The Cold Lake city council revisited concerns about elevator maintenance at Points West Living following reports that residents had been without elevator access for two weeks. The issue was first raised on August 28, after residents and their families’ voiced worries about the safety and convenience of the facility, particularly due to the extended maintenance period.
During the meeitng, council discussed a response from Points West Living, which confirmed that while the elevator downtime was an inconvenience, the facility was in full compliance with regulatory standards. The city had previously reached out to Points West Living and local MLA Scott Cyr, seeking solutions to the accessibility problem.
According to Cold Lake’s CAO, Kevin Nagoya, the city had received a response from Points West Living but was still waiting for a reply from MLA Cyr. In their response, Points West Living assured the council that the facility was operating in compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations.
Despite meeting these standards, Point West Living expressed a willingness to improve accessibility by considering the installation of a stair lift. This potential project would require additional funding, either through community fundraising or government grants, Nagoya explained.
Council members debated whether further action was necessary or if they should wait for the MLA’s response. Councilor Chris Vining expressed his satisfaction with the information received from Points West Living, stating, “I’d be happy to accept it as information from Connecting Care. I don’t know if there’s much more, but we’ve clarified where they’re at. I’m not sure if we need to continue now on this one or not.”
Councilor Vicky Lefebvre echoed Vining’s sentiments, saying, “Ditto to what Coun. Vining said. I think we’ve done what they requested us to do in the letter, to do the advocating on their behalf, to let them know and bring awareness to the subject. So, I think we can just accept this as information.”
Mayor Craig Copeland suggested the council explore the possibility of installing a stair lift to help residents access the lower floor, acknowledging that it could alleviate some of the difficulties experienced by those on the upper level. The council ultimately decided to postpone further action, agreeing to wait for a response from MLA Cyr while leaving open the possibility of supporting the stairlift project if it became a viable option.
