Wednesday’s MD Council meeting brought up a recurring issue of garbage around the Cold Lake campground.
In his committee report, councillor Dana Swigart said many ratepayers in the area think the campground and surrounding area are owned by the MD, but it’s actually provincial land, which Swigart says they don’t really maintain at all.
Several letters have been sent to the province to get someone to come and clean it, but response has been minimal at best. CAO Chris Cambridge said they sent a letter two years ago and it was the first time they got so much as a “bit of a response” since he’s been with the administration.
The Beaver River Watershed Alliance in conjunction with a couple other organizations took a group of students down to cleanup the area in September, but apparently it’s back to its old messy ways. The MD provided a bin to the effort but it’s difficult for them to put staff in the area as it’s not their jurisdiction.
The MD will send another letter to the province looking for some action. Representatives from the MD will be in Edmonton next month for the AAMDC (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties) conference and will try to track down the relevant authorities to discuss the issue with there.