University of Lethbridge

The University of Lethbridge was started as a part of the Lethbridge Junior College. The college board and others who were interested began developing talking to people in the community and trying to persuade the provincial government that Lethbridge needed a university. The work paid off and in 1967 the University of Lethbridge commenced classes in the science building of the college.

But, university students, teachers, and administrators weren't happy with being at the same place as the college and wanted a separate building. At the same time, city planners wanted to expand Lethbridge to the west of the Oldman River and a new university campus there seemed to be what was needed to do that. In December 1967, council threw its support behind the new university and bought some farm lands the west side of the river.

The decision to build the campus on the west side of the river made some groups very angry. The college board of governors wished to keep control of the university and opposed a separate campus. Several groups of businessmen and people with real estate interests also opposed the westside site, instead they wanted a site which would help their interests. These groups made enough trouble that the Social Credit premiere of Alberta, Ernest C. Manning was didn't know if people really wanted the new campus or not. Manning wanted the people of Lethbridge vote on the issue, but city council opposed this vote and went ahead with construction anyway. The government then said that a bridge to the university could not be built for at least eight years, as well, they made campus size and curriculum smaller than supporters of the university had wanted. The lack of a bridge made the drive from the city centre to the university 18 km long, this lasted several years until Premiere Lougheed and his Progressive Conservative Party allowed construction of the 6th Avenue bridge.

P19760208173-GP The University of Lethbridge in 1976, since then the campus has undergone extensive expansion and renovation.

Construction was begun on the campus in 1970 and the building opened in the fall of 1971.

Today the University of Lethbridge offers undergraduate degrees in arts, science, education, management and nursing, as well as graduate degrees in education. The university serves over 6000 students and is a great help to business and culture in Lethbridge.

In Lethbridge today a person can receive an education from the basics of reading and writing to the highest levels of academics. This is due to those who worked hard,through the decades to keep improving the city's educational facilities. Education has also allowed many in Lethbridge to improve themselves and their community.