COLD LAKE - The City of Cold Lake and RCMP dismantled an "expansive encampment" on Feb. 26 on public land in Cold Lake South.
According to information released by the City on Feb. 27, "Community Peace Officers from Cold Lake Municipal Enforcement in coordination with the local RCMP detachment and Cold Lake public works and infrastructure staff cleared, disassembled and cleaned up the site of an expansive encampment that included warming fires and was littered with debris."
Five RCMP members, two Community Peace Officers and two Bylaw Officers were on scene to make sure "the encampment was vacated without incident." Contractors then came to the site to do clean-up.
"This included 2,010 kilograms of waste, which was collected and removed from the encampment," according to the City of Cold Lake.
The City of Cold Lake’s Municipal Enforcement and Fire-Rescue resources "have seen a significant amount of work caused by illegal camps, with Fire-Rescue being called to 56 urban camping incidents in 2025 alone," according to the municipality.
Cold Lake and District FCSS staff, along with the Cold Lake John Howard Society, have been working to provide shelter for those in need and provide the required resources, according to the City.
Charges laid
Charges were also laid against some repeat offenders.
"Four individuals were found in the encampment and issued fines for causing a nuisance and trespassing. The Cold Lake RCMP made one arrest as one of the individuals was wanted for outstanding warrants," according to the City of Cold Lake.
“This is a persistent issue but we are persistent people and have a strong team dedicated to public safety,” said Mayor Craig Copeland.
“It’s always disheartening to see that people do not want the help they need, but we will continue to keep our community safe while offering assistance to those who can benefit from it. Our Peace Officers, RMCP officers, firefighters and public works staff have all worked hand-in-hand on this issue. They all deserve a lot of credit," added the mayor.
