Location spotlight – Lethbridge, Alberta

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Lethbridge is a vibrant community with a population of over 107,000, known for its collaborative spirit that benefits the entire region of southern Alberta. The city is in the center of a trading area that serves nearly 342,000 people in Alberta, British Columbia, and the State of Montana.

Located just one hour north of the Alberta-Montana border, Lethbridge is closer to the U.S. market than any other city in Alberta and is also easily accessible to major markets across Western Canada by road, rail, and air.

Discover Lethbridge

Often referred to as the “Gateway to Opportunity,” Lethbridge has a rich history rooted in its natural resources and drift mines. With over 330 days of sunshine annually and 85% of Alberta’s irrigated land, Lethbridge is a prime location for agriculture and value-added ag industries.

Additionally, Lethbridge is a cultural and historic gem, located just an hour away from four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and boasting an active film industry and local music scene. Did you know scenes from Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Interstellar, and The Last of Us were filmed in and around Lethbridge?

PrairiesCan’s Lethbridge office

PrairiesCan’s office in Lethbridge is located in the historic downtown post office clock tower building (“The Post”), a landmark with deep historical roots. This building is not only a significant part of the city’s heritage but is also rumored to be haunted!

The office’s central location in downtown Lethbridge provides convenient access to the city’s vibrant cultural and economic activities, while also offering an accessible and welcoming space for potential clients to engage with PrairiesCan and explore their innovative ideas.

Economic organizations

In addition to PrairiesCan, Lethbridge is home to a number of other community-minded organizations, institutions, businesses, and individuals who work collaboratively to support economic activity in the region. Some of these organizations include: Community Futures Lethbridge Region, Economic Development Lethbridge, Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta, Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance, and SouthGrow Regional Economic Development.

Academic institutions

Academic institutions in Lethbridge are driving forward technological advancements and creating an environment of innovation on the Prairies. The University of Lethbridge is renowned for its high-quality research in various fields, while Lethbridge Polytechnic is making strides in applied research in agriculture, value-added ag, and in the cutting-edge fields of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

Lethbridge success story: Alberta Sugar Beet Growers Association

PrairiesCan recently supported the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers Association (SBGA) by investing $242,000 towards a project aimed at evaluating new market opportunities to grow the Alberta sugar beet industry. This funding was part of a larger initiative with a total project cost of $610,000.

Additionally, PrairiesCan contributed more than $2 million to support a complementary project at Lethbridge College, which now operates as Lethbridge Polytechnic, with a total project cost of $5 million.

This project added seven state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment at Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Agriculture Research Innovation Facility. This facility is home to the Mueller Irrigation Research Group and the Advanced Post Harvest Technology Centre, which are focused on industry-driven applied research.

Through this partnership, SBGA collaborated with the Advanced Post Harvest Technology team to explore innovative processing methods and value-added opportunities in the sugar beet industry. Specifically, SBGA had access to Lethbridge Polytechnic’s expertise and specialized equipment, enabling the partners to research and develop a novel product.

In Lethbridge’s community

In January 2024, PrairiesCan partnered with Procurement Assistance Canada (PAC) to host the Lethbridge Buyers Expo and Information Session, a valuable community event that brought together local businesses and government agencies.

Held at Tecconnect, the expo hosted 50 attendees and 12 agencies, including notable exhibitors like the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Canadian Heritage, Defense Construction Canada, and more.

This event provided a rare and important opportunity for the Lethbridge community to engage face-to-face with government contacts, a significant advantage given the city’s distance from major hubs like Edmonton and Ottawa. Attendees appreciated the chance to connect in person and gain insights into the resources and support available to them.

Lethbridge office contact information

The contact information for PrairiesCan’s Lethbridge service location may be found on our service locations page.