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City ready to leap into 2017

The City of Cold Lake has seen it's fair share of ups and downs over the past year, but optimism remains vibrant heading into 2017.
File photo

The City of Cold Lake has seen it's fair share of ups and downs over the past year, but optimism remains vibrant heading into 2017.

With projects like the artificial turf field, regional waterline, Canada 150 celebrations and a municipal election on the horizon, it is hard to keep the spirits of Cold Lake residents down.

Mayor of Cold Lake Craig Copeland said one item residents should keep on their radars for 2017 is the sustainability of their city, and the role ID 349 plays.

It was the funding coming from the agreement between the city and the provincial government that helped fund some of the major projects in recent years, including the new fire hall, FCSS building, and the Energy Centre.

“We are really doing a wide range of projects, and I think the City of Cold Lake residents, and the residents in the MD who utilize the city for services, I think this is the number one issue moving forward into 2017,” explained Copeland, adding he is hoping to see the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) transition into the city's hands.

Moving into the New Year, the mayor said he looks forward to seeing the construction of the artificial turf football field, which is paid for up front to avoid hindering the next council, which will be elected in the fall of 2017.

The city will also be starting construction on the second arena, as well as continuing work on Highway 28 and beginning the expansion of the RCMP building.

“Otherwise, it is going to be a quiet budget,” Copeland noted.

MD of Bonnyville Reeve Ed Rondeau said they too have kept the number of projects to a minimum this year, keeping the future council in mind.

“Because the MD has done a lot of the building it required in the past six or seven years, this year is pretty much going to be on roads and trying to catch up on some of the contracts that weren't completed,” explained Rondeau. “It's going to be kind of a catch-up year, so when the new council comes in the fall, they are not having to finish off what another council started before.”

Work on the regional waterline will also ramp up this year, to deliver clean drinking water to the Town of Bonnyville and Cold Lake First Nations.

“That will be a major project, and hopefully construction will start in 2017,” Copeland said, adding it could take up to a year to design the waterline, but they remain hopeful.

Rondeau said the MD fully supports the project, and is excited to see it moving forward in 2017. However, in terms of their own plans for the New Year, the MD is focusing their energy on roadways, with Baywood Road specifically in mind.

“That (road project) is some repairs and some construction and some paving,” Rondeau noted. “It's important to the resident's of that region because it is quite a popular road.”

This year also marks Canada's 150, and the city hopes to celebrate with a bang.

“We increased our budget for that, so we will probably enhance the fireworks performance,” Copeland emphasized.

The city is also debating on whether or not to bring in some big name entertainment for the 150 celebration.

Looking back over the year, Copeland said it was “great for us,” in terms of completing projects inside the city including the major intersection, and the fire hall.

The city also saw its fair share of darker days, with the crash at the Cold Lake Air Show in the summer killing a pilot from Calgary. A young pilot from 4 Wing also died when his plane crashed during a CF-18 training exercise last month.

“We have had some tragedy… Losing a pilot in our community was tough,” Copeland said.

He added that concerns throughout the year included unemployment and the economy.

“I think overall, the economy is still under performing. We have many people who are unemployed, and our business community… is down by a lot, and we somehow have to get the oil patch back up again,” he continued.

Looking ahead into the New Year, Copeland said he is optimistic about the city's projects, and looks forward to continuing to make the City of Cold Lake what its residents deserve.

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