Municipal Election 2021
Lethbridge Municipal Election -
Environmental Survey Results
SAGE and the Climate Hub of Southern Alberta developed this survey to help inform voters on how candidates would approach climate change adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity preservation from the local level, if elected. Policy decisions made at the local level have immense power to regulate critical infrastructure that directly impacts greenhouse gas emissions produced within the municipal boundaries. The Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw 6265 approved June 29, 2021), enacted by the previous city council, provides a robust foundation for the next council to continue building. We felt it was essential to allow the candidates to express their commitment to continuing the work laid out in the MDP.
If you are voting with the environment and climate emergency in mind, please review the survey results below before casting your ballot on October 18. If you would like to learn more about the candidates, please visit lethbridge.ca/election.
The survey ran from September 24 through October 3, with all mayoral and council candidates invited to participate.
50% of mayoral and 65.6% of council candidates completed the survey.
The survey invited a ranked response to each of 15 questions (A = strongly agree, B = somewhat agree, C = neutral, D = somewhat disagree, E = strongly disagree, F = prefer not to respond, G = other), and asked for a short answer to 4 questions.
The following table summarizes the responses to the first 15 questions. Note that the green responses indicate agreement and the orange or red responses indicate disagreement. Rows for candidates who did not participate are blank.
Below the chart you will find a list of the candidates’ names with links to their full responses.
We thank all candidates who participated in this process.
Survey responses from Candidates
Mayoral Candidates
Councilor Candidates, Page 1 of 2
Councilor Candidates, Page 2 of 2
For one page pdf of the previous 3 charts, click here.
Original survey Questions (click here)
(* denotes environmental endorsement)
Mayoralty:
Council:
For more on each candidate (Visit the City of Lethbridge website)
Municipal Election – Voting with Environment in Mind.
We are looking down the barrel of a climate emergency. The scale of this crisis is daunting, and it can be frightening to think about; however, doing nothing is no longer an option. Our leaders need to take bold action in guiding us down the right path, and this leadership needs to happen at all three levels of government. Of the three levels, municipal governments are on the front lines, dealing with the everyday impacts of a rapidly changing and destabilizing climate. Local governments are closest to the people and, therefore, the most responsive to their needs.
On October 18, you will have the opportunity to vote for the leaders that will move our city forward. Leaders whose decisions will leave a legacy that will last far beyond the four years they are elected to serve. When deciding who to vote for, consider our natural world and who we can trust to steward us through the climate emergency. Our environment sustains every aspect of our society. Our climate can either foster our prosperity or bring our economy to a dusty halt. We need leaders who will unapologetically implement policies to address climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity loss.
To inform the voting public of our municipal candidate's policy stances regarding these issues, the Southern Alberta Group for the Environment (SAGE) designed a municipal candidate survey in collaboration with the Climate Hub of Southern Alberta (CHSA). This survey allowed candidates to outline their commitment to policies focused on the climate crisis, their readiness to protect and enhance local biodiversity, and their alignment with the recently enacted Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw 6265 approved June 29, 2021). Respondents articulated their support for policies that will go a long way in moving Lethbridge down the path of long-term environmental sustainability. We invite you to review the survey responses in full on our website. Don't forget to check out the City of Lethbridge's election webpage lethbridge.ca/election to get more information on each candidate. To the candidates that participated in our survey, thank you!
SAGE provides these survey results to help inform your decision in voting on October 18 for municipal leaders in Lethbridge who will work to safeguard our collective future and a stable climate. SAGE is a leading voice for a healthy and sustainable community. Please, visit our website at sage-environment.org