2019 has been an active and relatively successful year for the economy in Lethbridge. Unlike most areas of the province which remained stalled, Lethbridge was forecast to see 2.6% growth in GDP this year and will see a similar predicted growth of 2.7% in 2020. Those numbers are attributed to a diverse portfolio of emerging innovators, traditional industry and public sector institutions in the city and surrounding area.

Some of the highlights this past year saw the opening of some major projects within the city. In spring the final stage of the ATB Centre was finished, including the opening of the Cor Van Raay YMCA. The fall brought two huge openings in the city as Science Commons officially opened at the University of Lethbridge and Cavendish Farms held a grand opening for their new potato processing plant in Sherring Industrial Park. With a price tag of nearly $1 billion combined, the 3 facilities provide a great example of how diversified Lethbridge truly is and will continue to be in the future. One building contributing to the wellness of our community on a social level, another leading the way for our students now and for years to come and the other helping boost our regional economy in several ways.

You could say those builds and others helped showcase why the future in Lethbridge is “Brighter Together”. It’s no coincidence Lethbridge - Brighter Together is the new community brand that was  officially launched this past September. This new community brand ideally will be embraced by local organizations to unify the community under one fluent message that we can do great things and move our city forward if we do it together. It’s also a great message to provide to partners provincially, nationally and internationally as they inquire about Lethbridge as a place to invest and do business.

Some other partnerships that came together in 2019 include…The launch of Canada’s Premier Food Corridor which is a partnership between 5 municipal organizations including Economic Development Lethbridge to help advance the Agri-Food sector in Southern Alberta through investment attraction and advocacy. Team Lethbridge held their 6th mission to the provincial legislature in Edmonton in November. Over 50 representatives from 22 local organizations travelled up highway 2 to visit the new provincial government to help them better understand how Lethbridge can help the province on several key issues and to educate ministers and their staff on the benefits of our city. Most recently, EDL joined forces with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and Downtown BRZ to launch #ShopTogtherYQL. The initiative is an attempt to help drive shopping local this holiday season. Shoppers are asked to tag a photo of their shopping experience in Lethbridge for a chance to win a $1000 shopping spree in early January.

Having a diverse economy that touches on many sectors is one of the benefits we see at EDL when we have inquiries from perspective businesses and organizations. This year the number of inquiries from businesses looking to Choose Lethbridge as a destination is on par or slightly better than numbers, we’ve seen over the past couple years. Identifying the needs and goals of those potential businesses is the work we do behind the scenes to help turn these inquiries into a new dynamic, successful member of the local economy.

Happy Holidays, and the very best to you and yours in 2020.