COLD LAKE - Residents are pushing the city to increase security at the Cold Lake Marina after two boats were broken into earlier this month.
During council's June 15 corporate priorities meeting, they discussed Russ Robertson's request for the municipality to install security features, such as fencing and cameras, at the marina break wall.
“I think it’s no, no, no, ten thousand times no to putting anything on that pier. It’s public access. I don’t think putting fencing up is going to change the security," Coun. Kirk Soroka stressed. “What you’re talking about is a passive security system, fencing. If someone wants to get in, they’re going to get in there."
Council was in complete agreement when it came to restricting access to the pier in the evenings.
"When I saw the letter, I can appreciate where they’re coming from, but that is a public pier and it’s one of the feature pieces for the City of Cold Lake, and to deny evening strolls and that down there just wouldn’t be thinkable,” stated Coun. Bob Buckle.
He added, “Having said that, I do think there’s perhaps an opportunity, or one to be considered, rather than gate-off the entire pier, you could probably run a small gate access along the breakwater where those boats are, offering them the same level of security that is with the rest of the marina."
Coun. Duane Lay agreed.
“I would be in favour for administration to just see what’s out there. I am not in favour of closing off the marina, of course, I don’t think anyone is in favour of that, but I know there’s lots of stuff out there that could be used as security for the boats along the breakwater."
Currently, the city has security personnel patrol the area, however, Soroka feels "that service provider failed miserably" when it came to the incident that happened in early June.
For some members of council, it seemed unfair that boats parked along the break water have no security yet are paying the same as those with slips, which are fenced-off from the public.
Coun. Chris Vining said, “While I appreciate their email and concern, this again becomes one of those parts of when people take on a berth at the marina, this is what you get, this is the level of service that we’re at, these are the piers, this is the breakwater. If you choose to take a berth on the breakwater, well what do we have in place for security? Well, we monitor it using private contractor overnight and that’s as fallible as it is infallible when you’re dealing with human surveillance."
Soroka agreed that boat owners take the chance.
“The folks that get those berths, unfortunately, it’s like putting your car in a parking lot, you take the risk."
Council directed administration to look into their options, and have deferred any decisions until 2022 budget deliberations.
Meagan MacEachern, Bonnyville Nouvelle
