COLD LAKE - Big trucks, paintable plows, and wide-eyed kids filled the City of Cold Lake Public Works Shop on May 22, as the City of Cold Lake hosted its annual open house in celebration of National Public Works Week.
The event was a chance for residents to meet the people behind the essential services many rely on - but rarely think about. From water treatment to road maintenance, garbage collection, and public transit, the Public Works team pulled back the curtain on their day-to-day operations.
“We take this weel . . . to celebrate what Public Works does for the community and to help educate the community with what we do,” said Cindy O’Brien, administrator at the Public Works Shop. “People take things that we do for granted, not on purpose, but just because they’re not educated about it.”
Thursday’s open house featured a full display of city equipment, including garbage trucks, transit buses, and even a Zamboni. Families could climb into the vehicles, learn how traffic lights operate, and see how water is purified for drinking.
“So, you can come here, and you can see all the equipment that we use . . . And we want to get the kids involved,” O’Brien said. Activities also included painting plows, and planting seeds with the Parks Department.
Earlier in the week, residents took part in water treatment plant tours and picked up free compost at the transfer station. A community cleanup also began, with volunteers receiving bags and gloves to help beautify their neighborhoods.
On Friday, City staff were collecting items for the Cold Lake Food Bank at No Frills and Sobeys. And on Saturday, the Public Works Shop hosted its Toxic Round Up, where residents could safely dispose of electronics, paint, and household hazardous waste for free.
