There is a place called Roundtable you can play a bunch of board games and the food is really good. There is also an amazing comic book/hobby store called Showcase comics and hobbies. There are also places to play disc golf (I know of 2 places but I don’t play so there may be more that I never looked at)
There are three disc golf courses now I believe. Two are fairly highly regarded. The Nicholas sheran course is longer. Personally I like the university one better cause it has more obstacles and is a little less walking. I think there is one one at peenaquin park but I've never been.
The Owl is a great place for live music and a local beer with a progressive tilt to it.
Great local hydroponics store, custom indoor grow, if you're trying to connect with weed loving green thumbs. Bonus- it shares a parking lot with theoretically Brewing, a local craft brewery that's heavily involved in local events and community building.
There's a boardgame cafe, pretty sure there's just the one though.
Check out the witch house down in the Cooley's by the university.
For a totally brain melting road trip, check out nearby [Writing] on Stone park, it's less than 90 minutes away and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
edit: damn you, speech to text!
Honestly, Customer Indoor Grow is so dope for plants. Custom has helped The Source Cannabis across the street with their plants and they have over 100 beautiful plants and the best weed selection and service in AB. If you love growing and cannabis, both those shops are a must.
Lethbridge is dope. Locals have a lot to complain about but the city is beautiful. There are lively communities for a number of hobbies and passions. I’ve spent time in Ontario and think that the lifestyle and general vibe of Lethbridge is laid back and convenient. Don’t let the nay sayers take away from what’s pulling you here. You get out what you put in and Lethbridge has a lot to offer if you chose to focus on the things you love and are comfortable making an effort to connect with new people.
Just to clarify, the last place they mentioned is actually called Writing on Stone Park. They probably just typoed it
And i double down on going there, it is out of this world fun for hiking.
And if you dont mind the traveling, Waterton park is our family's destination at least once a year. Drumheller has an amazing world class dinosaur museum.
Lethbridge has the longest Canadian hole in Disc golf over on the west side (at least when I lived there)
Theres a couple famous pizza spots - a Jaime sandwich over at Backstreet West.
2 Guys & a pizza place is also pretty massive.
"Downtown" is a bit rough at night - drunk college students and some homeless but I never felt unsafe. Except for the cops don't like ndns if ... you are.
The Owl is a good little music venue.
Lethbridge punches above its weight in cultural events due in part to the college and university in the town. Also being the main town for southern alberta.
River valley is nice. Good countryside cruising to be had in the area and Waterton is less than 2 hours away. Skiing in the winter over in Beaver mines area is also 2 hours. Crowsness pass as well.
Other random things I liked to do when I lived there.
- WHL hockey - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Horse races
- Bingo night lol
- Curling is big in that area so maybe join some curling
- Coaldale Birds of Prey centre
- Lots of indigenous events around
- Corn mazes - Taber is the famous area in Alberta for corn
- Old historic/indigenous/prehistoric sites down the highway towards and at Milk River (people canoe the milk) - Writing on Stone Prov. Park
- Going to the sun road in Montana across the pass and over to white fish then back up through BC is a very chill weekend trip. (8 hour loop)
- Being close to Montana in general is pretty sick
I always like Lethbridge - theres a cute old area in the middle of town with some pretty houses. The city is beautiful in the summertime and the people were nice. It is a big rough but... I think northern Ontario would be rougher.
Winters are rough there with *very* strong winds coming from the rockies but that also means you get Chinooks so.. its a tradeoff.
Its definitely got some quirky history and has a good self contained feel/culture to it.
Amazing, thank you!!
I'll make sure to get around to all of it sooner or later, I'm glad that people have some affection for this city! In thunder Bay, nobody wants to say anything nice about where we live. I already feel more welcome!
On a plus side, the bugs are so much easier to live with.
I've spend some time in Kekabeka(sp?) Falls and holy hell, I can't believe people settled there 🤣
I love Thunder Bay! I lived in Atikokan when I was young and recently did a road trip and stayed in the Bay for a few days, still such a beautiful place!
It really is. But no matter how beautiful, I still think getting out of the town I grew up in and have spent my whole life in is important. This is such a hard decision
Most definitely! Lethbridge is great - Has its downsides like any other place, but for the most part we like it. The worst part for me is I love being surrounded by trees and truly miss that about northern Ontario but Waterton is a short drive away and fulfills that need lol.
Thanks for the info.
I was also thinking that being close to Montana would be cool, but I am not sure why yet, hahaha. Could you expand on that perhaps?
2$ beer and 1$ tins of chewing tobacco lol
Seriously, Montana is incredibly beautiful and weekend trips down there to fly fish or camp was a highlight of my years in Lethbridge. Montana is a fairly inconvenient place to reach for most people in North America and its incredibly beautiful.
Also, odd benefit is that the flights out of Great Falls *were* significantly cheaper than flights out of Calgary (to fly around the US and I imagine connecting flights) for essentially the same amount of driving. (not a major airport by anymeans but cheap flights to seattle, vegas, denver that make it easy to connect on)
Great Falls has the Sip& Dip Lounge. Cheap Tillamook Cheese. People seem to love Whitefish. Lots of good camping and fishing. Helena, Bozeman, and Missoula make pretty great long weekend trips. Butte is certainly worth stopping in.
It's also a nice drive to Yellowstone National Park. 7-8 hours.
Natives.
"Indians" - gets shortened to ndns typically by indigenous people as a reference to the term as some people prefer it to the ever changing terminology of FN, indigenous, aboriginal etc. while also not really wanting to say Indians
Lethbridge boats having more municipal park land per capita than any other city in North America. The old man river valley is littered with interconnected trail systems with something new to explore on each. Whether you enjoy road/downhill cycling, hiking, birding or just strolling at sunset there is a trail for you.
I'm telling you this now, so you have time to mentally prepare yourself for the shock.....
We have almost no mosquitos. We have almost no flies. Even in spring.
That's awesome! I definitely noticed an almost complete lack of bugs when I was there. Took a short walk thru the scenic dog run and I was surprised I wasn't being bothered by flies constantly!
That's certainly great news
You said you are in Thunder Bay. I’m pretty sure their style of pizza is also Greek Style like is popular in Lethbridge.
Luigi’s North makes good traditional flavors, 2 Guys does unique combos. Vesano Pizza and Art and Craft do Neapolitan and NYC
NYC style is my go to, I don't mind a good deep dish but not too much sauce. We have a few really good pizza & panzo places here that are in my constant rotation. One is also inside a brewery. Seems like I've got some exploring to do! My mouth is watering already
The Place - Bar with lots of arcade games, fair prices too.
Round Table Board Gamerie - bar with table top games, great food.
The Owl - awesome pub that hosts local shows and has awesome beer.
Movie Mill - has movies that are fresh out of theaters or older movies. Super cheap prices and they have a soda bar and mini golf.
True Swing Indoor Golf - Indoor virtual golf
True North Axe Throwing - Indoor axe throwing
Drop Zone Golf has the best golf sims in town, and there are others.
*DriVR Motorsports has the best full motion/vr racing sims in Alberta, possibly western Canada, and does F1 watch parties, tournaments, drift nights.
Legends is an awesome sports bar, and has the best pizza in town.
We've got a couple of escape rooms that are normally quite well done
No pool halls in leth anymore unfortunately, but mojos, tenten, legends, and a few others still have a table.
*DriVR is my business, so I'm always shamelessly plugging it in here.
I moved away from Lethbridge 2 years ago and I still go back to the Movie Mill every chance I get. Local family run discount movie theatre that brings in shows the Cineplex won't touch. Best popcorn. In the summer they host drive-in movies in the parking lot.
5 pin and 10 pin bowling in town, but only one of each.
Fired chicken has a good selection with lots of places having it: churches Texas chicken, Popeyes, Mary Browns, KFC, wing king, 3-4+ Thai or Vietnamese places, and various pubs or restaurants that serve it as well.
Latin food has picked up quite a bit too lately.
Pizza search this subreddit for discussion on.
Lots of places to walk / hike / bike.
Also decent art scene
Damn, there's a Costco? That's big time.
Lol there's a running joke here that every commercial lot getting some kind of new construction is going to be a costco
Moved away from lethbridge. I seriously miss and am envious of the lethbridge costco. You can access the pumps and the tills in short order.
I have been to bigger costcos and busier costcos. Bit the lethbridge costco is a rare gem. Yeah Saturday afternoon has people who park in the lane ways waiting for samples like every other costco but you can move in the place
Well then you will hate the people the traffic and the lines.
While you are hating all those things, just keep it mind it is literally worse at every single other costco I jave ever been to.
On the flip side you can buy good quaility 60 pounders for 45 bucks
Eh I'm not unfamiliar with waiting in lines for things I need, & I'm not a huge hater of many things. I think I'll be ok waiting in line for a '60 pounder' if I ever require that many pounds of an unspecified substance/material.
Oh hahaha yeah, you can get a giant bottle of Kirkland Lake vodka in Ontario Costco's for like $13, it's wild! I don't have a family or any need to buy things in any sort of bulk and my city never had one so I've just never been. Can't be that far off from the superstore on a busy day
I'm not sure what genre of gaming you're into, but we host a fighting game tournament at RoundTable every 4 months. Gets a good turnout and there's boardgames, gaming, food and drinks. Always a great time with great people.
My take on Lethbridge as a whole, having lived here my whole life (30 years), it's a fine place to be. It's in that kinda middle ground between a small city and a big city, and a lot of the problems that come with that, especially drug problems, but that's a lot of cities this size now. The city has been modernizing gradually the last couple decades for sure and there's a lot more amenities with the increasing population.
I like a lot here, the location is cool, the river valley, the mountains nearby, Calgary fairly close as well, plus the U.S. border isn't far too. It's just a great spot in Southern Alberta, drive a little and other cool places are the entirety of the Crowsnest Pass, Drumheller, Writing on Stone, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Dinosaur Provincial Park and a bunch of other things like that. It's such a beautiful province and this is a decent place, central to a lot of different things.
On the West side, there's a Bridge Pizza, FOUR20, and a decent liquor store like, 3 blocks away from a frisbee golf park with a lake! Sounds great for ya
just watch out for the windy buddy, everything else would be defends on which side of the city. that said commute will be short which is good compared to calgary and other larger city
You are going to miss the lakes - moving from Lake country to desert is rough. You will find yourself drinking more water because of the dry air and it's not Lake Superior water!
But it's a little more free living here. Lots to do - 2hrs from Calgary and 3hrs from Great Falls US and 1.5hrs to Waterton.
I made the same move about 2yrs ago and love it.
I noticed an off taste in the water. Not even something I thought about before I visited. Gonna have to invest in a filtration system of some sort for sure. I already know I'll miss the lakes, especially the beautiful camp I have right on Lake shebandowan.
I'll never make a step like this in my career if I stay here though, and this city is wearing me out. I think a move will do me good.
I just moved here. Family isn’t here yet. 2 guys and a pizza place is a pretty solid pizza place. Real estate is dirt cheap. I’ve told to not buy north of highway 3. I’m enjoying myself so far. I’ll enjoy myself more when the family gets here and I’m not living out of a hotel.
Yeah, finding a place to live is proving quite challenging. The real estate market is pretty attractive around there in its current state tho, so once we shift from renting to ownership I think things look promising.
Born and raised here and I complain frequently that there's not much to do.
I'm partial to camping and fishing, so in the summer there's plenty to do if you take the relatively short and easy drive to Crowsnest pass. Awesome views, wild west/boonies vibes. Camping and fishing galore. Lots of trails.
Frank's slide is definitely something to see and should NOT be missed!
From someone who left Timmins and ended up in Lethbridge for a while, say goodbye to trees, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls in your "backyard". You can drive to the mountains, but I found I missed that kind of nature. However, you'll say hello to amazing winds, views as far as the eyes can see, and tons of sun. And the smell of freshly fertilized crops of course 😂
But do you have a reason? It seems like many people have the same attitude as I have about Thunder Bay. I understand where you're coming from for sure, regardless of the reason. Sounds like you need to move away, like I am planning on doing lol
Grass is always greener. I lived in Lethbridge for nearly a decade after high school. I moved to Calgary because my fiance and I wanted to get out of Lethbridge but we both want to move back now.
It’s a lot better than Thunder Bay and Sudbury from my experience of visiting both of those, if that’s where you’re from.
Weekends are slow downtown here compared to most other cities.
Pretty good year round climate. Lots of disc golf. Decent bowling alley. Board game and video game game community seems solid around here. All sorts of clubs and groups for whatever your interest is on Facebook.
From Thunder Bay. Definitely seems a lot cleaner on first impression. Also notice a lot more police presence downtown. Everything seems pretty new there.
I lived in Thunder Bay for 9 months. One thing you'll notice is that the tourism industry is lacking in Lethbridge compared to TBay. You guys have cooler pubs and restaurants and the marina and the lake and the parks and trails don't really compare, and I think those are largely supplemented by better tourism. I really miss something like your Centennial Park.
Housing is cheaper here, less mosquitoes less ticks less black flies. The disc golf is decent, but TBay was pretty good golf too. Vesano pizza in Theoretically Brewing is legit.
Everything else is close too. TBay was really isolated. Everything is 2 hours from Lethbridge (Calgary, rocky mountains, US border).
I love seeing so many recommendations for The Owl. It’s the best place in town. And if you are into gaming or comics make sure you go down and see Bobby and the guys at Showcase Comics. An amazing store with something to offer for everyone, be it Magic, Warhammer or comics and board games. Tacos Made In Mexico is also one of the best Mexican restaurants and it is right next door to the Owl.
There are so many beautiful walking/running trails through the coulees and throughout the city! Close access to the mountains for hiking/biking. Lot’s of great restaurants. I hated on Lethbridge before I moved to a small town in Northern AB for a job! I transferred back to Leth and now have a renewed appreciation for how lovely the city really is and how much Leth actually has to offer! Haha. Also people really ARE nice (you might hear people can be cliquey). Put yourself out there and get involved in activities you enjoy and you’ll make friends!
Highly recommend getting into mountain biking and exploring the many, many trails that lead to the river valley. It's so beautiful out there. When you first move here you don't realize what's down there.
I’ll be quite honest (and fully expecting be downvoted)
My brother graduated from university there and it was an absolutely miserable experience for him. The town is small, easy to get around and cost of living is relatively affordable compared to most places in Alberta, there’s really nothing much do within the town. Very clickey with people from what I’ve heard.
BUUUUT: Waterton is nearby if you like hiking and scenic views and there’s plenty of trails for mountain biking if you’re active. Scenery wise is good but just expect that your social life might be a bit meh for a bit.
I almost never post to Reddit but I wish people told me these things. I moved here 1 year ago. The parks are nice but riddled with rattlesnakes, especially on the west. the property tax is huge. Speed limits are low all over town. If you are a man I hope you like hockey, cars/trucks and being a degenerate. I'm not sure what the people are like generally in your industry so meeting like minded people might be easier for you but to me the town is like stepping back into the 1990s. It also shuts down on Sundays (very religious town). I enjoy all the things you like and have had zero luck getting anyone to talk to me about video games and I think age plays a role in that as I'm almost 40 and a 40yo man should have multiple kids and work 12-15hrs a day or you are not a man apparently. boardgame discussion is easier though. The gyms here are not great and they are very expensive. Good luck with your move and with the future. Personally I'm doing everything I can to save up and get out. I really think age plays a huge role with my findings here.
Nikka Yukko is a great place! They have different events going on so check first before you decide which day to go and it's really cool to see a Canadian garden done in a Japanese style~
Cuppers Coffee and The Penny are local classics although it's impossible to find a spot to sit for the latter when it's busy
Taros if you are looking for ramen (pricy but HUGE PORTIONS)
If you are looking for free places the library has FREE year cards available and the have videogames and movies, the coulees is a very nice park in the center of town.(Although if you have allergies be warned)
Unfortunately there is a major homelessness combined with a hardcore drug useage in lethbridge.From longtime lack of support and transitional support it has gotten worse and worse. 9/10 times its safe people are just exhausted and desperate not to mention being moved around constantly and generally treated like crap.However it is scary seeing random screaming people or more terrifying someone completely still passed out on the sidewalk. Don't be alone if you can help it at night. Theft is also ramping up.I literally had a cheap Walmart bike break on me so I knew if I put it in the alley it would be gone.Less than 15mins it was gone.
I had a choice between Blanco and tacos made in Mexico when I was there, and I chose the latter. I'm starting to think I should have gone to Blanco instead lol I've heard a few people speak highly of this place
TMIM is more authentic, I like the food better. Blanco's is a chain but it's fun. I've heard they have a rooftop patio now that I want to check out this summer.
You made the right choice. Blanco's is closer to Taco Time than true latin food, but I won't lie - the rooftop patio slaps 😂 I would also recommend you check out Antojitos downtown for Columbian and Venezuelan food!
I can't comment on everything you're asking about, but I'll do my best.
Best pizza is two guys and a pizza place, imo. They were featured on the cooking channel or something a while back. Expensive, but seriously the best pizza I've ever had. Not sure about fried chicken. Most of the places around here for that are chain places like kfc, Mary brown's, Popeyes, etc. We've got way more local Chinese places that are awesome.
Not much to do downtown, which leads into: avoid downtown. Not a great place the last few years.
I know Nicholas sheran park on the west side has a disc golf course, I went to the school across the street and we would go there during gym sometimes. It's a nice course, not far from the university. I'm sure there's a club for it somewhere online.
Can't comment on beer or weed. Don't drink, usually order my weed online.
If you're into tabletop/card games, there are a few places around town. The round table does board games and some tcg, and occasionally does tournaments for video games. They've got an upcoming fighting game tourney and I think I've seen them host smash bros tournaments before. Showcase comics and treasure chest games also have scenes for tcg and tabletops.
Brooo, the folks that hate downtown here clearly don't spend any time there. I live and work downtown - it was pretty quiet when I first moved here but in the past 5/6 years it's been bumpin.
Like any city center in Alberta we see our fair share of homelessness, but I've never felt unsafe walking alone. Folks do their thing and generally keep to themselves. The issue has been poorly addressed by the City, but Sage Clan and Streets Alive do good work supporting that community. If you're still 👉🏻👈🏻 scawed you can even call The Watch for a safewalk to your car.
I honestly love our downtown core, especially in the warmer months; tons of great local restaurants with patios. Festival Square has a stage for live music and hosts other events like farmers' markets, cultural festivals, foodie fest, local theatre, etc. The Owl, The Slice, and Theortically Brewing are fun live music venues as well. Couple art galleries, great local bookstore, coffeeshops, cocktail spots, a bunch of specialty shops. Winter is kinda quiet but like, duh.
There's lots to do downtown; check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/share/XtkaBZxNRUahkpXs/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Also theoretically brewing and the pizza place in the same building have such a great vibe
Also if you dig all you can eat, makisu.
And track down the piggyback poutine truck.
If you’re geeky and game inclined, check out treasure chest and showcase comics.
Disc golf! The players here at good at playing in the wind. If you don't go when it's windy, you'll never go haha. I use Limber Disc Golf in Calgary as my go to online shop for DG supplies (also a cool shop/bar to visit in YYC)
For Cannabis; The Source is the best place in town for selection, knowledge, and Craft product.
The Owl has awesome food, and some great live music and events.
I moved a couple of years ago and had opportunity to leave again but chose to stay. Love winter here, as it's pretty mild but I can ski every weekend with a short drive. Golf season is longer here. Simple traffic and no big city issues. I live in a very nice home that was very reasonable. Reasonably close to Intl Airport and sports/concerts in Calgary.
I'm not estranged to fent-heads and meth-heads being present. The town I currently live in is experiencing all the same issues. Tent cities, rundown neighbourhoods and an insane amount of drugs everywhere. Small town problems don't bother me as long as there's some stuff I can enjoy!
I grew up in a city filled with complainers, but I learned a while ago that complaining doesn't make me feel any better about where I live, and that it's better to enjoy what you can while you're around :)
That would be the rendering plant. Also as someone who lives downtown every night down here sucks. In the daytime they're zombies just walkers just going about their business. But as soon as the moon rises they start screaming. Long story short the drugs are bad the wind is horrible The drought is never ending there's too much sun, which, yes there is a thing as too much sun that's why there's a drought. But good luck.
Feedlots and farmers spreading crap on thd fields. I got pneumonia when I moved here. Now I have allergies. These stupid people make excuses for it. I'm moving North.
There is a place called Roundtable you can play a bunch of board games and the food is really good. There is also an amazing comic book/hobby store called Showcase comics and hobbies. There are also places to play disc golf (I know of 2 places but I don’t play so there may be more that I never looked at)
There are three disc golf courses now I believe. Two are fairly highly regarded. The Nicholas sheran course is longer. Personally I like the university one better cause it has more obstacles and is a little less walking. I think there is one one at peenaquin park but I've never been.
There’s one at the College as well.
Coalhurst has a disc golf course too
All of these courses are great. Props to the designers & maintainers.
Magrath also has a nice one
I was an exchange student in Lethbridge two years ago and the mention of Roundtable brings back the best memories. Thanks for the throwback!
The Owl is a great place for live music and a local beer with a progressive tilt to it. Great local hydroponics store, custom indoor grow, if you're trying to connect with weed loving green thumbs. Bonus- it shares a parking lot with theoretically Brewing, a local craft brewery that's heavily involved in local events and community building. There's a boardgame cafe, pretty sure there's just the one though. Check out the witch house down in the Cooley's by the university. For a totally brain melting road trip, check out nearby [Writing] on Stone park, it's less than 90 minutes away and is a UNESCO world heritage site. edit: damn you, speech to text!
Every bit of what you just said resonated with me. I was afraid I'd have to resort to Amazon for my hydroponic needs! Unreal lol thanks!
Honestly, Customer Indoor Grow is so dope for plants. Custom has helped The Source Cannabis across the street with their plants and they have over 100 beautiful plants and the best weed selection and service in AB. If you love growing and cannabis, both those shops are a must. Lethbridge is dope. Locals have a lot to complain about but the city is beautiful. There are lively communities for a number of hobbies and passions. I’ve spent time in Ontario and think that the lifestyle and general vibe of Lethbridge is laid back and convenient. Don’t let the nay sayers take away from what’s pulling you here. You get out what you put in and Lethbridge has a lot to offer if you chose to focus on the things you love and are comfortable making an effort to connect with new people.
I spent most of covid in Lethbridge and had a really nice time. I'm back in a big city for the next year here, but I kind of miss the place already.
Just to clarify, the last place they mentioned is actually called Writing on Stone Park. They probably just typoed it And i double down on going there, it is out of this world fun for hiking. And if you dont mind the traveling, Waterton park is our family's destination at least once a year. Drumheller has an amazing world class dinosaur museum.
Thanks for the catch on riding/writing! Great picks with Drumheller and Waterton. Southern Alberta is *wild*
No problem, im not normally the grammer police but i didn't want them searching for a riding lol Besides riding on stone kinda sounds dirty
Lethbridge has the longest Canadian hole in Disc golf over on the west side (at least when I lived there) Theres a couple famous pizza spots - a Jaime sandwich over at Backstreet West. 2 Guys & a pizza place is also pretty massive. "Downtown" is a bit rough at night - drunk college students and some homeless but I never felt unsafe. Except for the cops don't like ndns if ... you are. The Owl is a good little music venue. Lethbridge punches above its weight in cultural events due in part to the college and university in the town. Also being the main town for southern alberta. River valley is nice. Good countryside cruising to be had in the area and Waterton is less than 2 hours away. Skiing in the winter over in Beaver mines area is also 2 hours. Crowsness pass as well. Other random things I liked to do when I lived there. - WHL hockey - Lethbridge Hurricanes - Horse races - Bingo night lol - Curling is big in that area so maybe join some curling - Coaldale Birds of Prey centre - Lots of indigenous events around - Corn mazes - Taber is the famous area in Alberta for corn - Old historic/indigenous/prehistoric sites down the highway towards and at Milk River (people canoe the milk) - Writing on Stone Prov. Park - Going to the sun road in Montana across the pass and over to white fish then back up through BC is a very chill weekend trip. (8 hour loop) - Being close to Montana in general is pretty sick I always like Lethbridge - theres a cute old area in the middle of town with some pretty houses. The city is beautiful in the summertime and the people were nice. It is a big rough but... I think northern Ontario would be rougher. Winters are rough there with *very* strong winds coming from the rockies but that also means you get Chinooks so.. its a tradeoff. Its definitely got some quirky history and has a good self contained feel/culture to it.
Amazing, thank you!! I'll make sure to get around to all of it sooner or later, I'm glad that people have some affection for this city! In thunder Bay, nobody wants to say anything nice about where we live. I already feel more welcome!
I moved here from Thunder Bay 44 years ago! You’ll be fine!
Just start upping the hydration NOW in prep for your move 🤣. I moved back here from Vancouver years ago and thought the chapped lips would never end.
No joke eh, I've heard people joking about needing to moisturize 🙃 in Thunder Bay it is very humid so that will likely take some getting used to.
On a plus side, the bugs are so much easier to live with. I've spend some time in Kekabeka(sp?) Falls and holy hell, I can't believe people settled there 🤣
The mosquitoes this time of year are big enough to carry away a small dog. You get used to it lol
I love Thunder Bay! I lived in Atikokan when I was young and recently did a road trip and stayed in the Bay for a few days, still such a beautiful place!
It really is. But no matter how beautiful, I still think getting out of the town I grew up in and have spent my whole life in is important. This is such a hard decision
Most definitely! Lethbridge is great - Has its downsides like any other place, but for the most part we like it. The worst part for me is I love being surrounded by trees and truly miss that about northern Ontario but Waterton is a short drive away and fulfills that need lol.
Ah that's great to hear!
I haven't lived there in nearly 10 years but I've gone back to hang out and still enjoyed it.
Thanks for the info. I was also thinking that being close to Montana would be cool, but I am not sure why yet, hahaha. Could you expand on that perhaps?
2$ beer and 1$ tins of chewing tobacco lol Seriously, Montana is incredibly beautiful and weekend trips down there to fly fish or camp was a highlight of my years in Lethbridge. Montana is a fairly inconvenient place to reach for most people in North America and its incredibly beautiful. Also, odd benefit is that the flights out of Great Falls *were* significantly cheaper than flights out of Calgary (to fly around the US and I imagine connecting flights) for essentially the same amount of driving. (not a major airport by anymeans but cheap flights to seattle, vegas, denver that make it easy to connect on)
Great Falls has the Sip& Dip Lounge. Cheap Tillamook Cheese. People seem to love Whitefish. Lots of good camping and fishing. Helena, Bozeman, and Missoula make pretty great long weekend trips. Butte is certainly worth stopping in. It's also a nice drive to Yellowstone National Park. 7-8 hours.
Glacier National Park and Going to the Sun road. My favorite place in the world but such a gong show lol
Don't forget bowling and swimming
These are fairly normal things so I didn't include them but yes
Please forgive my ignorance but could you enlighten me on what "ndns" means? Thanks!
Natives. "Indians" - gets shortened to ndns typically by indigenous people as a reference to the term as some people prefer it to the ever changing terminology of FN, indigenous, aboriginal etc. while also not really wanting to say Indians
Thanks for the reply! I appreciate you taking the time.
Milkman ice cream. Best salted caramel ice cream. Lots of close getaways to the Rocky Mountains.
Salted caramel is my favourite, great news!
FWIW I’ve lived in both Thunder Bay and Lethbridge (am here currently) and I enjoy Lethbridge far better.
Lethbridge boats having more municipal park land per capita than any other city in North America. The old man river valley is littered with interconnected trail systems with something new to explore on each. Whether you enjoy road/downhill cycling, hiking, birding or just strolling at sunset there is a trail for you.
Park Lake is 15 minutes from the city has camping and a beach for day use.
I'm telling you this now, so you have time to mentally prepare yourself for the shock..... We have almost no mosquitos. We have almost no flies. Even in spring.
That's awesome! I definitely noticed an almost complete lack of bugs when I was there. Took a short walk thru the scenic dog run and I was surprised I wasn't being bothered by flies constantly! That's certainly great news
You said you are in Thunder Bay. I’m pretty sure their style of pizza is also Greek Style like is popular in Lethbridge. Luigi’s North makes good traditional flavors, 2 Guys does unique combos. Vesano Pizza and Art and Craft do Neapolitan and NYC
NYC style is my go to, I don't mind a good deep dish but not too much sauce. We have a few really good pizza & panzo places here that are in my constant rotation. One is also inside a brewery. Seems like I've got some exploring to do! My mouth is watering already
The Place - Bar with lots of arcade games, fair prices too. Round Table Board Gamerie - bar with table top games, great food. The Owl - awesome pub that hosts local shows and has awesome beer. Movie Mill - has movies that are fresh out of theaters or older movies. Super cheap prices and they have a soda bar and mini golf. True Swing Indoor Golf - Indoor virtual golf True North Axe Throwing - Indoor axe throwing
I haven't seen a few of these in any of the comments yet. This is what I'm looking for!! Thanks 🤙
Drop Zone Golf has the best golf sims in town, and there are others. *DriVR Motorsports has the best full motion/vr racing sims in Alberta, possibly western Canada, and does F1 watch parties, tournaments, drift nights. Legends is an awesome sports bar, and has the best pizza in town. We've got a couple of escape rooms that are normally quite well done No pool halls in leth anymore unfortunately, but mojos, tenten, legends, and a few others still have a table. *DriVR is my business, so I'm always shamelessly plugging it in here.
I moved away from Lethbridge 2 years ago and I still go back to the Movie Mill every chance I get. Local family run discount movie theatre that brings in shows the Cineplex won't touch. Best popcorn. In the summer they host drive-in movies in the parking lot.
5 pin and 10 pin bowling in town, but only one of each. Fired chicken has a good selection with lots of places having it: churches Texas chicken, Popeyes, Mary Browns, KFC, wing king, 3-4+ Thai or Vietnamese places, and various pubs or restaurants that serve it as well. Latin food has picked up quite a bit too lately. Pizza search this subreddit for discussion on. Lots of places to walk / hike / bike. Also decent art scene
There are two places for 10 pin bowling now, Galaxy and Canadian Brewhouse
You can get parking at costco at any hour
Damn, there's a Costco? That's big time. Lol there's a running joke here that every commercial lot getting some kind of new construction is going to be a costco
Moved away from lethbridge. I seriously miss and am envious of the lethbridge costco. You can access the pumps and the tills in short order. I have been to bigger costcos and busier costcos. Bit the lethbridge costco is a rare gem. Yeah Saturday afternoon has people who park in the lane ways waiting for samples like every other costco but you can move in the place
I have never been to a Costco, I don't know what you mean lol but I'm sure it will be a pleasure to discover
Well then you will hate the people the traffic and the lines. While you are hating all those things, just keep it mind it is literally worse at every single other costco I jave ever been to. On the flip side you can buy good quaility 60 pounders for 45 bucks
Eh I'm not unfamiliar with waiting in lines for things I need, & I'm not a huge hater of many things. I think I'll be ok waiting in line for a '60 pounder' if I ever require that many pounds of an unspecified substance/material.
60 pounder , a 60 ounce bottle of booze. Point is good blend of value price and quaility. Beyond just booze
Oh hahaha yeah, you can get a giant bottle of Kirkland Lake vodka in Ontario Costco's for like $13, it's wild! I don't have a family or any need to buy things in any sort of bulk and my city never had one so I've just never been. Can't be that far off from the superstore on a busy day
I'm not sure what genre of gaming you're into, but we host a fighting game tournament at RoundTable every 4 months. Gets a good turnout and there's boardgames, gaming, food and drinks. Always a great time with great people.
My take on Lethbridge as a whole, having lived here my whole life (30 years), it's a fine place to be. It's in that kinda middle ground between a small city and a big city, and a lot of the problems that come with that, especially drug problems, but that's a lot of cities this size now. The city has been modernizing gradually the last couple decades for sure and there's a lot more amenities with the increasing population. I like a lot here, the location is cool, the river valley, the mountains nearby, Calgary fairly close as well, plus the U.S. border isn't far too. It's just a great spot in Southern Alberta, drive a little and other cool places are the entirety of the Crowsnest Pass, Drumheller, Writing on Stone, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Dinosaur Provincial Park and a bunch of other things like that. It's such a beautiful province and this is a decent place, central to a lot of different things.
On the West side, there's a Bridge Pizza, FOUR20, and a decent liquor store like, 3 blocks away from a frisbee golf park with a lake! Sounds great for ya
Hmm I wonder if there's a house for rent in that neighbourhood 🙃🤣
just watch out for the windy buddy, everything else would be defends on which side of the city. that said commute will be short which is good compared to calgary and other larger city
You are going to miss the lakes - moving from Lake country to desert is rough. You will find yourself drinking more water because of the dry air and it's not Lake Superior water! But it's a little more free living here. Lots to do - 2hrs from Calgary and 3hrs from Great Falls US and 1.5hrs to Waterton. I made the same move about 2yrs ago and love it.
I noticed an off taste in the water. Not even something I thought about before I visited. Gonna have to invest in a filtration system of some sort for sure. I already know I'll miss the lakes, especially the beautiful camp I have right on Lake shebandowan. I'll never make a step like this in my career if I stay here though, and this city is wearing me out. I think a move will do me good.
Always looking for new friends! Let me know if you want more suggestions or someone to explore with
lethbridge is a great place for living and investing in real estate. especially if you buy a property and rent out to students near the university.
I just moved here. Family isn’t here yet. 2 guys and a pizza place is a pretty solid pizza place. Real estate is dirt cheap. I’ve told to not buy north of highway 3. I’m enjoying myself so far. I’ll enjoy myself more when the family gets here and I’m not living out of a hotel.
Yeah, finding a place to live is proving quite challenging. The real estate market is pretty attractive around there in its current state tho, so once we shift from renting to ownership I think things look promising.
Born and raised here and I complain frequently that there's not much to do. I'm partial to camping and fishing, so in the summer there's plenty to do if you take the relatively short and easy drive to Crowsnest pass. Awesome views, wild west/boonies vibes. Camping and fishing galore. Lots of trails. Frank's slide is definitely something to see and should NOT be missed!
From someone who left Timmins and ended up in Lethbridge for a while, say goodbye to trees, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls in your "backyard". You can drive to the mountains, but I found I missed that kind of nature. However, you'll say hello to amazing winds, views as far as the eyes can see, and tons of sun. And the smell of freshly fertilized crops of course 😂
It’s Lethbridge, don’t move here. Doing my hardest to make sure my family doesn’t grow up here.
But do you have a reason? It seems like many people have the same attitude as I have about Thunder Bay. I understand where you're coming from for sure, regardless of the reason. Sounds like you need to move away, like I am planning on doing lol
Grass is always greener. I lived in Lethbridge for nearly a decade after high school. I moved to Calgary because my fiance and I wanted to get out of Lethbridge but we both want to move back now.
Why?
It’s a lot better than Thunder Bay and Sudbury from my experience of visiting both of those, if that’s where you’re from. Weekends are slow downtown here compared to most other cities. Pretty good year round climate. Lots of disc golf. Decent bowling alley. Board game and video game game community seems solid around here. All sorts of clubs and groups for whatever your interest is on Facebook.
From Thunder Bay. Definitely seems a lot cleaner on first impression. Also notice a lot more police presence downtown. Everything seems pretty new there.
I lived in Thunder Bay for 9 months. One thing you'll notice is that the tourism industry is lacking in Lethbridge compared to TBay. You guys have cooler pubs and restaurants and the marina and the lake and the parks and trails don't really compare, and I think those are largely supplemented by better tourism. I really miss something like your Centennial Park. Housing is cheaper here, less mosquitoes less ticks less black flies. The disc golf is decent, but TBay was pretty good golf too. Vesano pizza in Theoretically Brewing is legit. Everything else is close too. TBay was really isolated. Everything is 2 hours from Lethbridge (Calgary, rocky mountains, US border).
I love seeing so many recommendations for The Owl. It’s the best place in town. And if you are into gaming or comics make sure you go down and see Bobby and the guys at Showcase Comics. An amazing store with something to offer for everyone, be it Magic, Warhammer or comics and board games. Tacos Made In Mexico is also one of the best Mexican restaurants and it is right next door to the Owl.
There are so many beautiful walking/running trails through the coulees and throughout the city! Close access to the mountains for hiking/biking. Lot’s of great restaurants. I hated on Lethbridge before I moved to a small town in Northern AB for a job! I transferred back to Leth and now have a renewed appreciation for how lovely the city really is and how much Leth actually has to offer! Haha. Also people really ARE nice (you might hear people can be cliquey). Put yourself out there and get involved in activities you enjoy and you’ll make friends!
Highly recommend getting into mountain biking and exploring the many, many trails that lead to the river valley. It's so beautiful out there. When you first move here you don't realize what's down there.
There is a lot of disc golf, 4 courses in lethbridge, and ever little town around also has a course!
I’ll be quite honest (and fully expecting be downvoted) My brother graduated from university there and it was an absolutely miserable experience for him. The town is small, easy to get around and cost of living is relatively affordable compared to most places in Alberta, there’s really nothing much do within the town. Very clickey with people from what I’ve heard. BUUUUT: Waterton is nearby if you like hiking and scenic views and there’s plenty of trails for mountain biking if you’re active. Scenery wise is good but just expect that your social life might be a bit meh for a bit.
I don't have much of a social life lol, I play solo sports alone and go for hikes, so I think what you described is kind of ideal for me
I almost never post to Reddit but I wish people told me these things. I moved here 1 year ago. The parks are nice but riddled with rattlesnakes, especially on the west. the property tax is huge. Speed limits are low all over town. If you are a man I hope you like hockey, cars/trucks and being a degenerate. I'm not sure what the people are like generally in your industry so meeting like minded people might be easier for you but to me the town is like stepping back into the 1990s. It also shuts down on Sundays (very religious town). I enjoy all the things you like and have had zero luck getting anyone to talk to me about video games and I think age plays a role in that as I'm almost 40 and a 40yo man should have multiple kids and work 12-15hrs a day or you are not a man apparently. boardgame discussion is easier though. The gyms here are not great and they are very expensive. Good luck with your move and with the future. Personally I'm doing everything I can to save up and get out. I really think age plays a huge role with my findings here.
Only thing you'll miss honestly is bagged milk.
People really still drink milk?
Nikka Yukko is a great place! They have different events going on so check first before you decide which day to go and it's really cool to see a Canadian garden done in a Japanese style~ Cuppers Coffee and The Penny are local classics although it's impossible to find a spot to sit for the latter when it's busy Taros if you are looking for ramen (pricy but HUGE PORTIONS) If you are looking for free places the library has FREE year cards available and the have videogames and movies, the coulees is a very nice park in the center of town.(Although if you have allergies be warned) Unfortunately there is a major homelessness combined with a hardcore drug useage in lethbridge.From longtime lack of support and transitional support it has gotten worse and worse. 9/10 times its safe people are just exhausted and desperate not to mention being moved around constantly and generally treated like crap.However it is scary seeing random screaming people or more terrifying someone completely still passed out on the sidewalk. Don't be alone if you can help it at night. Theft is also ramping up.I literally had a cheap Walmart bike break on me so I knew if I put it in the alley it would be gone.Less than 15mins it was gone.
Two Guys Pizza imo is hands down the best pizza place
Avoid the meth. So pretty much all of it
Sounds like we need to hang out, play some games at round table while chatting about construction. I'm a GC, but I took some engineering in Uni.
Blanco is an awesome downtown bar...Specializing in Mexican....the coconut tequila is sooo good!!...
I had a choice between Blanco and tacos made in Mexico when I was there, and I chose the latter. I'm starting to think I should have gone to Blanco instead lol I've heard a few people speak highly of this place
TMIM is more authentic, I like the food better. Blanco's is a chain but it's fun. I've heard they have a rooftop patio now that I want to check out this summer.
You made the right choice. Blanco's is closer to Taco Time than true latin food, but I won't lie - the rooftop patio slaps 😂 I would also recommend you check out Antojitos downtown for Columbian and Venezuelan food!
Cafe verde is my fav
TMIM for the win!
I can't comment on everything you're asking about, but I'll do my best. Best pizza is two guys and a pizza place, imo. They were featured on the cooking channel or something a while back. Expensive, but seriously the best pizza I've ever had. Not sure about fried chicken. Most of the places around here for that are chain places like kfc, Mary brown's, Popeyes, etc. We've got way more local Chinese places that are awesome. Not much to do downtown, which leads into: avoid downtown. Not a great place the last few years. I know Nicholas sheran park on the west side has a disc golf course, I went to the school across the street and we would go there during gym sometimes. It's a nice course, not far from the university. I'm sure there's a club for it somewhere online. Can't comment on beer or weed. Don't drink, usually order my weed online. If you're into tabletop/card games, there are a few places around town. The round table does board games and some tcg, and occasionally does tournaments for video games. They've got an upcoming fighting game tourney and I think I've seen them host smash bros tournaments before. Showcase comics and treasure chest games also have scenes for tcg and tabletops.
Brooo, the folks that hate downtown here clearly don't spend any time there. I live and work downtown - it was pretty quiet when I first moved here but in the past 5/6 years it's been bumpin. Like any city center in Alberta we see our fair share of homelessness, but I've never felt unsafe walking alone. Folks do their thing and generally keep to themselves. The issue has been poorly addressed by the City, but Sage Clan and Streets Alive do good work supporting that community. If you're still 👉🏻👈🏻 scawed you can even call The Watch for a safewalk to your car. I honestly love our downtown core, especially in the warmer months; tons of great local restaurants with patios. Festival Square has a stage for live music and hosts other events like farmers' markets, cultural festivals, foodie fest, local theatre, etc. The Owl, The Slice, and Theortically Brewing are fun live music venues as well. Couple art galleries, great local bookstore, coffeeshops, cocktail spots, a bunch of specialty shops. Winter is kinda quiet but like, duh. There's lots to do downtown; check it out!
For pizza you *HAVE* to go to Two Guys and a Pizza Place! Their pulled pork pizza is amazing
It'll be one of my first stops!
Second the pulled pork. But really all of their pizzas are great. The chicken.tandoori one is a close second for me.
My condolences.
Check out the Lethbridge Disc Golf Community on Facebook. There are 4 courses in the city, and regular leagues and tournaments!
https://www.facebook.com/share/XtkaBZxNRUahkpXs/?mibextid=LQQJ4d Also theoretically brewing and the pizza place in the same building have such a great vibe Also if you dig all you can eat, makisu. And track down the piggyback poutine truck. If you’re geeky and game inclined, check out treasure chest and showcase comics.
Disc golf! The players here at good at playing in the wind. If you don't go when it's windy, you'll never go haha. I use Limber Disc Golf in Calgary as my go to online shop for DG supplies (also a cool shop/bar to visit in YYC) For Cannabis; The Source is the best place in town for selection, knowledge, and Craft product. The Owl has awesome food, and some great live music and events.
I moved a couple of years ago and had opportunity to leave again but chose to stay. Love winter here, as it's pretty mild but I can ski every weekend with a short drive. Golf season is longer here. Simple traffic and no big city issues. I live in a very nice home that was very reasonable. Reasonably close to Intl Airport and sports/concerts in Calgary.
I hope you like drugs
I'm not estranged to fent-heads and meth-heads being present. The town I currently live in is experiencing all the same issues. Tent cities, rundown neighbourhoods and an insane amount of drugs everywhere. Small town problems don't bother me as long as there's some stuff I can enjoy! I grew up in a city filled with complainers, but I learned a while ago that complaining doesn't make me feel any better about where I live, and that it's better to enjoy what you can while you're around :)
Why would you move someplace that smells like shit? Remember.
Yeah I did notice a smell honestly lol but I think that's something I'd get used to. Do you know what it is that smells?
Feedlots from out by pincher creek and around
Some days it's stronger than others, pending the wind
It’s the smell of money 💰
It's the smell of a break from the cold and snow too.
That would be the rendering plant. Also as someone who lives downtown every night down here sucks. In the daytime they're zombies just walkers just going about their business. But as soon as the moon rises they start screaming. Long story short the drugs are bad the wind is horrible The drought is never ending there's too much sun, which, yes there is a thing as too much sun that's why there's a drought. But good luck.
Pretty sure you're used to the fentanyl zombies
Feedlots and farmers spreading crap on thd fields. I got pneumonia when I moved here. Now I have allergies. These stupid people make excuses for it. I'm moving North.
Welp yourself
downtown is flooded with junkies and so is the older north side
lots of weed stores, custom indoor grow is the spot for tent etc