COLD LAKE - The City of Cold Lake has decided against participating in a provincial pilot project that would allow golf carts and other mini vehicles on public roads, a move that has sparked debate within the community.
In October of last year, the City sent a letter to the provincial government seeking clarity on regulations for enclosed electric scooters, like GIO models, amid rising safety concerns and the need for local regulations to keep up with new technology.
During the Jan. 21 Corporate Priorities Meeting, council reviewed Alberta’s initiative to test the use of these vehicles on municipal roadways.
“After our meeting in October, where concerns about the Gio vehicles were specifically brought up, we approached the province for updates to the legislation surrounding these kinds of vehicles, as well as what they are classified as,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “Although some companies market them as mobility devices, they are much larger, heavier, and faster than what is commonly known as a mobility aid.”
Under current legislation, golf carts and similar mini vehicles are restricted from public roads. The province’s pilot project, which runs until mid-2029, offers municipalities a framework to regulate their use as an alternative mode of transportation.
However, participation requires provincial approval of designated routes. The Gio, a small enclosed electric vehicle, falls under the classification of a golf cart rather than a mobility aid, meaning it cannot be driven on municipal roads, highways, or the Millennium Trail, according to the City of Cold Lake.
Copeland explained that Gio-type vehicles don't fit current legislation. They're too large for indoor use, too fast for pedestrian walkways, and too slow for Highway 28, making them unsuitable for Cold Lake.
“Although we were given the option to participate in the pilot project and look at regulations to allow golf carts or mini vehicles on public streets, council decided not to pursue it at this time,” he said. "We cannot support GIOs, or any other mini vehicle, driving up and down the highway between Cold Lake North and South. They also cannot safely use the Millennium Trail. And so there does not seem to be a strong use case for them in Cold Lake unless specific infrastructure was created to accommodate them.”
Community Concerns
The decision has left some residents frustrated, particularly those who rely on Gios for mobility. Rev. Jeremy Willment, the worship director at the Harbor Light Alliance Church in Cold Lake, is among those impacted.
“I’m a GIO owner and I own it because I am no longer allowed to drive because I am legally blind. But legally blind doesn’t mean I can’t see,” said Willment. “But it means that I am not legal to drive a motorized vehicle anymore on the highways. And now with this new bylaw that the City of Cold Lake has passed, it is a branded bylaw.”
Willment believes the bylaw unfairly targets GIO vehicles, noting that only three residents use them regularly. He sees it as discrimination against a small group of individuals.
While acknowledging safety concerns about highway travel, Willment stressed that enclosed mobility scooters like the GIO are essential for some individuals.
“For a person like myself, I can’t drive an open mobility scooter because I have neuropathy, and in subzero weather, my feet and hands freeze. My eyes freeze into solid lumps in my skull,” he explained. “I need an enclosed mobility scooter. I have no choice.”
Willment expressed concerns about the bylaw's wording, noting that it bans any product with the GIO name, including various mobility scooters like the Geotron.
He said misinformation and a prior incident involving an e-scooter may have influenced the decision.
“Somebody had hit a lady in October with an e-scooter, but it got passed to us in our mobility scooters that we were the ones who hit her. It has since been corrected in some of the media, but it hasn’t been publicly corrected.”
Willment highlighted the bylaw's potential impact, explaining that as a pastor, he relies on his GIO mobility scooter for quick responses to urgent calls, such as providing end-of-life care. Without it, he is unable to perform his duties as efficiently.
Willment and other GIO users plan to challenge the bylaw and will have a delegation at the Feb. 25 council meeting.
“If federally we are sanctioned as a mobility scooter or a mobility aid with these GIOS, then for a local government like this to supersede that and try to change the classification, legally they can’t,” Willment argued. “If they continue, I do believe that those of us who own the GIO’s will pursue a human rights lawsuit.”
