Lethbridge, Alberta

For other meanings of Lethbridge, see Lethbridge (disambiguation).

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Lethbridge, a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, has a population of over 77,500 people. It is Alberta's third largest city by population, after Calgary and Edmonton It is located near the Canadian Rockies and is 210km (130 miles) southeast of Calgary on the Oldman River.

Contents

1 History 2 Culture & Demographics 2.1 Racial & Ethnic Diversity 2.2 Religion 3 Major attractions 4 Colleges and universities 5 Geography 6 Other 7 See also 8 External links

History

William Lethbridge, 1825-1901, after whom the City of Lethbridge was named. The city developed from drift mines opened by Nicholas Sheran (1874) and the North Western Coal and Naviagtion Company, Limited (1882), whose president was William Lethbridge. Names that have been used to identify the Lethbridge area include the Blackfoot Aksaysim, also transliterated as Aksiiksahko or Steep Banks, Mek-kio-towaghs, also Miiksskoowa, variously translated as Painted Rock, Red Painted Rock, or Medicine Stone, Assini-etomochi, also Asinaawaiitomottsaawa, or Where We Slaughtered the Crees, and Sik-ooh-kotok, Black/Rocks or Coal, the Sarcee Chadish-kashi, Black/Rocks; the Cree Kuskusukisay-guni, Black/Rocks; the Stony Ipubin-saba-akabin, or Digging Coal; and the European names, Coalbanks, Sherans, or Sheran's Ferry, The Crossing, The Colliery, Newlethbridge, Lethbridge Colliery, Upper and Lower Town, Coalhurst, and, offical since October 15, 1885, Lethbridge (The name Lethbridge was in common, if unoffical, use for the riverbottom community at least as early as May 1884). Before settlement the area where Lethbridge is located was known as The Arid Region. When geological surveys around 1880 revealed an abundance of coal, it was called The Belly River Coal District. After the Galts introduced irrigation to counter the Arid Region image aruond 1900, the locality was called the Irrigated District. Finally, as an aid to land sales after the rush of dryland settlement started about 1905, the non-irrigable portion was called The Winter Wheat Lands.

Culture & Demographics

The city's population grew at an average of 2.2% a year between 2002 and 2005.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

• European: 90.2%
• Aboriginal: 3.5%
• Chinese: 1.8%
• Japanese: 1.8%
• Other: 2.7%

Religion

The most commonly observed faith in Lethbridge is Christianty. According to the 2001 federal census, there were 50,245 residents who indicated they were Christian. Of these, 62.6% were Protestant, 30.4% were Catholic, 0.6% were Christian Orthodox, and 6.3% were non-specifc. The remainder of those who professed religious affiliation amounted to roughly 2%.

While Statistics Canada does not include numbers of Mormons in their census reports, it is estimated that there are nearly 10,000 adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lethbridge. At between nine and ten percent of the city's population, this is sigfifcantly higher than the national average of 0.5%.

Major attractions

The Lethbridge Viaduct or High Level Bridge (common), constructed on the western edge of the city is the longest railway bridge of its kind in the world. It was built in 1905.

Indian Battle Park, located in the coulees of the Oldman River, commemorates the last battle between the Cree and the Blackfoot First Nations in 1870. A formal peace treaty between the two nations was signed in 1871.

Colleges and universities

It is home to the University of Lethbridge, founded in 1967, and Lethbridge Community College, founded in 1957.Faculty of Arts & Science. Lethbridge is also home to the Lethbridge Cummunity College, the first public college in the country.

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the largest faculty on campus. We offer degrees and programs in the Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities. We also play a major role in the programs of other Faculties and Schools- Education, Management, Fine Arts and Health Sciences- because of our interdisciplinary approach to learning.

Faculty of Management

The Faculty of Management at the University of Lethbridge is a Center for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation. It was the first University in Alberta to introduce a Bachelor of Management, Cooperative Education. That initiative went from individual workshops to a core course and continues preparing students by developing skills in time management, conflict resolution, team building, public speaking and more Faculty of Education

The Faculty of Education offers a five-year combined degrees teacher education program and a four semester Bachelor of Education after an approved degree program. Students in the combined degrees program earn a degree in a school subject and Bachelor of Education degree.

Faculty of Fine Arts

The Faculty of Fine Arts has taken a creative approach in adapting to the winds of change in university education. We have reviewed, restructured and emerged with an energetic focus on what we do best. We challenge you to an intellectual adventure with the Faculty as your guide.

Geography

Lethbridge is located at degrees 49.7 degrees North latitude and -112.833 degrees East longitude. The following are satelitte communities of Lethbridge:

• Coaldale, Alberta
• Raymond, Alberta
• Magrath, Alberta
• Coalhurst, Alberta
• Picture Butte, Alberta

Lethbridge is a short drive north from the United States border via highways 4 and 5; and a two hour drive (210 km) south of Calgary, Alberta via highways 2 and 3. Highways 2, 3 and 4 form part of the CANAMEX trade route between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Other

In 2003, Lethbridge city councillor Dar Heatherington became embroiled in a scandal when it was alleged that she had filed false reports with police about a stalker. She was convicted of public mischief on June 29, 2004, and resigned her seat on August 9.

See also

• Fort Whoop-Up
• Montague Aldous
• Charles Alexander Magrath

External links

• City of Lethbridge home page (http://www.lethbridge.ca/)
• Lethbridge Herald (http://www.mysouthernalberta.com/leth/index.php)
• University of Lethbridge (http://www.uleth.ca/)
• Lethbridge School District No. 51 (http://www.lethsd.ab.ca)

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