The City of Cold Lake had implemented several financial relief initiatives to assist residents and local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, during the earlier months of 2021. You can read more about the assistance that was offered below.

The following programs are currently closed, and listed here only as reference.

Financial Assistance for small businesses

A $50,000 fund had been established to provide financial assistance and help offset some of the costs incurred by local businesses to stay open and operational, or re-open under provincial COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. Storefront businesses could apply for a $500 grant, while home-based businesses could apply for a $100 grant. To be eligible for the grant, businesses must hold a 2021 City of Cold Lake business licence, be located within the City of Cold Lake, have provided products and/or services to the public for some portion of time since March 15, 2020 and have incurred expenses (at least $500 for storefront businesses and $100 for home-based businesses) to meet COVID-19 guidelines. Eligible expenses include the purchase of personal protective equipment, sanitization and cleaning products, and modification of work spaces to adhere to physical distancing requirements. Applications are currently closed.

Utility Bill deferral

The 3.5% penalty on overdue utility bills had been suspended for the months of February, March and April, 2021. The City continued to invoice residents and business owners during that time, but would not process penalties on balances. Accounts over 90 days in arrears would temporarily not be transferred to the property's tax balance during that period. A similar program was put in place for the months of April, May and June, 2020, which resulted in a total of $11,600 in penalties being waived. Applications for this program are currently closed.

Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPPs) deferral

Property owners who make property tax payments in monthly installments under the Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPPs) could defer their payments for February, March, and April, 2021. It is important to note that the deferral does not constitute a waiver of the payment. The payments would be deferred for 90 days and then the amount of the deferral would be distributed equally over the remaining payments for 2021. TIPPs accounts and associated payments would be adjusted once the 2021 tax rate is set in May, to ensure the total tax bill is collected by December 31, 2021. A similar deferral was in place for April, May, and June of 2020. A total of 40 properties took advantage of the program, of which 57% were residential and 43% were non-residential. Applications for this program are currently closed.

General Accounts Receivable penalty waiver

The 1.5% overdue penalty on General Accounts Receivable invoices had been suspended for the months of February, March and April, 2021. Monthly invoices would continue, but penalties for this period would not be assessed to the account. General accounts receivable covers accounts for transfer station fees, the Meals on Wheels program, Cold Lake Fire-Rescue calls, and leases of City property.

News releases

To view news releases related to Covid-19 and the city's response, head to our News and Notices page and use the search bar to search for Covid-19.