Mayor Blaine Hyggen: Co-operation, time away, keys to city hall success
Blaine Hyggen was no to stranger city hall when he became Lethbridge’s mayor.
He was first elected to council in 2013 and served two terms before being elected mayor in 2021. But that experience, he said, didn’t quite prepare him for how different things would be in this new role.
It has been a been a challenging but enjoyable experience, because he likes to get at issues “head on,” Hyggen said.
Lethbridge is Alberta’s fourth-largest city with a population of a little more than 106,000 in 2023. Councillors are part-time, but the position of mayor is a full-time job. That means when concerns arise, people often turn to him first, Hyggen said, their view being “the mayor’s going to fix it all. I’ll call the mayor.”
Hyggen is also aware that, while he is one of nine members of council, each with one vote, at times when he speaks he does so as “the voice of your colleagues.”
Variety of Opinion is Key
It is a strength that his council colleagues have differing opinions and are passionate when expressing them, Hyggen said. At the same time, council is “more cohesive” than ever and, despite some at times heated debates, “there’s a mutual respect like never before.”
That diversity of opinion and mutual respect is useful when taking on some of the really tough issues Lethbridge is facing. None of these perhaps are more complicated, or pressing, than homelessness.
In recent years, the number of encampments by homeless individuals around Lethbridge has increased dramatically. This is an issue across the country, but Hyggen said the exponential growth in homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic took him by surprise. It is a challenge that must be taken on, even if – once again – he is being looked at as the one to “fix” the situation.
“We all get into these roles expecting that there’s going to be challenges and it’s not going to be an easy path,” Hyggen said.
Time for Real Change
Homelessness, public safety, and the opioid crisis are serious issues that are daunting problems for all levels of government, but Hyggen is confident that real change can be achieved locally in Lethbridge.
Recently, council approved extra funding for a co-ordinated approach to encampments by homeless individuals. This meant no more of the police doing one thing, social agencies doing another, and the city doing its own thing, Hyggen said. The city also hired two full-time encampment response positions and one full-time housing specialist.
The goal, he said, is to get people out of the encampments and into housing. There were also added resources made available for policing costs, biohazard cleanups, and other outreach services.
“We’re not there to remove tents and kick people out,” Hyggen said. “This is their homes. It’s really sad to say, but it’s true. And so we want to make sure that we can get them through this continuum of care.”
Positive results are already being seen, Hyggen said. “It’s working. Is it going to fix everything? There’s no crystal ball. But we have seen a difference already with having a collaborative approach.”
City Hall Lessons Learned
Hyggen said he has learned many lessons since being elected mayor, including how important it is to have a life outside of city hall.
To be done effectively, the role of mayor requires a good deal of work-life balance, something Hyggen said he has not been as good with as he should have been. In fact, he often found himself putting in 18-20-hours days.
The problem, he said, is that with the job of mayor you are “always on.” Social media is always on. The emails are always going. He needed to find a better way to have that balance. After all, he has a family that deserves his time as much as he deserves theirs.
Being able to put aside the often-stressful job of mayor is also about protecting himself from burnout.
“You’re dealing with some pretty contentious issues,” Hyggen said. “You need to take some time to breathe, some time away. At the beginning, if it wasn’t 18 hours a day, I would be surprised.”
Time Away Leads to Success
Hyggen’s message about work-life balance is one he extends beyond his fellow mayors to councillors who also don’t find themselves with a lot of down time.
Hyggen recommends literally booking off time in your personal calendar. When those times come around, for example, on a Friday afternoon where he has booked off some time to go golfing with friends, Hyggen reminds his council colleagues not to feel guilty about doing the same.
“It truly was hard to do because I thought, why am I golfing when I could be doing work? And what if somebody sees me out golfing? They’re going to think that I’m not doing my job. That goes through your mind all the time. But it’s something where you do need that break.”
Hyggen calls it a reset, a kind of “filling that canteen for next week.” He recommends starting small with maybe a few hours on late Friday afternoon. Perhaps it is booking off a few evenings to spend time with his family or even schedule a date night with his wife.
“Book yourself time for that,” he said. “I want to emphasize the importance to anybody that it’s so important that you don’t burn out and that you do take the time for yourself. People will understand that is needed.” MW
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Sean’s other article: Local government champions look ahead to new experiences.
Sean Meyer is Senior Editor for Municipal World.
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