COLD LAKE - A 28-year-old woman from Cold Lake was found dead near the marina by the totem poles on the morning of Feb.11. And while RCMP have stated there is no suspicion of foul play, the tragedy has ignited discussions about homelessness, public perception, and the harsh realities of winter in Alberta.
Cst. Corey Riggs, the public information officer with the Alberta RCMP media group, confirmed that drugs were found at the scene. He also noted that a name of the deceased has not been released due to next of kin not yet being notified.
“It might have been a combination of that, plus the cold, but we won’t know until the medical examiner comes back with their report,” Riggs said. “At this time, it’s not criminal in nature.”
Surveillance footage from the area reportedly shows no suspicious activity.
When asked if cases like this are common in Alberta during extreme winter temperatures, Riggs noted that while not frequent, such incidents do occur.
“I wouldn’t say it happens all the time. But for instance, I live in Red Deer, so we had one last year where it was a similar situation, so these things do happen. But it’s not happening all the time.”
A friend’s perspective
For those who knew the victim, the circumstances surrounding her death raise deeper concerns about attitudes toward homelessness in Cold Lake. Emilie Suhai, a friend of the deceased, learned about the tragedy through social media.
“I believe no one helped because they either saw her and had a discriminative attitude towards homeless people, thinking she put herself there or didn’t deserve help, or perhaps they felt afraid to approach her, despite her probably being sitting/laying down,” Suhai said.
Suhai highlighted the negative bias against homeless individuals in Cold Lake, particularly on social media, where harmful comments are common. She noted that many people react with fear or anger rather than kindness, worsening the issue.
Suhai believes that even if someone had seen the woman in distress, they may have chosen not to intervene.
“So, I firmly believe that if at least one person saw her, it is incredibly possible that they decided to leave her be, simply because she appeared homeless and they think lowly of homeless individuals, probably thinking to themselves that it is her problem to deal with or her fault that she is in that position.”
A growing concern
Suhai says she has noticed an increase in Cold Lake’s homeless population in recent years but refutes the idea that people are being sent to the city due to there being a shelter in operation.
“The people who are migrating here are coming because they have friends or family here, or because it is a safe stop en route to their destination,” she said. “No one is being shipped here because we were granted a shelter. The shelter barely receives the funding and care it deserves.”
She emphasized the need for more resources and professional staffing at the John Howard Society to ensure it can remain open consistently.
“It needs more professionals working there so it can be open more often. So many times I’ve had individuals come to me while I’m on break and mention that the shelter is closed for some fixable reason.”
A demand for services
Leona Heisler, Program Manager of the Cold Lake John Howard Society, shared concerns about the increased demand for shelter services.
“We were full last night. We have been near capacity the other night. Been getting calls from other areas, Onion Lake, Bonnyville,” Heisler said, during a particularly cold spell in February that lasted several days and saw temperatures regularly in the minus 30 range.
Heisler highlighted the challenges faced by those in need of shelter.
“We don’t usually turn anybody away,” she said. “But it’s difficult when they’re on the north side because the bus has quit running at 9 p.m. The last bus leaves, I think, that side at 8 p.m. It takes about an hour for the route to go around. So, if they miss the bus, say they’re at the hospital or anything else, and they miss the bus, they pretty much don’t have any way to get back here.”
The John Howard Society’s facility is located at 4716 40 Avenue in Cold Lake South, which is about nine kilometres from the Cold Lake Marina.
A life lost
Suhai recalls the short but meaningful friendship she had with the deceased, describing her as being kind and full of love. Suhai described how her friend had a contagious smile and how she never asked for anything.
Suhai’s last memory of her friend was in the Walmart parking lot, where she was asking for propane money to keep warm.
“She told me, ‘Please don’t get angry with me for panhandling. I just need $4 for propane to keep us warm.’ She jokingly said that - ‘don’t tell on me for panhandling’ - she knew she wasn’t supposed to, but it was the only way to survive in her situation.”
