The City of Cold Lake knows an August 1st deadline for submitting ideas towards ICIP funding means they better get working. Council has discussed the funding opportunity, which sees the province and feds chip in money towards a project in a municipality. The project must meet certain requirements, including being non-commercial.
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland knows putting all his eggs into one basket when it comes to a specific project may not get the result the city desires.
“You sort of make your wishlist and you submit and hope something sticks. There’s not a ton of money out there for municipalities across Canada.”
Council would like to see some work done on the wastewater treatment plant as well as a spruce up of facilities at Kinosoo Beach. Copeland also mentions that airport enhancements for Cold Lake could be an idea pitched.
The funding being offered would cover about 70 percent of the cost of the project. The federal government would take on about 40 percent, with Alberta chipping in just over 30 percent. The rest would be up to the municipality to cover.
Copeland says although budgets have been tight in recent years he doesn’t see that as an issue, especially on high-cost projects like the treatment plant.
“(Municipalities paying the other 30 percent) is a great problem to have. If you’re going to get someone who will give you 60 or 70 cents on the dollar for a project when you go to budget you’ll find the money.”
Other projects council has mulled over for submission include a stormwater outlet that would help the Cold Lake First Nation as well as a staging area on the Iron Horse trail.