Infrastructure spending in Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul reflects the Alberta government’s “deep commitment to rural Alberta and our long-term prosperity,” the UCP MLA from the northeast central riding said April 8.
Scott Cyr spoke of dollars towards highways, education, health, municipal infrastructure, and arts, culture and sports to make his point in a member’s statement to the legislature.
In Cold Lake new health care transition beds have opened to meet rising demand. The Premier has announced a new urgent care centre for the city, “an investment that will be transformative for families in the Lakeland region,” Cyr said.
Education planning dollars for Cold Lake are committed “to long-overdue solutions to address the aging infrastructure” of North Star elementary school, Cold Lake junior high school and the Art Smith Aviation Academy.
St. Paul’s emergency department recently underwent a $3.5-million renovation.
Cold Lake’s waste-water treatment plant was awarded $2.9 million of provincial funding for upgrades.
In Bonnyville the Strathcona Performing Arts Centre opened its doors with the support of $500,000 grant through Alberta’s program for community facility enhancement. Another community, Glendon, secured $1 million through the same program for its arena in preparation for the 2026 Alberta Winter Games.
And “bringing the region together” is Elk Point’s arena, awarded a $750,000 Alberta grant under a program aimed at small and mid-sized sports and recreation facilities.
Cyr said Highway 28 improvements are under way across the corridor, including safety upgrades between Smoky Lake and Bonnyville, and engineering for twinning the highway from Bonnyville to Cold Lake. The twinning project is set for a 2026 construction start.
“These investments are not one-time gestures,” said Cyr. “They reflect this government’s vision for a strong, thriving rural Alberta.”
