Autumn 2024 Projects

The City Scholars Program provides students with hands-on experience structured around both professional and academic outcomes. At the City of Lethbridge, students have the unique opportunity to work on projects that inform the work of the City in areas such as urban planning and design, land development, heritage management, and corporate practices, while also benefiting from the mentorship of City and faculty supervisors.

The skills and experiences gained through City Scholars Work Integrated Learning opportunities supports students as they enter the workforce or pursue further studies.

Health, Planning and Public Participation

The focus of this applied study is the intersection of three topics that are increasingly of concern
for all cities: health, planning and public participation. While the latter two are firmly within the
realm of cities, health in particular, is an area of priority that for many local officials and
policymakers exists beyond the jurisdictional boundaries of cities. This has the potential to
prevent health from being effectively integrated into what a City may consider its “daily work,”
and thus unable to inform broader community outcomes. This applied study seeks to learn more
about how other municipalities are integrating health into the ways they plan and engage
residents.

Biodiversity Strategy

The Waste & Environment Department is seeking to learn more about the value of ecosystems
and biodiversity in municipal planning and decision-making through the development of a
Biodiversity Strategy. The Biodiversity Strategy will align with the following guiding documents:

• Municipal Development Plan policy 156: “Ensure biodiversity and ecosystem functions
  are sustained with shared stewardship by requiring the development of a Biodiversity
  Strategy that includes support for biodiversity within parks, streets, and other City owned lands and support the protection and enhancement of biodiversity during
  development.”
• Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan action 8-1: “Develop a Biodiversity Strategy
  and policy in alignment with climate risks and integrate within planning and policies.”
  It is hoped that the data and analysis of this applied study will help Waste & Environment
  explore the benefits of possible future policy and/or strategic planning-focused work around
  biodiversity in Lethbridge. For example, what actions are considered in other municipal
  biodiversity strategies that would be effective in Lethbridge? How can the City work with other
  community organizations to protect and promote biodiversity in Lethbridge? What actions are
  needed by the City to protect and promote biodiversity in Lethbridge?

Battle of the Belly River Indigenous-Led Heritage Management Plan:  Database Development, Planning & Design Department

Building on the work of the 2023 City of Lethbridge Heritage Management Plan and the Battle of
Belly River Research Project, this project will deliver a site-specific Heritage Management Plan that
will support the ongoing management of the battle site. As part of this project, and working with
the Planning Team, Heritage Consultants, the Blackfoot Confederacy Nations Consultation Offices
and the Lethbridge and Area Métis, the successful candidate will assist by undertaking data
collection and digitization of literature, historic documents, oral histories, and photographs
pertaining to the battle. With this information, the successful candidate will develop a searchable
database management system for each of the partner Nations that can be used during the
development of the Battle of Belly River Heritage Management Plan, and that can be built upon
by each Nation in the future.

These WIL opportunities are now integrated under the City Scholars program, through which the City promotes collaboration with post-secondary institutions, please check their new website:

https://www.lethbridge.ca/careers/city-scholars/