MLA Grant Hunter provides update to Lethbridge County on water engagement sessions

Posted on February 27, 2025 by admin

By Kristine Jean
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter attended a recent Lethbridge County regular council meeting and provided councillors with an update on several items including the waterline to McCains, water engagement sessions and legislation that was passed in the fall addressing changing pronouns in schools, hormone treatments and non-biological males participating in female sports.

He also addressed one of the questions the county had on the water engagement sessions. 

“This is really about being able to make sure that I dialogue with our council and see what your priorities are and what you’d like to see me working on for you, on your behalf,” said Hunter. “Our hand was kind of forced on a few issues and so we passed three pieces of legislation, that really were controversial with some and other people were quite happy to see that,” he added, noting legislation regarding pronoun changes, certain surgeries and legislation banning biological males from competing in female sports.  

“If someone wants to change their pronoun in school, we felt it was extremely important that the parents were involved,” said Hunter. “Those are adult decisions and we think when you’re an adult you can make those decisions …. we do this on a regular basis – we tell people when they can drive ….we tell people when they can buy alcohol or buy cigarettes (and) when they can gamble so this is not uncommon,” he added, noting his preference was that they do not “weigh into these issues, that they are determined by families and communities and churches but we were forced in this situation to move into this space so we did,” explained Hunter. 

Another topic Hunter discussed regarded the water engagement sessions in Lethbridge in early January with Minister Rebecca Shultz and noted in his presentation that the water for life program will not be changed. 

“That is a very strong piece of legislation, strong policy that we’ve used for a long time in Alberta and it’s working,” he said. 

If any policy changes are needed they will go into phase two where they meet with stakeholders and affected people and bodies and talk with them to figure out a plan and what needs to be done. 

Hunter concluded his presentation to council by noting the events south of the border and said the U.S. election will have a “massive effect on us” and defended premier Danielle Smith’s trip to the states in early January.   

“She is going down there to fight for Alberta’s and Canada’s interests,” said Hunter. “In the void of the federal government, where they should be down there talking with, dialouging and debating and deploying diplomacy, they are MIA,” he said of the federal government. “This is something that the premier (did), recognizing what a 25 per cent tariff on Alberta goods would look like and what it would do to our economy,” he said noting her meetings with Trump, senators and  members of cabinet. 

Hunter noted the government is also continuing with the water and wastewater engagement between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat in 2025 and said he hopes to have a report completed later this year.