Cold Lake’s role in Canada’s aviation and defence sectors continues to gain attention at both the provincial and national levels, according to Mayor Bob Mattice.

During the May 12 regular council meeting highlights, Mattice spoke about attending the Alberta Aviation and Aerospace Summit, where Cold Lake was repeatedly mentioned in conversations about defence, aerospace growth, and future investment opportunities.

“The mayor of Edmonton came up and said, I want to get a meeting with you guys over Zoom,” Mattice told council.

Mattice said Cold Lake’s reputation within the aviation and military sectors continues to grow due to its long-standing relationship with 4 Wing Cold Lake and the growing national focus on defence infrastructure and aerospace development.

“There’s a lot of people… that are on stage talking about Cold Lake and talking about defense and the opportunities that are here,” Mattice said.

“So it’s a really, really bright future.”

The comments align with themes Mattice also discussed during a recent exclusive interview with Lakeland Connect, where he described Cold Lake as a community preparing for significant long-term growth tied to military expansion, aviation and regional development.

“There’s a lot going on all of a sudden with everything going on in Cold Lake,” Mattice said during the interview.

Cold Lake has increasingly become part of broader provincial conversations on aerospace and defence, particularly as Canada moves forward with the Future Fighter Capabilities Project associated with 4 Wing.

The growing attention also comes as Alberta’s government announced a new $21-million investment in the province’s defence and aerospace sectors through the University of Alberta-led DEFENDS initiative.

The program is designed to help Alberta companies develop and commercialize defence-related technologies, with a focus on aerospace systems, advanced electronics and next-generation defence platforms. Provincial officials say the initiative could support more than 8,000 jobs and generate billions in economic activity over the next decade.

The province specifically identified 4 Wing Cold Lake as one of Alberta’s key strategic defence assets as it works to expand aerospace and defence innovation opportunities across the province.

The aviation momentum is also being reflected locally through new training initiatives and infrastructure investment.

Portage College recently received Transport Canada approval for its new Aircraft Structures Technician program, based at the Cold Lake Regional Airport, while the City has continued to invest in aviation-related infrastructure and development opportunities.

Mattice said the aviation and defence industries are expected to play a major role in Cold Lake’s economy and workforce development in the coming years.

“It’s a really bright future,” he said again during council.