COLD LAKE - The City of Cold Lake welcomed residents to an open house at the Lakeland Inn on Oct. 24, where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and address concerns in an open questions and answer session.
Mayor Craig Copeland led a presentation, covering various projects and community updates for 2024 and beyond, such as carbon capture, homelessness and infrastructure.
“We haven’t had an open house for a while,” said Copeland, adding it was important to hear community feedback.
Carbon capture and F-35s
A detailed PowerPoint prepared by CAO Kevin Nagoya addressed major ongoing developments, including the EllisDon carbon capture project, upgrades to the Cold Lake 4 Wing base, and the upcoming F-35 facility.
One of the focal points was the EllisDon carbon capture initiative, also known as "The Pathway," which aims to transport carbon emissions from the oil sands region to geological storage sites. Copeland explained, “All that carbon is going to come from a pipeline and feed kind of through the air weapons range to LaCorey and keep on going down.”
He also added that although the project might not yield significant permanent jobs, it would benefit the market by improving the carbon profile of the region’s oil.
Construction at Cold Lake 4 Wing also took center stage during the presentation, with Copeland emphasizing the scale of the multi-year project.
“When it comes to the big construction project on the Wing, it’s going to be a huge deal. So, for sure you’re going to see construction out there for at least five years.”
The project includes a 60,000-square-meter building and a new back gate for accessing the base, among other upgrades. The highly classified F-35 jets will also soon arrive in Cold Lake, although their expected deployment has been slightly delayed.
More growth
In addition to construction and infrastructure, Copeland highlighted population growth, the need for more housing, and an increased demand for rental properties, issues that echo Cold Lake’s past challenges during periods of economic boom.
“We are concerned that there will be a lack of rentals and houses in Cold Lake soon,” he stated, noting that rental costs may rise as demand increases.
The City also presented data showing Cold Lake’s steady population growth, stressing its impact on local resources, especially housing and education.
“If you look at some of the communities in northeastern Alberta, they don’t necessarily have that,” Copeland said, pointing to Cold Lake’s unique situation. The mayor noted the city’s high proportion of young residents and the potential strain on local schools, saying, “For anybody in the education system, what’s really interesting is. . . this big wave coming through, and our high schools are already pinched out as it is.”
Copeland highlighted the importance of a recent infrastructure assessment, which provided critical data to support requests for additional funding from the province. He explained that the city has developed various area structure plans that guide developers through the approval process, emphasizing their availability to the public for transparency.
Additionally, he praised the city’s efforts in collecting and sharing data during budget deliberations, noting that this information helps illustrate how the city’s spending aligns with provincial averages. The data shows that Cold Lake is managing its finances effectively without exceeding the provincial average in spending.
Looking toward fiscal responsibility, Copeland presented budget data comparing Cold Lake’s per capita spending to provincial averages.
He shared, “On a per capita basis . . . I think it’s a real fair way of comparing yourself to other municipalities.” He reassured attendees that Cold Lake’s spending is aligned with Alberta’s municipal norms, indicating careful financial management by the city council.
Homelessness
Copeland also addressed social issues affecting the community, such as homelessness, encampments, and rising crime rates. He expressed surprise at how these concerns have become prominent in recent years, highlighting that they are now critical topics for municipal governments across North America.
Copeland discussed the widespread presence of encampments in Cold Lake, noting their locations near the city dump, Walmart, the AgriPlex, and Cold Lake North. He expressed concern about ongoing issues at the landfill, where there have been uncontrolled fires and other challenges for City staff and nearby residents.
To tackle these issues, the City has funded initiatives such as the John Howard shelter, which provides temporary accommodations for individuals in need.
“Ten men on one side, 10 females on the other side. It's got laundry, washrooms, showers, a great kitchen . . . And so if they need a place, if somebody needs shelter, the place is available,” Copeland explained.
However, he acknowledged the difficulties faced by staff at the shelter, saying, “For the staff, the volunteers that work at the shelter, it's a tough job and there's not a lot of respect that these individuals are showing to the workers.”
The City is taking action to address unauthorized camping, with recent efforts resulting in the removal of several camps.
“Recently there were about seven camps that [officials] went in and took down . . . We're not encouraging setting up a tent community around Cold Lake. So, we're taking the tents down, taking the community down. Most of them are all on private land, so we work with a private landowner to enter on the ground,” stated Copeland.
In response to questions about enforcement, CAO Nagoya clarified the situation, stating, “That was nine camps removed today, 14 charges laid against individuals in regard to unauthorized camping and sheltering.”
He emphasized the ongoing challenges with the legal system, acknowledging that even with enforcement and charges being laid, many individuals are released back into the community.
Healthcare
The City also highlighted efforts to improve healthcare access, discussing the expansion of the Glacier Medical Clinic.
"This is a really neat initiative. The vision was to look open up a clinic in Cold Lake . . . We've gone from one doctor when we took it over to now up to four or five,” said Copeland.
He expressed optimism about future healthcare improvements, noting, “40 per cent of people in Cold Lake don't have a doctor. And so, I think things are going to dramatically change here soon because everybody knows when a doctor comes in, they're basically replacing somebody that's been retiring or leaving.”
Wastewater treatment plant
Another topic addressed was the new wastewater treatment plant, which has become a pressing concern for the City.
“What a lot of the public doesn't know is that we have been in and out of non-compliance with the federal government for many years,” explained Nagoya.
He spoke about the importance of upgrading the wastewater treatment facility, highlighting that the City has managed to avoid fines under Canadian environmental laws by working towards a new treatment process. However, the facility has previously struggled with compliance issues, particularly related to the lethality test, which assesses the impact of wastewater on aquatic life.
The CAO outlined the strict requirements for wastewater management imposed by the federal government, which include monthly assessments related to fish hatchery impacts. He explained the difficulties in meeting environmental standards, noting that the City's wastewater consistently fails a test that evaluates how long Rainbow Trout can survive in treated water, with a requirement for the fish to live longer than 24 hours.
Nagoya warned that not adhering to environmental standards could result in significant fines.
Copeland also acknowledged the importance of the provincial funding supporting the project, “So a big shout out to the province . . . $8.78 million towards the project of $33 million. And so, the rest will be debt laden. . . This is a long overdue project and we're pretty excited to be able to give the staff something to work with.”
