Advocacy win: Federal court rules in Cold Lake’s favour

Alberta Municipalities is celebrating a milestone alongside the City of Cold Lake after a recent Federal Court of Appeal decision ruled in the city’s favour in a long-running dispute over Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for 4 Wing Cold Lake. 

The ruling challenges the federal government’s position that the land should be assessed as raw, un-serviced land — despite being fully serviced by Cold Lake’s water and sewer infrastructure. If the decision had stood, it would have set a troubling national precedent, slashing PILT payments for municipalities across Alberta and Canada that host federal properties. 

We support members with advocacy issues that directly affect their communities! In this instance, we worked with Cold Lake to draft a letter of support, engaged with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and coordinated with our counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to amplify municipal concerns. FCM formally registered as an intervenor to represent municipalities at the national level, ensuring a unified front on this issue. 

The City of Cold Lake’s team did an excellent job of representing what was right for their community and changed the precedence for municipalities across the country. This win is not only a major legal success for Cold Lake — it’s a powerful example of what municipalities can achieve through collaboration and advocacy. 

Written by Karrina Jung