Council approves first childcare incentive grant

Cold Lake, AB – Cold Lake Council has approved their first Childcare Space Incentive Grant for a project that will establish a new childcare facility in the community. 

“It’s very encouraging to see that local childcare providers have found this program to be useful in establishing new childcare spaces in our community,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “We established this program to assist in creating new childcare spaces and to push some projects that needed a small helping hand over the line, and that’s what we’ve seen happen.” 

Passed by Council in June of this year, the program quickly caught the attention of three childcare providers in the community. Administration is working with each of the providers on their grant applications, and brought the first completed application to council’s August 26, 2025 Regular Meeting, where the application was unanimously approved. 

The successful applicant, Haven Childcare, is a new childcare provider in the community opening with a total of 24 provincially licenced childcare spaces. 

The Childcare Space Incentive Program allows for funding of $1,500 per new childcare space created up to a maximum of 20 childcare spaces per project. Haven Childcare was approved for the maximum $30,000 grant under the program. Cold Lake City Council has approved funding for a total of 100 new childcare spaces through the Childcare Grant Incentive program. 

“We look forward to seeing additional applications brought forward as there is a great need for additional childcare spaces in our community,” Copeland said. “We are very encouraged that the community has dedicated entrepreneurs who have responded to this need. We look forward to working with them to establish sustainable businesses that will bring a significant benefit to the community.” 

More information about the Childcare Space Incentive Program can be found online at www.coldlake.com, or via email by reaching out to the City of Cold Lake’s economic development department at ecdev@coldlake.com.

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