Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in southern Alberta. It is a commercial hub for the many smaller farming and ranching communities in the surrounding area. It is quiet and on the small side, but has a friendly population. Lethbridge has about 102,000 people in its metro area (2016), and that number is growing fast. The natural beauty of the area is in its starkness. The "coulees" are a valley formed by erosion. The Oldman River runs through this interesting landscape. This valley provides some shelter from the wind, which can be quite strong at almost any time of the year.

Understand
Before European settlement of Lethbridge the area was under the control of various Indigenous nations, including most recently the Kainai Nation (called the "Blood Tribe" in older writing) part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. In the late 19th century the main food source and spiritual icon of the Blackfoot peoples, the bison (buffalo), were being wiped out by White American hunters. The Blackfoot turned the Canadian government for help and a signed treaty in 1875 that relinquished control of Southern Alberta in exchange for food rations, medicines, and help to learn farming and ranching. These promises were never fully met by the government, but the Blackfoot were no longer in a position to resist, and the government meanwhile invited thousands of non-indigenous people into the region with the promise of free land and a subsidized railway connection to Eastern Canada. But before the Canadian government could established full control over the area, a booming whiskey trade took root, with Americans illegally importing "whiskey" (poisonous and impure moonshine) to sell to the Blackfoot. One of their main bases was "Fort Whoop-Up" in present-day Lethbridge. The Canadian government created the Mounted Police and famously marched them west in 1878, supposedly to stop the whiskey trade, but also to keep an eye on the Blackfoot.

Soon after this a major coal mining operation started to develop in the coulee regions of Coalbanks. Coalbanks was renamed Lethbridge in 1885. Lethbridge received city status in 1906. During World War II, many Japanese Canadians and German POWs were interned in Lethbridge. After the war many stayed having established a new life. As a result, you'll see some influences of Japanese and German culture blended with the surrounding Ukrainian, Dutch, Mormon, Native and Hutterite cultures.

Today Lethbridge is undergoing a strong economic boom and as a result many new businesses are cropping up. There is also a large population boom but many businesses are still looking for people to work because there are still so few people to work.



By car
Highway 3 (the Crowsnest Highway) runs from Medicine Hat to British Columbia border and is the major east-west highway; it's known as Crowsnest Trail and goes through the heart of Lethbridge. Traffic originating from Calgary can follow Highway 2 south to Fort Macleod, then follow Highway 3 and approach Lethbridge from the west.

Traffic coming from the United States (Montana) can use Highway 4, which connects to Interstate 15 at Coutts and is the only 24-hour land border crossing in Alberta. Alternatively, Highway 5 provides connections to other border crossings. Both Highways 4 and 5 converge in southern Lethbridge near the visitor information center (Mayor Magrath Drive & Scenic Drive).

Airport
The only international flights planned are seasonal flights to/from Tucson, Arizona, by Flair Airlines during the winter 2022/23.

Airlines

 * Operates filghts between Calgary and Lethbridge (50 minutes).

By car
A car is probably the easiest way to get around Lethbridge. Every major attraction is easily reachable by car. Car rentals: Watch out for yellow signs that say "30km/hour 7:30-10:30 School Days", you will get dinged by photo-radar in school zones even during the summer holidays.

On foot or bike
You can walk or bike around in some stretches of the city, but trying to walk or bike from south Lethbridge to west Lethbridge is a daunting task as you will have to walk Whoop-Up Drive, which translates walking or biking down a hill, into the coulees and then walkingor biking up a steep hill. However parts of Lethbridge are tailor-made for walking or biking around to explore, such as downtown Lethbridge and the actual coulees themselves. The parks around Henderson Lake and Nicholas Sheran Lake provide pleasant spaces for recreation.

Do
Lethbridge has many things to do, especially in the area of hiking and natural wildlife observation.

Trails
Lethbridge has numerous places for a good hike or leisurely walk. Some recommended walks or hikes include:
 * Coulees (starting at the Helen Schuler Coulee Centre)
 * Popson Park (down 10th Street West, past Paradise Canyon)
 * Alexander Wilderness Park (north of Stafford Drive North, near Hardieville)
 * Henderson Lake (South Parkside Drive, near Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and the Exhibition Grounds)
 * Nicholas Sheran Park (just off McMaster Blvd. West).

Festivals
Lethbridge annually hosts Whoop-Up Days, a carnival of sorts with rides, live performances, a rodeo, and exhibitions. The late is held in mid-August at the Exhibition Grounds (end of South Parkside Drive and next to Henderson Lake).

Sports
Lethbridge has numerous semi-professional sports teams, including:
 * The Lethbridge Hurricanes (Western Hockey League). They play each year from October to March at the Enmax Centre (2510 Scenic Drive South).
 * The Lethbridge Bulls (Western Major Baseball League). They play from the end of May to the end of July at Henderson Stadium (2425 North Parkside Drive South).

Learn

 * The University of Lethbridge
 * Lethbridge College

Drink
The legal drinking age in Alberta is 18.



Stay safe
Violent crime is extremely rare in Lethbridge, but there are probably a few places you should avoid at night for fear of being hassled for money or robbed. Although safe during the day, several robberies have happened at the Galt Gardens at night. Similarly, you might want to avoid walking downtown near the Coal Banks Inn at night if you are alone. All in all however, Lethbridge is a very safe city and the probability of a crime being committed against you is very low.

Climate
Super windy! Prepare to have your hair messed up.

Connect
Both branches of the Lethbridge Public Library have Internet-access computers - free to use; first come, first served; maximum of 120 minutes per day.
 * Lethbridge Public Library - Main Branch - 810 5th Avenue South, +1 403-380-7310. Open M-F 9:30AM–9PM, Sa 9:30AM–5:30PM, Su 1:30PM–5:30PM.
 * Lethbridge Public Library - The Crossings Branch - 255 Britannia Blvd West, +1 403-320-4037. Open M-Th 9:30AM–9PM, F Sa 9:30AM–5:30PM, Su 1:30PM–5:30PM.

Go next

 * Waterton Lakes National Park - A beautiful national park that is about an hour drive away southwest from Lethbridge. The park is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts tourists from all over the world.
 * Vulcan - the "Official Star Trek Capital of Canada"
 * Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump - A UNESCO World Heritage Site near Fort Macleod, about a 30-45 minute drive west of Lethbridge. Head-Smashed-In displays how First Nations (Indigenous) people lived before and after they came into contact with the European settlers; and it shows how they used buffalo jumps to kill the buffalo for food, protection, and shelter.
 * Calgary - About a 2 hour drive north, Calgary offers world-class attractions and shopping. Calgary is also home to numerous professional sport organizations and is home to over 1,000,000 people.
 * Montana - About 45 minutes south. The nearest American city is Great Falls which is about 2 hours.
 * Edmonton - 5 hours away and is the capital city of Alberta. It is the second largest city with 1.1 million people.  It is popular for its numerous festivals, amazing river valley, West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Oilers, a growing arts community, and the University of Alberta.