Lethbridge ranked No. 2 in Canada for green space

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on July 29, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

We may be No. 3 in the latest StatsCan Crime Severity Index but Lethbridge ranks as Canada’s second greenest city in a new survey.

The survey was done by website http://www.greatertorontohomepros.com, a Re/Max real estate company based in the Ontario city.

Kelowna, B.C., which ranked No. 2 in the CSI rankings, was listed at No. 1 in the country with a score of 70.63. It was ranked high for being both pedestrian- and cycle-friendly.

Lethbridge had a score of 66.39 and was cited for having “a lot of park space which helps to position it on this list. The city is also blessed with an abundance of green beauty, with 23.3 per cent parkland of city land and 30 hectares of green space per 1,000 residents.

“Lethbridge is considered somewhat walkable, scoring 3.44 on the index, however cycling is a little better, scoring 4.93. The city has 48 hiking trails alongside six community gardens/urban farms alongside a combined air quality index score of 28.73,” says the survey.

The survey says that metrics compiled in it “can show Canadians which location it may be easier for them to commit to a green lifestyle; for example, pedestrian-friendly and cycle-friendly cities can help Canadians interested in reducing their carbon footprint. More and more people are aware that air quality is important to their health, and would like to live in an area with good air quality and natural parkland.”

Calgary was the only other Alberta city in the Top 20, ranking 17th. The provincial capital of Edmonton ranks 22nd.

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