The former Chinook Country Tourist building will now house Tourism Lethbridge

By Lara Fominoff

Tourism Lethbridge moves to former Chinook Country Tourism location on Scenic Drive

Jul 25, 2019 | 4:01 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – One year after the new Lethbridge Tourism organization opened its doors on 5 St. S. in the city’s downtown, it’s preparing to close its doors.

The organization has already moved much of its operations to the former Chinook Country Tourist Association building, located at the corner of Scenic Drive South, and Mayor Magrath Drive South.

Executive Director William Slenders says there are several reasons for the move.

“One of the challenges we’ve had over the last little bit is implementing our mobile system in a way that would make the most amount of sense, the most amount of coverage for large vehicle traffic. So, what we’ve actually found is, working with the larger vehicle traffic (i.e. campers, trailers, and 5th wheels) is going to be easier from that location, and then continuing to support the community though our mobile program, as opposed to just having them at one stationary location.”

When the 5 St. S. office opened in May 2018, Slenders said the purpose was to “try and inspire more downtown traffic and walk through.”

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Since then, he says the organization has determined the best and most efficient route would be to move.

“The location in the downtown is…we’ve had great comments from outside visitation coming in, both positive and negative. Many people liked the change of space, liked the change of style in how we delivered the information…but we have heard too, a lot of locals are not pleased with the move, and we’re looking for another more common, more familiar of a program.”

The downtown location will close its doors in August, while the Scenic Drive location is already open to the public. Slenders maintains that Tourism Lethbridge still wants to work with organizations in the downtown, even though their offices won’t be there anymore.

“One of the major components that we have is working with groups like the BRZ (Business Revitalization Zone) and Heart of Our City in order to create the downtown as an attraction in its own right. Our mobile programming is still very much going to be focused on trying to help bring people into the downtown as we try to create the downtown as its own attraction,” says Slenders.

However, they also need to consider services to a variety of stakeholders, and to provide the best level of services, and they believe that with the increase in space in the new building, they can provide additional programs and services.

According to Lethbridge City Manager of Real Estate and Land Development, Michael Kelly, the former Chinook Country building was located on city land – and the organization leased that land. The organization then built the structure that sits on the property.

However, when the lease was not renewed, the organization had two options: to either sell the building on the condition that it be moved, or to surrender it to the City of Lethbridge. Efforts were made to sell the building in late 2018, however they were not successful, so it was then surrendered to the City.

Slenders says there will be some additional construction and renovations completed after the tourism season is over to create a “unique sense of place.”