The Alberta government is providing an annual grant of $550,000 to Coaldale to help with the costs of RCMP services. (File photo: LNN)

By Joel Mendelson

Alberta government providing funds to cover policing costs in Coaldale

Apr 11, 2024 | 12:22 PM

COALDALE, AB – The government of Alberta is giving Coaldale an annual grant to cover the costs of local policing.

Since 2016, Coaldale has had a contract with the federal government for local policing.

However, it has been the only municipality in Canada that has had to pay 100 per cent of the cost of its RCMP contract without a federal subsidy. Government officials say that Coaldale ratepayers have been stuck with over $4 million in extra costs.

READ MORE: Alberta backs Coaldale’s push to reduce RCMP costs

The Alberta government is providing an annual grant of $550,000 to Coaldale to help with the costs. Officials say this is in response to the federal government’s refusal to provide Coaldale with the 30 per cent subsidy it extends to similar towns across the country.

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READ MORE: Coaldale mayor says town overcharged for RCMP services

“Coaldale’s unfair treatment is the result of the federal government’s unwillingness to be flexible and consider the needs of small-town Alberta. Where the federal government is unwilling to act, Alberta’s government is stepping in to ensure the residents of Coaldale are safe and protected with stable and predictable police funding,” remarks Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis.

Ellis says the province is committed to doing “whatever it takes” to make sure communities are safe places to live, work and play.

“As a municipality, we’ve always been pleased with our local RCMP detachment, especially under the direction of our current staff sergeant, Mike Numan. But that doesn’t change the fact that for nearly a decade, Coaldale’s been the only municipality in Canada under 15,000 that receives policing from the RCMP at 100 per cent of the cost,” adds Coaldale mayor Jack Van Rijn.

“To be sure, we’ve tried engaging the federal government on this issue, but ever since 2015 our engagement efforts have fallen on deaf ears.”

He continues, “Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case with our provincial government. With the help of Minister Ellis and his team, we’ve been able to find a made-in-Alberta solution to an Ottawa induced problem that will stand to benefit our community for years to come.”

The amount of the grant is not rigid, as officials say it will adjust as the municipal policing agreements do.

The Alberta government notes that although the immediate goal is to lessen the financial burden for the town, the province will continue to advocate for Coaldale to receive the federal subsidy.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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