Cold Lake, AB – Cold Lake City Council voted in favour of allowing childcare facilities to operate 24 hours a day.

In order to allow childcare facilities to operate over night, the definition of a “Child Care Facility” in the City of Cold Lake’s Land Use Bylaw was required. The deregulation was prompted by proponents interested in operating a childcare facility with 24-hour service.

“Flexible, affordable childcare is a priority in many communities across Canada, and Cold Lake is no exception,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “Childcare becomes more crucial and more difficult when you are a shift worker, and we know that Cold Lake has it’s fair share of shift work in the region.”

The need for a 24-hour childcare option has also been expressed to the City of Cold Lake by several major employers in the region. The previous definition followed past norms and had expressly disallowed for over night care. Changing norms and the growing need for childcare options brought the matter to council’s attention.

The change to the Land Use Bylaw received first reading at council’s November 26, 2024, meeting. No feedback for or against the proposal was received through the public hearing process and council passed second and third readings on the bylaw at its January 14, 2025, meeting.

“Now more than ever, households are relying on two incomes to get by,” Copeland said. “Childcare is always an important factor in a family’s ability to access the labour market, and we will do all that we can to ensure that Cold Lake families have the options they need available to them.”

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