Wider Horizons

College entrance fountainWe all have them – favourite places where we live, work and study. They might not be the best known or have the most famous views and vistas, but they have meaning to us. They are the spots we think of when someone mentions a place – and Lethbridge College is brimming with them.

In preparation for the college’s 60th anniversary, Wider Horizons asked students, alumni and staff to let us know the places on campus that meant the most to them. We know creating a definitive list of the 60 best Lethbridge College places is an impossible task, so consider this article as a start, and let us know the places that say “Lethbridge College” to you. Share your story on social media using the hashtag #lc1957, or send us an email at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

And so without further delay, starting with the first building constructed on campus and moving through time and space, Wider Horizons is proud to present our (very unscientific and completely, unabashedly enthusiastically-gathered) list of the 60 best Lethbridge College places.

{ Andrews Building 1962 }

1. The courtroom This classroom, which lies at the end of the winding walk through the Andrews’ wing, contains a realistic looking courtroom complete with wood panelled walls, a leather-lined judge’s bench, a witness stand, a well-worn Bible and leather-lined tables and podiums for the prosecutor and defence. For students in the college’s Criminal Justice program, this is the setting of one of their most memorable learning experiences: the scenario-based training that gives students a sense of what real-world policing is like. The classroom, which is furnished with discarded furnishings from a Calgary courthouse, allows students to experience the roles of lawyer, accused, witness and police officer.

2. The pin collection from police departments in the Andrews wing

3. The Garden Court restaurant (and view)

4. The food court and the great people who work there

5. The FNMI student lounge One of the ways the college connects to its proud Blackfoot culture is by providing a space in the heart of campus for students from all backgrounds to come together to socialize, study and find support in their student life.

{ Cousins Building 1967 }

6. The Hubbard Collection The Hubbard Collection, located on the first floor of the Cousins Building, contains one of Canada’s largest collections of full-body taxidermy mammals, and wildlife biologist and instructor Shane Roersma is one of the best people on campus to show you around. The collection of more than 100 specimens – grizzly, cougar, bison, bobcat, pronghorn, mountain goat, deer, wolf, black bear, badger, silver fox, lynx, several birds of prey and more – was a gift from the family of Alf Hubbard to the college in 2007. The unique collection is available for public viewing and also can be experienced online at lcvirtualwildlife.ca.

7. The Fish Bowl

8. Underground tunnels

{ Paterson Building 1970 }

9. Watching daycare kids playing from the office windows

10. The Bookstore The Lethbridge College Bookstore ordered more than 32,000 textbooks for students and scanned 81,840 items through its registers last year. In addition, in that same period, the bookstore sold 7,722 pieces of clothing and 17,663 snacks and treats to students, staff, visitors and friends of the college.

{ The D.A. Electric Barn 1975 }

11. Everything about the Barn The D.A. Electric Barn was originally known as the Round-Up Room and was one of the first buildings constructed for part of a planned destination dude ranch located in the south end of Lethbridge. While the dude ranch never materialized, the Round-Up Room was an active social space in the city. Newspaper accounts list the Round-Up Room as the site of Lethbridge’s first rock-and-roll concert, where more than 2,000 people clapped, whistled and danced on June 23, 1956, as “Bill Haley and His Comets” played “Rock Around the Clock” and other favourites. The building was also used for roller skating in the 1950s and 1960s. It was later converted into a much-loved student and staff hangout, and it is currently home to students in the electrical and wind turbine programs and their equipment while the new trades and technologies facility is under construction.

{ Cullen 1977 }

12. The view from the Cullen residences

{ Trades 1981 }

13. Criminal Justice labs

14. The carpentry classrooms in the trades building are some of the best smelling places on campus

{ Technologies 1983 }

15. Third floor of the tech wing – a favourite of Chelsey Voeller and Aaron Haugen “Up here there are big tall windows in every room providing a heartwarming view of the rest of campus and into the coulees. That’s not all! Not only do you get a scenic view, but it’s the Technology Wing! There are loads of high-end computers with limitless design and editing software, virtual reality headsets, a green screen studio, the CRLC The Kodiak Radio room, the Endeavour lab and it’s where a lot of the tech-people hang out including the A/V guys and the Educational Enhancement Team. Plus, the creative minds on the third floor always have friendly faces and are happy to share their space and knowledge. ” { Chelsey Voeller, Multimedia Production 2011 }

16. All of the glass on the Technologies building

17. The hands-on labs (SPHERE, etc)

{ Centre Core 1985 }

18. The Den “Those old, well-worn leather couches are perfect for a coffee and to put your feet up – and the tables are great for sharing lunches with colleagues.” { Rika Snip }

19. Walking under the flags in Centre Core Students, staff and visitors to campus can see these flags fluttering in Centre Core, representing the incredibly diverse backgrounds of Lethbridge College students. Students from 39 countries around the world are enrolled in classes at the college this year.

20. The Miner in Centre Core The statue, which was created by Cornelius Martens in recognition of the city of Lethbridge’s 1985 centennial, keeps watch over Centre Core and the thousands of students, staff and visitors who pass it daily during the school year. The plaque at the base of the sculpture tells a little of his story: “Few things are more representative of southern Alberta than a coal miner. The coal industry established the city of Lethbridge and led to the introduction of Lethbridge College. Coal mining and Lethbridge College have been linked since 1957 when the college opened and began training people for academic and technical careers. One can imagine that if the college had been here in 1885, the first mine employees might have been trained at Lethbridge College.”

21. The Boardroom

22. Games in the Cave

23. Talking in the Tim’s line

24. Buchanan Library

25. The Scholarships and Awards desk “It was a huge overwhelming moment as I learned that I won the Meszaros International Scholarship. So the first place I went to when I arrived at the college was the Student Awards office of Linda Sprinkle. Linda made me feel very welcomed and did support me throughout my four semesters. Together we met with Steve Meszaros and talked about my future dreams and plans to stay here in Canada. I am very grateful to have met Linda, her colleagues and Lesley Wood. The money I won made it way easier for me to finance my international student loans and the people I met because of that scholarship were so enriching for my life!” { Aurora Eggert }

26. The Learning Café “Perhaps I’m a bit biased (since it’s been my ‘place’ at the college for the last 27+ years), but the Learning Café is truly one of my favourite spots on campus. Its beautiful wide-open spaces, bright natural light, and spectacular mountain views make it an excellent place to be, and the beauty of the physical space gets even better when students and staff from all walks of life fill the space with their energy and enthusiasm for learning! I love seeing people learning and growing alongside one another each and every day.” { Lynda Duval, Engineering Design and Drafting 1986 }

27. The front office desk of the LCSA office “Fav spot on campus is @LC_SA office front reception desk. So many great times leaning on it bugging Angela!” { Dillon Hargreaves, Business Administration 2013 }

28. The windows of the Buchanan Library “I enjoy marking in front of a window. I found a sweet (and comfortable) spot in the Buchanan Library with a coulee view! It will be even better once the new trades and technologies facility is complete.” { Martina Emard, Communication Arts - Print Journalism 1993 }

29. The Health Centre – just the place to go when you need to feel better

30. The nice people in Testing Services

{ Val Matteotti Gymnasium and PE Building 1990 }

31. Bear at the entrance of the PE Building

32. Sunshine coming in windows of the fitness studio on the second floor

33. A FULL Val Matteotti Gymnasium for a Kodiaks game

34. Panoramic view from top of Val Matteotti Gymnasium looking south

{ 30th Avenue Residences 2001 }

35. The Residence Activity Centre and its great fireplace

{ Instructional Building 2002 }

36. Walking by the vines on the Instructional Building (IB)

37. IB (glass)

38. IB Commons/hangout for Bus Admin students

{ Kodiak House 2010 }

39. Panoramic view from top of Kodiak House lounge

{ First phase of new trades and technologies building 2015 }

40. The heavy equipment area with the shiny machines and the Big Ass fans

41. The main electrical room in the new trades and technologies facility “Just noticed the call for people’s favourite places on campus – one of mine is the main electrical room in the new building. The view is awesome and looks out to the coulee. Perfect spot to take a quiet break and enjoy the prairie view….if only I could get there without the help of Francis Rankin!” { Lesley Wood }

{Second phase of new trades and technologies building 2017}

42. All the great wood used in the new building

43. Sunny entrance of new building/building under construction

{ College grounds }

44. Owls outside of Cousins

45. Tennis courts – and the wildlife that comes out to watch

46. The front entrance

47. The water fountain at the entrance “The fountain when the water is running. I love having lunch sitting on the ledge, listening to the water.” { Rika Snip }

48. The new soccer fields

49. The wind turbine training tower

50. The grass part of the courtyard between the two Andrews wings —outside of the cafeteria patio. That’s where the bunnies are.

51. TRX bar

52. Bhutanese garden/LCSA collaboration On the south end of campus, with an inspiring view of the coulees on one side and the gently sloping roof of the new trades and technologies facility on the other, lies the Lethbridge College Students’ Association Community Garden. For the last three years, the garden has been tended by some of the 70 or so volunteers involved with the Lethbridge Bhutanese Seniors group. This past fall, volunteers came to the annual Harvest Celebration to work the prairie soil and harvest hundreds of pounds of potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and more, most of which they then donated to local food banks, including the LCSA Food Bank. “They were farmers in Bhutan,” interpreter Gita Mishra said as Mon Maya Khati spoke. “The energy is there to enjoy the farming. They received a lot of donations from different agencies when they first came to Lethbridge and they wanted to give back.” Lethbridge is home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada, numbering more than 1,300.

53. Willow trees

54. Fall colors

55. Back courtyard

56. Proximity to coulees

57. The tipi in front of the college for NSO and FNMI Days

58. The shale path “I walk on my lunch hour on the shale path that runs from the old residences atop the coulee behind the new trades building. It is so beautiful.” { Donna Linn, Computer Information Technology 1999 }

59. The obstacle course “Over the last few years, I’ve developed a passion for obstacle course racing, so my favourite place on campus is the police training obstacle course behind the college. What better way to train for an obstacle course race than on an actual obstacle course? The fact that it’s outdoors with beautiful coulee and mountain views makes it that much better.” { Cam Reimer }

60. The coulee trail “The coulee trail is the best place by far. It is peaceful, beautiful and the best way to stretch my legs and incorporate a little exercise into my workday.” { Jennifer Davis }

Wider Horizons
Lisa Kozleski
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