COLD LAKE - City of Cold Lake council has officially approved a letter voicing the municipality’s concerns about a lack of funding for improvements to Highway 28, and an overall lack of funding for northeastern Alberta.
The letter was approved by council during the March 26 regular council meeting, after being discussed at a previous corporate priorities meeting
The letter will be sent to the President of the Treasury Board.
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The approved letter, addressed to the provincial Treasury Board, voices the City of Cold Lake council's deep concerns regarding the absence of significant funding for Northeast Alberta in the Government of Alberta's latest budget. The letter highlighted the oversight of crucial projects in Cold Lake and the surrounding region, emphasizing the critical need for investment.
The letter states, "The Government of Alberta’s last budget has almost entirely forgotten our region of the province. While there are many projects in the City of Cold Lake and the surrounding region which could have received government support, it appears that the Government of Alberta chose to resist funding any of our region’s most pressing needs."
A significant focus of the letter was on Highway 28, a vital transportation route for the region, which provides access to the Cold Lake oil sector and the Royal Canadian Air Force base. The letter expressed disappointment in the lack of action despite two decades of advocacy for improvements.
"We are concerned that 20 years of advocacy has received no real action to date," the letter states. The municipality compares the lack of progress on Highway 28 to other highway projects in the province that have received funding and attention, highlighting what it perceives as discrepancies in investment priorities.
The letter concludes with a hope for reconsideration in future budget cycles, especially as economic conditions may improve. The City of Cold Lake emphasizes the need for equitable attention and investment in northeast Alberta's infrastructure and economic development, aligning with the priorities and concerns voiced by Cold Lake's leadership.
Mayor Craig Copeland praised the letter, saying, “It's well done.”
