What do we want downtown Lloydminster to be?
It is a simple question, but one that deserves a serious conversation.
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The city is investing in the downtown core, with infrastructure upgrades, reconstructed streets and sidewalks, trees, benches (or, the removal of) and other streetscape improvements. But revitalizing downtown cannot be measured only in new pavement and landscaping.
A successful downtown needs people.
It needs businesses that want to open their doors there, residents who want to spend time there and families who feel comfortable walking its streets.
That also means addressing the reality of homelessness and the number of unhoused people who regularly spend time downtown.
This is not about blaming people for being without a home. Homelessness is a complicated issue involving housing costs, poverty, addictions, mental health and other challenges.
Lloydminster’s 2024 Point-in-Time count identified approximately 246 people experiencing homelessness, with 91 per cent of surveyed participants saying they wanted permanent housing.
At the same time, downtown businesses and residents deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their own community.
Those two realities can — and must — coexist.
A revitalized downtown should provide more than attractive streets. It should connect people with housing, support services, businesses, recreation and community.
The future of downtown Lloydminster should not be about moving people out of sight.
It should be about creating a downtown where everyone has a place, while ensuring the area remains safe, welcoming and vibrant.
The bricks and pavement matter.
But people — all people — are what will ultimately bring downtown to life.
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