City post secondaries host community breakfast
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 24, 2024.
Community members enjoyed a free pancake breakfast courtesy of the University of Lethbridge and Polytechnic at Rotary Square on Friday.Stephanie Savage, alumni and engagement manager for Lethbridge Polytechnic, says this is the second year the institutions have banded together to show they work hand in hand.
“The idea started because we are two awesome institutions in one city, and I think often it’s viewed as that we are rivals in some way, but we are absolutely not. We are two institutions supporting one city and we both have a lot to offer. So, it’s cool that we can show the community that we collaborate really well and we support the community as a whole,” said Savage.
With Lethbridge having the Polytechnic and university, they work closely in their programs, many of them starting at the Polytechnic and finishing at the U of L.
Asheley Cowie, manager of the national recruitment team at the University of Lethbridge, says people live in an era where a collaborative approach is vital to the institutions and the community.
“We’ve become far more aware of each other and we can’t operate in silos anymore. There needs to be an understanding that we are we are joint important parts of a really important community. And if we can come together and celebrate our community and celebrate the people in it, and I think that shows that, yeah, that spirit of collaboration and the idea that we’re moving forward in a really positive way in the community of Lethbridge,” said Cowie.
This year’s event was another success with approximately 750 people of all ages showing up in the first hour. Last year they had 500 people show up, to their surprise, and had to turn people away. They were more prepared for the crowd this year but ran out of food in about two hours.
“It’s wonderful to see people who work downtown, who live downtown, who came specifically for the breakfast. It was wonderful. We’ve seen a real diverse group of people from little, little, little kids who we both have had. Both institutions have had alumni coming, proudly toting their alumni stuff. And it’s wonderful. It’s really been great to see,” said Cowie.
While summer may be winding down, work at both the Polytechnic and the university is revving up for the school year.
The Polytechnic will be hosting its 7th annual Coulee Fest on Sept. 15 with brand new activities such as monster trucks and robot A.I. dogs from Telus Spark.
“Coulee Fest for us is one of our favourite days. It’s an opportunity for us to welcome a large number of our community members to our campus, showcase a little bit about what community means to us at Lethbridge Polytechni. We’re so proud of it and we’re so proud of all the work we’re doing, and it’s just an opportunity for us to say thank you to the community for being there for us,” said Savage.
The university’s recruitment team will trek across Canada starting in two weeks.
“Our team is packed full of skill and talent that travels from British Columbia to the Territories all the way to Halifax, Nova Scotia this year. So, we are really, truly a national recruitment team and I could not have a better team. But starting in about two weeks we start travel and we don’t really be home, home until about December,” said Cowie.
Whoop-Up days will end on Saturday night with a fireworks display at 11 p.m. on the midway. 2
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