’s never
enough funding for every project listed in
the CIP; instead, the point is to use the plan
as a guide to what residents and city officials believe to be the top priorities for the
City of Lethbridge in the coming years.
“Some of the projects are required to
sustain the level of service that is already
in place,” he says. “Others will enhance
services or address growth that’s expected
in the city.”
In May, residents got a chance to look
over some of the proposed improvements
in the CIP at open houses in the City Hall
atrium, and the plan is also available for
viewing online at www.lethbridge.ca. Each
proposed project is explained in detail, and
the entire document is also available as a
printable PDF download.
Planning for the CIP is ongoing within
city departments, says Wight. The CIP is
collected every three years, so the departments come together at that time to share
their priorities and come up with a master
list that’s then presented to city council.
The process of voting on the CIP is like
coming full-circle for council members.
Just as they vote on an operating budget at
the beginning of their three-year term, they
vote on the CIP just a few months before
the next election.
PAGE 6 • SUMMER 2010 • CITYExcellence
WHO KNEW?
Two-thirds of the annual flowers
planted by the City of Lethbridge
every year go to the Brewery Garden
and Galt Gardens flowerbeds.
King
If you’ve ever seen
o
th
a particularly dazzling display of colourful plants and flowers
in one of the city’s many parks, or maybe at City Hall or the
Brewery Gardens, chances are
you’re admiring the handiwork of
W
addle, who’s in charge of flowers throughout the entire city,
and his crew have been out
planting the displays around town that
make Lethbridge such a scenic summertime city. They’ll put literally thousands
of bedding out plants in the ground in a
season.
But before you start envying them too
much, consider this: Waddle and his crew
may get to plant thousands of flowers, but
they also have to mow the entire Brewery
Gardens hill, where some of the grades are
as steep as 50 per cent.
“Thank goodness we only have to
mow it once a week,” Waddle says with a
chuckle. “It takes a crew of five people four
hours to do it. It’s quite a workout.”
Ray Waddle.
For Waddle, his career is also his passion. He’s been working on the Brewery
Garden for 19 years, starting just a week
after he graduated from the Olds College
horticulture program.
“I get to be outside every day doing
what most gardeners can only do on the
weekend,” he says. “What’s not to love?”
Heavy rains forced a late start to this
season for Waddle and crew – what would
normally have begun just after the May
long weekend was pushed back to the first
week of June.
But the planning stage began months
ago, with Waddle poring over plant catalogues to choose just the right look for the
hill. He has to keep in mind people want to
see colour throughout spring, summer and
fall, and he’s always on the lookout for something new and interesting.
“For a lot of people, the Brewery
Garden is the first thing they see when
they come into the city. I really want it to
make a great first impression. And then
there are the gardening people in the city
– I’m always trying to find something that
people will like. It’s a lot of work to get that
right variety of colour and still be new and
unique.”
This year, he’s trying out a variety of
ornamental corn, plus ornamental peppers
that bloom in red, yellow and orange, and
even a type of black peppers. The trend has
also moved from pastels a few years ago to
bright, vibrant colours today.
After 19 years, Waddle says he knows
what people like, and he even fancies himself a bit of a trendsetter.
“I introduced red canna lilies a few
years ago and everyone loved them, and
now you see them all over the place. In
fact, if I don’t put them in Adams (Ice
Centre Park), I get phone calls.”
See WADDLE on page 11
Ray Waddle has been taking care of the
Brewery Gardens for the past 19 years.
He has more bedding out plants than
many local garden centres.
Hill
CITYExcellence • SUMMER 2010 • PAGE 7
of
he
Waddle shows some ornamental grasses his crew planted this year.
Where’s the Brewery?
Someone new to Lethbridge might wonder why there’s a Brewery Garden in a
city where there’s no brewery! Long-time residents remember the Sicks’ Lethbridge
Brewery that used to occupy the place where the AMA building and Rio Vista
condominiums stand today.
Believe it or not, in the first half of the 20th century, the area that’s now the hill
used to be the brewery’s dump – not a pretty sight, especially considering it was
next to the main road into Lethbridge from the west. The city decided enough was
enough and approached Sick’s
to do something about it. The
Courtesy of the Galt Museum and Archives
brewery trucked in thousands
of tons of earth, concrete, trees
and plants, and the Brewery
Garden was born in 1950.
The brewery was solely
responsible for the garden until
1990, when the city became a
partner. In 1996, the city took
over ownership of the hill and
has maintained it ever since.
PAGE 8 • SUMMER 2010 • CITYExcellence
After the flush...
W
hen it comes to wastewater, out of sight is usually out of
mind. Most people don’t think much beyond the flush of
the toilet or the unplugging of the kitchen sink.
But if you take a closer look at the City of Lethbridge’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, you may just find yourself fascinated by – and
proud of – the process that eventually sends the water back into the
Old Man River.
“I think most people would be pretty impressed if they saw what
was going on down here,” says Duane Guzzi, process co-ordinator for
the plant. “It’s way more than just treating the water.”
Way more, indeed. Thanks to a series of upgrades that began in
1998, the plant has become an award-winning Biological Nutrient
Reduction (BNR) plant that saves enormous amounts of energy
while leaving the water cleaner than most other plants of its type.
How? The process is pretty technical but it can be summed up
fairly simply: Instead of just separating the unwanted stuff from the
water, the plant puts up to 100,000 kilograms of bacteria -- and some
high technology -- to work so that there’s as little solid waste left over
as possible.
First, all large solids are removed and dropped into a bin. The
water then moves to the next stage, which removes smaller particles,
and then to a pool where bacteria and oxygen are added. This, plus
ultraviolet exposure, helps kill phosphorous, ammonia and fecal
coliform bacteria, none of which are treated in conventional plants.
By the time the water is returned to the river, it’s as clean or cleaner
than it was when it entered the system on the other end.
“It’s all about trying to have as little environmental impact as possible,” says Guzzi. “It’s a green approach that sets us apart (from other
facilities).”
See WASTEWATER on page 11
Duane Guzzi, below, describes the middle of the treatment process,
where different bacteria are introduced into the effluent, while
waste water, right, begins its journey through the treatment plant.
CITYExcellence • SUMMER 2010 • PAGE 9
The grass roots
of recycling
Frank Uren drops off a truckload of branches at the Lethbridge Yard Waste Recycling Site.
S
o you’ve pulled all your weeds,
mowed your lawn, trimmed the
shrubs and trees and generally beautified your yard for all your neighbours to
see.
Unfortunately, now your driveway is
full of branches, leaves, grass clippings
and other junk that’s really cramping your
style. You want it gone, but you want to be
green, too. What do you do?
A quick trip to the City of Lethbridge
Yard Waste Recycling Site will take care
of both sides of the equation – you get a
nice clean driveway, and you can recycle
all your garden waste at the same time, and
best of all, it’s free.
“We can take grass, leaves, branches,
any of the garden waste you used to get
rid of at the dump,” says Andrea Vaxvick,
waste and recycling co-ordinator. “We
even have attendants to help you take the
stuff out (of your vehicle). It’s really easy.”
The recycling site, located just east of
Lethbridge Basement on 3rd Avenue and
7th Street North, is open seven days a week
and the central location has proven popu-
lar among residents, says Vaxvick. But
people do need to realize that not everything can be recycled –sod, dirt and rocks
need to be taken to the Lethbridge Waste
and Recycling Centre, formerly known as
the Regional Landfill.
“We have had people try to dump their
household waste at the same time,” she
says. “You have to make sure you’ve separated everything.”
There are other benefits to recycling
waste than just cleaning up your yard.
Branches and other debris is turned into
mulch residents can pick up and take
home for their own use. The mulch is free
for the taking near the parking area at
Peenaquim Park.
For those who’d rather recycle at home,
the city offers composting bins year-round
for just $48. That price includes free delivery – just call 403-315-1497. The cost can
be added to your next utility bill, or you
can pay at the fourth floor of City Hall.
“The composters are very, very popular,” says Vaxvick. “We try to make it as
convenient as possible to go green. They
keep a lot of yard waste out of the landfill
and they keep people’s yards healthier with
fewer pesticides and less water needed.”
Of course, there are always those big
items that you just can’t recycle. For that,
you need the city’s Large Item Service,
where residents can schedule two free
pickups per year by calling 403-320-3934.
Pickups must be a minimum of three
months apart.
“Having large items picked up sure
beats having them sit in an alley,” says
Vaxvick.
For do-it-yourselfers, the Waste and
Recycling Centre has free disposal up to
250 kilograms every Saturday.
For more information, call the Waste and Recycling Hotline at 403-329-7367.
The Lethbridge Yard Waste Recycling Site is located on
3rd Avenue and 7th Street North.
PAGE 10 • SUMMER 2010 •CITYExcellence
Centre of attention
in West Lethbridge
West Lethbridge Centre, boasting many facilities, will be full of activity starting in the fall.
I
t’s been the edge of the city for a long
time, but the west end of Whoop-Up
Drive is poised to become a centre of
activity starting this fall.
When it’s finished, West Lethbridge
Centre will be home to two high schools, a
satellite library, new sports fields, a twin ice
arena and, hopefully, a bunch of new businesses, says Jason Freund, Recreation and
Culture Program Manager.
“It’s going to be right in the centre of
the action when everything is up and
running,” he says. “The idea is to create a
full-service area, not just for the West Side
but for the rest of the city as well.”
Construction is almost complete on the
anchor of West Lethbridge Centre, a building that houses Chinook High School,
the west campus of Catholic Central High
School, and a new satellite location of the
Lethbridge Public Library. The schools will
open their doors to students at the beginning of the next school year, while the
library is tentatively set to open in August.
Freund says the project was several
years in the planning stage, and there was a
lot of co-operation involved.
“There was already a need for all those
facilities in West Lethbridge, so it just
made sense to have them all in one place.
This is the truest sense of a partnership.”
The new schools also have the added
benefit of reducing population stress at
Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and Catholic Central High School on the south side
of town. LCI alone is poised to lose more
than 500 students to Chinook High School
in the first year.
“The schools will help take some huge
pressure off,” says Freund.
The schools and library have been
visible from Whoop-Up Drive for several
months now, but what many people may
have missed is the expansive new Crossings Park that’s been created behind the
building. It already houses more than 50
acres of soccer pitches, baseball diamonds,
eight tennis courts, five kilometers of walking track and more.
“I don’t think most people have any idea
what’s back there,” says Freund. “This is
actually a city park, not a school field. It’s
going to be for everyone.”
That includes visiting sports teams.
Once it’s complete, with the twin ice arena
slated for 2012, the area will be a hub of
sports activities. Freund says the idea is to
make it a central point for sports tournaments.
“It’s a new jewel in the city’s crown.”
The city is also hoping to attract new
services to the centre, says Freund. Some
of the possible businesses that would be
welcome are restaurants, retail outlets and
anything that would draw people to spend
time and money.
“The zoning is fairly open at this point,”
he says. “The centre is going to act as an
anchor, and I think the city would like to
see a new drawing card on the West Side.”
CITYExcellence • SUMMER 2010 • PAGE 11
Focus on BBQ safety!
It’s spring and we’ve got some tips before you fire
up the BBQ!
B
B
Interested in
local government? Q
Be sure your BBQ is outside on level ground
and one meter from the house or any
combustible.
Begin the season by checking for rust in burners. Also check hoses for cracks and
tightness!
reQualify or replace your tank every 10 years.
When City residents head to the polls on Oct. 18th, Dianne
Nemeth, Returning Officer, hopes to see a large number of candidates running for Mayor, Aldermen and School Trustees and
hopes to see increased voter turnout.
If you’d like to run for City Council, you will need to be:
• a resident of Lethbridge for six months immediately preceding Nomination Day
• over the age of 18
• Canadian citizen
Candidate packages are available at the City Clerk’s office, 2nd
Floor and on the City’s website (www.lethbridge.ca).
The official candidate list will be set on Nomination Day when
all candidates must file their completed nomination papers:
Date: Monday, September 20, 2010
Time: 10:00 am to noon
Location: Office of the City Clerk, 2nd Floor,
City Hall, 910 – 4 Avenue South
Waddle sets the scene
From page 6
Of course, there’s more to the Brewery Garden than just
the flowers, trees and shrubs. Over the years, people have
come to expect grand displays, and this year is no different. The theme is the 100th anniversary of the second Galt
Hospital (now the Galt Museum & Archives), and the hill
will pay tribute to town founders, the coal and agriculture
industries and the history of the High Level Bridge.
All of Waddle’s planning experience doesn’t go to waste
during the winter months. When the growing season is
done, he moves to the city’s parks maintenance department, where he does snow removal and works on the
graffiti crew. He’s also in charge of outdoor events co-ordination in the parks.
“It definitely keeps me busy year-round,” he says. “And
that’s the way I like it.”
WHO KNEW???
New Residential Fall Leaf collection program,
introduced in September 2009, diverted 125
tonnes of residential leaves from the landfill.
Wastewater, gone
but not forgotten
From page 8
But the process doesn’t stop there. All leftover sludge
is then sent to the “digester,” a special facility that uses
bacteria to transform sludge into methane, which is then
burned to generate electricity. How much? Up to 1.5
Megawatts - enough to run the plant and then some. The
plant even scrubs the hydrogen sulfide out of the methane
so that it burns as cleanly as possible.
Guzzi points out the cogeneration system was designed
and built by the city, and the people who built it take a
role in manning it, as well.
The technology has made the plant more efficient, and
it’s made us more efficient at running it,” he says.
The Lethbridge plant is definitely ahead of the curve
– very few cities our size have the BNR technology, and
many larger cities are still hauling huge amounts of sludge
to the dump day in and day out. But Guzzi says federal
regulations are already in the works to make the level
of treatment at the Lethbridge plant the standard for all
municipalities.
“I think it’s something for the city to be very proud
of,” he says. “There aren’t many cities that can say they’re
doing what we do.”
So what does the future hold for the plant that’s already
ahead of so many others? More of the same, says Guzzi.
“We’ll just keep building on what we have here, just
taking what we’ve got and making it even better.”
PAGE 12 • SUMMER 2010 •CITYExcellence
LAST WORD
In 2009 over 250 bags of garbage
were removed from coulee areas
throughout the city.
Photo by Cam Woo who works in Financial Services at the City of Lethbridge.
This photo was taken at Henderson Lake one morning last year.