Lethbridge, AB… A growing list of community partners are coming together to organize an Economic Resilience
Task Force for the region. This coalition of organizations is aligned around a vision to strengthen and diversify
the economy of southwest Alberta while building resilience in the business community to withstand and thrive
through disruption to protect our quality of life.
“Southwest Alberta benefits from a diversified economy that is highly integrated between our rural and urban
members. It’s essential for the region to work together to build on our strengths and market ourselves
differently to attract increased investment from key areas like Europe and Asia.” – Laurie Lyckman, Board Chair,
SouthGrow Regional Initiative
“Tourism, agriculture, and industry are all dependent upon the flow of people, goods, and services, and it will
be important to offset any potential drop in commerce to and from the United States by identifying
opportunities from other areas of Alberta and Western Canada and being prepared to manage supply chain
impacts.” – Brent Feyter, Board Chair, Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance
“A study by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab suggests Lethbridge is the 10th most
vulnerable city in Canada to U.S. tariffs. This highlights the urgent need to improve Canadian businesses’
competitiveness and for governments at all levels to remove barriers to growth. The Lethbridge Chamber of
Commerce is proud to support the Economic Resilience Task Force in advocating for these crucial changes to
strengthen our local economy.” – Paige Sarrasin, Board Chair, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce
“Lethbridge and the region as a whole have a proven track record of overcoming economic hurdles like BSE
(mad cow) and the COVID-19 pandemic. By convening dedicated community leaders through this task force,
we can better support our industries as they tackle the challenges posed by wide-reaching tariffs. Businesses
here require robust support for export growth and access to new markets. It is imperative that we create
innovative tools to drive this effort forward.” – Timothy Hachkowski, Board Chair & President, Economic
Development Lethbridge
For more information, contact:
Trevor Lewington, Chief Executive Officer
Economic Development Lethbridge
403-330-3701
trevor@chooselethbridge.ca
