Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney joined students and leadership of Lethbridge Polytechnic Wednesday to reveal the institution’s new logo at a celebration Wednesday.
The event was the minister’s first visit to Lethbridge Polytechnic since she announced redesignation of the institution as a polytechnic in late June, a change that took effect Sept. 3.
“Seeing the exciting, new visual identity really brings home the fact that this is the start of a whole new era for Lethbridge Polytechnic,” Minister Sawhney said. “Students in southern Alberta will have new options to pursue polytechnic education programs without having to travel to our province’s largest centres. This will help them reduce living costs while they study, and lessen their time away
from family and familiar support networks. And, they will have expanded career options in their own region upon graduating.”
As the only polytechnic south of Calgary, the redesignation fills a gap in southern Alberta’s post-secondary landscape, giving students a new choice and opportunities for more pathways to careers or other post-secondary institutions.
”The unveiling of our new logo is about more than just a new design,” said Michael Marcotte, chair of the Lethbridge Polytechnic Board of Governors. “It symbolizes our transition from Lethbridge College to Lethbridge Polytechnic, marking our evolution as an institution that’s forged on providing industry-driven, hands-on education. This transition represents the spirit of innovation, collaboration and community that runs through everything we do.”
Dr. Brad Donaldson, president and CEO of Lethbridge Polytechnic, said the new visual representation was designed with input from more than 500 current, former and prospective students, employees and partners in the community through the summer and early fall.
“The logo is the result of talking to people who know our institution well,” Donaldson says. “The result speaks to our past and future, and the caring, inclusive environment students say they find here.”
Minister Sawhney was joined by Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf, a Lethbridge Polytechnic alumni, at the unveiling. They spent time after the reveal distributing branded swag to students.
Blackfoot artist William Singer III was on hand to share the logo’s addition to the polytechnic’s Winter Count Robe. Created in 2023, the tanned buffalo hide tells the institution’s history, its beginning as the first publicly funded community college in Canada in 1957, name and logo
changes over time, and other highlights. The robe, a traditional way of transferring knowledge, is used as a teaching tool on campus.
The logo reflects Lethbridge Polytechnic’s connection to southern Alberta’s unique landscape, the mountains in the distance and the gentle arch of coulees and chinooks. It incorporates a familiar green-blue colour gradient to represent land and sky. The smooth transition between colours represents change – in society, the economy and students’ needs – and our responsiveness to them.
The circle symbolizes our inclusive and supportive institution and the sense of belonging our students say they feel at Lethbridge Polytechnic. A border represents a teepee ring and can already be seen painted on the Val Matteotti Gymnasium floor; it speaks to the institution’s commitment to honouring our place on Blackfoot Territory. The text is bold, balanced and with a strong foundation representing more than 65 years of post-secondary education in southern Alberta.
The logo will be displayed on campus and in the community in time for the Fall Open House, a chance for prospective students and their families to visit campus and learn about more than 65 certificates, diplomas, degrees and apprenticeships offered by Lethbridge Polytechnic. Open House runs from 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 6. Students who register in person at the event will save half of their application fee. Register in advance for a chance to win prizes.