Dear members,

As you may be aware, Lethbridge City Council is considering options to balance the city’s operating budget without increases to taxes and utility rates. To accomplish this, a shortfall of $6-million to $15-million will need to be made up, through expense reductions and other means. City Council is currently reviewing ways to achieve this, and one of the many options they are evaluating is a reduction in programming at Helen Schuler Nature Centre.  

If passed, this initiative would require that the Nature Centre realign and streamline its current programs with a focus on generating revenue. Additionally an initiative to reduce print, online and display material by 12-20% is also being considered; along with a further initiative to eliminate the coordination of conservation programs such as coulee clean-up, shoreline clean-up, invasive weed-pulls and conservation ambassador programs.

It is important that City Council is aware that in the past The Friends of Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society has raised money to fund diverse exhibits, volunteer conservation projects and capital improvements, but we can not offset the capital and operational requirements of the Nature Centre.

I think it is equally important to remember that we cannot take for granted that programmes currently offered by the Nature Centre today, will continue to be offered in the future.
 
Over the past several months it has become increasingly obvious that our connection to the natural world has now become more important than ever. Now is a time where the social value, community capital and environmental benefits of programs need to be considered with at least equal weight as financial considerations.

I am therefore urging all members to provide their feedback through the public engagement page for the operating budget located at https://getinvolvedlethbridge.ca/2019-2022-operating-budget1 and/or by contacting members of City Council directly by phone or email. Their contact information is available at https://www.lethbridge.ca/City-Government/City-Council/Pages/Contact-City-Council.aspx

Thank you in advance

Rick Andrews
President
Friends of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society