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Premier Alison Redford’s Alberta Tories delivered a pre-election budget Feb. 9 that got thumbs up from many in the city.
The provincial budget not only included predictable funding for Lethbridge cabinet minister Greg Weadick’s advanced education ministry, but it also offered good news to plenty of his Lethbridge West constituents.
And there’s more to come, he says — sweeping changes to the province’s student loans system, with details released on Feb. 13, too late for publication in the Sun Times.
Premier Alison Redford’s first budget, he added during an interview with the Lethbridge Herald, shows the province is heading for a balanced budget — with a predicted $1 billion surplus in 2013-14. At the same time, it’s providing stable, predictable grants for the province’s colleges and universities. Post-secondary institutions will see a two per cent increase in operating grants in each of the next three years.
Weadick said the budget allows for $300 million to complete capital projects at Bow Valley College, SAIT and the University of Alberta but no new major capital projects for the next fiscal year are included. Weadick said a discussion is underway within government on how to fund infrastructure projects in the future, possibly through loans. The college is in the planning stages of revamping its aging trades building but that will have to wait.
The three-year budgeting cycle from Alberta Education was also greeted positively by local school districts.
“The board is appreciative that for the first time government has made a three-year commitment with respect to the amount that grants will be increased, albeit the increases are modest for the per pupil grant of one per cent this next year and then two per cent for each of the two subsequent years,” said Barry Litun, superintendent for the Lethbridge public school district.
“There are some welcome increases in the budget for sure,” said Sandra Dufresne, chairwoman of the Holy Spirit Catholic school division. “We’re certainly pleased they’re going to be funding us on a three-year model. We’ve been advocating for that for so long.”
That no new money for new schools or modernizing old ones was announced was disappointing to both local boards but increases to inclusive education and plant operations and maintenance were heralded as positive.
Provincial funds will continue to support such key projects as the new wing on Chinook Regional Hospital, said Weadick. And there are more funds for people living with a developmental disability, and for staff at the non-profit agencies which help them.
Speaking as a government supporter for her first budget — after seven years in Opposition ranks — Lethbridge East MLA Bridget Pastoor was also pleased by what she heard.
Long an advocate for disabled Albertans relying on an AISH cheque, she was happy to see the $400 per month increase announced Thursday. But there was good news for everyone, she said.
“People in Lethbridge will be happy there’s no tax increases,” despite rumoured hikes to the province’s beer, wine, liquor and tobacco “sin taxes.”
Members of city council — including her daughter, Bridget Mearns — should also be satisfied to see the province’s MSI grants to municipal governments remaining predictable and stable.
“They’ll be on a three-year budget cycle,” just as city council is here.
At the University of Lethbridge, however, political scientist Geoffrey Hale was less hopeful.
Hale said history shows Alberta’s budgets, unlike most other provinces’, are seldom accurate beyond the current year.
To start with, he questioned the budget’s assumption that Alberta’s economy will grow by 3.8 per cent over the next year. Almost every calculation can be overturned by outside events, he warned.
If Israel attacked Iran, for example, the price of oil would spike. But further economic distress in Europe could have the opposite effect.
And natural gas, once the province’s most reliable source of income, shows no sign of recovering that position. Now, he said, the province relies very heavily on oilsands development.
“So much depends on what the province can get from its oilsands, without adequate pipelines to our major markets.”
Lethbridge continues to grow
New census data shows the population of Lethbridge outpaced the national growth rate over the last five years — a period of time that saw the country spiral into the most serious economic tailspin since the Great Depression.
Statistics Canada released the first batch of numbers from the 2011 census on Feb. 8 and the population of Lethbridge increased by 11.8 per cent since the last census in 2006.
When the 2011 census was taken last May 10, the population of Lethbridge was 83,517, compared with 74,685 from the 2006 census.
That increase in population is consistent with the growth rate shown in city censuses. Lethbridge has enjoyed slow but steady growth over the past few years, averaging between 1.5 and two per cent, said Mayor Rajko Dodic.
County of Lethbridge hoping to woo WestJet
County of Lethbridge officials aren’t going to wait for WestJet to come to them, they’re going to WestJet following the Feb. 8 announcement the airline will launch a regional service.
County Reeve Lorne Hickey said Feb. 9 that the announcement gives the county even more incentive to persuade WestJet to put Lethbridge on its list of new market destinations. So even though the county has been working to attract WestJet to the airport — and met with officials a few years ago — it plans to step up the pressure and be even more aggressive, rather than wait, and hope, WestJet comes to the county.
WestJet confirmed it will launch a low-fare, no-frills regional airline as part of the next “logical step” in the company’s evolution. There have been no announced market destinations or even a launch date.
YWCA names Women of Distinction
Five women have been named the YWCA Lethbridge and District’s Women of Distinction for 2012.
The award recognizes outstanding women who live and work in southern Alberta.
The honourees are chosen from the nominees for their accomplishments, commitment and leadership.
This year’s women of distinction include:
Sarah Amies in the social advocate category, Vicky Vannatta Miller in the community commitment category, Berga J. Moen, LL. B. in the YWCA champion category, Mary Runte in the Spirit of Women category, and Edith M. Stewart in the wise woman achievement category.
The Women of Distinction awards ceremony takes place March 23 at 5 p.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge. Guest speaker is Leela Gilday, aboriginal singer/songwriter and a winner at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.
Tickets are $100 with a $50 tax receipt, and can be purchased by phoning 403-329-0088 and at the YWCA.
Exhibition names its 2012 board
The Lethbridge and District Exhibition named its 2012 board at an annual general meeting held Feb. 9.
There were three board positions available. Incumbent Andy Cumming was re-elected for an additional three-year term. Joining him for three-year terms are newly elected board members Max G. Gibb and Mike Davis.
Returning board members include: president Gord Scheurman, first vice-president Don Young, Ken Benson, Dennis Carrier, Herman Elfring, Hazel Hart, Rick Neudorf, Bob Simonton, Kai Yip and past-president Georgina Knitel.
Ald. Tom Wickersham will continue to represent the City of Lethbridge and Morris Zeinstra will continue as the County of Lethbridge representative.
Some Elton John fans shut out of ticket sales
Elton John sang “I Want Love” and he certainly got it when tickets to see the musical icon in Lethbridge went on sale Feb. 11.
However, some disappointed fans left the Enmax Centre empty-handed Saturday morning after tickets to the April 24 concert sold out in 61 minutes — the fastest sell-out ever at the venue. Most of the total 6,300 tickets sold went to online buyers and not all of the 120 people who waited in freezing temperatures outside the ticket centre were able to get tickets.
“It was who got there first,” said Lana Barlow, sales and marketing manager at Enmax Centre. “Internet sales did take a huge portion.”
The Enmax Centre opened up more phone lines and increased its website bandwidth to accommodate a barrage of calls and clicks, Barlow said, but even so the phone lines and the web server still temporarily crashed.
But for those who set up camp to guarantee their spot in spite of chilling winds and, in some cases, a lack of legitimate sick days, the wait was well worth it.
Lethbridge resident Joyce Chambers and five of her friends were the first in line when tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, having been camped out the ticket centre since Thursday at 3 p.m., armed with serious-looking schedules divided into shifts for each of them.
“Even if we’re not diehard fans, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “This is the one way we’re actually guaranteed to get some tickets.”
Joe Poirier spent more than 24 hours waiting fourth in line, most of that time without even a tent.
“I’ve got frostbite on both my feet,” he said minutes before the ticket windows opened. “I’m actually going to the hospital after this.”
He did it as a surprise for his mother, who listens to Elton John’s albums “religiously.”
“It’s her birthday coming up and we just lost my dad recently so I figured this might put a smile on her face,” he said. “This is one small sacrifice to make to get her tickets to something she can’t afford.”
Those still desperate for tickets looked to online classifieds websites including Kijiji.ca, where at least a dozen posts appeared minutes after the show sold out offering tickets for up to $350 each, nearly double the $167 original ticket price. But there were twice as many wanted ads begging for tickets, some to give as birthday and wedding anniversary gifts — willing to pay hundreds more than the face value of the ticket.
The show is set for 8 p.m. April 24 at the Enmax Centre. Elton John is also set to play in Red Deer and Grande Prairie the following two nights before jetting off to Germany. Tickets for the Red Deer show sold out completely in 45 minutes, with all of the tickets available at the Red Deer Enmax Centrium going in fewer than 10 minutes.
Leisure centre study continues online
Didn’t attend either public open house concerning the city’s leisure centre study? Don’t sweat it. Residents have until noon Feb. 24 to fill out a questionnaire posted on the city’s website, www.lethbridge.ca, under Things To Do.
The answers will be reviewed by the study’s consultants before they move forward in the next part of their research.
The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a need in the city for a future leisure centre, and to examine what components could be included as a part of this type of facility.
The study comes at the request of city council after hearing from residents that there is a desire for such a centre.
“We envision a facility that would have the potential to be the community hub with programming and activities available for all citizens of our community,” Ashley Matthews, the city’s recreation and culture manager, said in a news release.
While this is only a study, the city says, the work done now will help guide the process should the city move forward in the future to build such a complex.
The final report from this study is expected to be presented to city council in May.
The centre, planned for a site close to the city’s new westside high schools near Whoop-Up Drive, will begin with a 10-sheet curling rink and two side-by-side hockey arenas with NHL-sized ice. A $10-million federal grant, announced in January, signalled a go-ahead for plans on hold since last summer.
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