The city of Cold Lake’s regular council meeting on August 13th was dominated by discussions on the escalating crime and safety issues in the community. The meeting featured the attendance of Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scotty Cyr, who joined local officials and community representatives to address these growing concerns.
Coun. Vicky Lefebvre opened the discussion by emphasizing the ongoing challenges the city faces in making the community a safer place. “We’ve done a number of things, but you’ll see with the next presentation coming up, we’re still being challenged,” Lefebvre stated. She highlighted the inefficiencies in the judicial system, citing that out of 17 cases reviewed at a recent court session, only two were addressed.
MLA Cyr echoed these frustrations, underscoring the need for more efficient legal proceedings. “It would be nice to see some more movements through these court cases… the ones that are actually doing vicious assaults and stuff like that, those ones we have to be making sure we’re getting through,” he said, pointing out the urgency of addressing violent crimes more effectively.
Mayor Craig Copeland also weighed in, describing the current situation as increasingly dire. “It’s frustrating because we’re spent some time following a certain individual in our community that has caused problems… but the courthouse is way too lenient. Our business community is getting killed. Our residents are scared to go shopping in some places,” Copeland remarked.
The mayor painted a stark picture of the situation, describing how people are living in makeshift camps containing guns, drugs, and other dangers. “Over 70 percent of them are from the local area… and it doesn’t seem like we’re winning.” He emphasized the need for long-term treatment for individuals struggling with meth addiction, arguing that short-term solutions are ineffective. “We have to have the power to put people away for treatment right off the street, and away they go for a couple of years. Meth can’t be dealt with in 30 days at the Remand Centre.”
Cyr supported the mayor’s call for more robust treatment options, sharing his efforts to establish a recovery centre in the area. He mentioned that one of his first actions in office was working on a proposal for a recovery centre, emphasizing that arresting people isn’t a solution. He believes addicts need to break the cycle they’re in. Cyr also stressed the importance of comprehensive solutions, including expanding successful navigation centres and exploring mobile options to assist those in illegal camps.
Representatives from the Stepping Stones Crisis Society and Orbiting Trends, a Cold Lake thrift store, discussed the growing crime in downtown Cold Lake at a recent meeting. Cindy Yang, director of Stepping Stones, described a worsening situation with increased vandalism, theft, and aggressive behavior threatening both staff and customers. “We’ve seen a significant rise in incidents over the last 12 months,” Yang noted.
April Simard from Orbiting Trends reported over 25 incidents involving drug use, vandalism, and harassment in the past two months. Despite heightened security and attempts to involve authorities, the problems persist, creating an unsafe environment. Yang urged city council to consider additional security measures and advocate for more mental health and addiction support as long-term solutions.
Mayor Copeland acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, expressing concern over the ongoing challenges faced by businesses like Stepping Stones and Cold Lake John Howard Society.
The meeting also touched on Cold Lake’s efforts to address illegal encampments. On August 8th, the city released information on its efforts to balance providing shelter and support for its vulnerable population while ensuring public safety by curbing illegal encampments, aggressive panhandling and property crime.
Statistics from the Cold Lake John Howard Society indicate that most of the population living in shelters and illegal camps around the city are from the local area. To date, Peace Officers and RCMP officers have removed 33 encampments, transporting over 24,000 pounds of camp materials to the landfill.
As the meeting concluded, Mayor Copeland mentioned that the city will evaluate whether to enhance services or projects during the upcoming budget discussions, acknowledging that while significant investments were made last year, the ongoing issues will require continued focus and resources.
