COLD LAKE – A wave of graffiti vandalism along Cold Lake’s recently improved waterfront has left City crews tackling 18 affected locations, with cleanup costs estimated at ,500 and council now considering whether additional monitoring and enforcement measures are needed.

During its October 27 regular meeting, Cold Lake City Council voted to refer the issue to its Corporate Priorities Committee for further discussion.

The graffiti has appeared along the Lakeshore Drive seawall and surrounding public infrastructure, affecting an area that has received significant municipal investment in recent years.

Administration reported that concerns were first raised on October 20, following complaints from residents and council members.

Initial inspections identified 15 affected locations, with another three discovered as cleanup work progressed.

Cleanup Already Underway, but Graffiti Is Difficult to Remove

City crews began addressing the vandalism shortly after it was reported.

According to administration’s report, three locations had been fully remediated, 12 had received an initial coat of paint and three newly identified locations were still awaiting treatment.

The cleanup has required approximately 42 staff hours, with an estimated total cost of $2,500 for labour, paint, supplies and equipment.

However, the material used to construct the seawall has created an additional challenge.

Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Nagoya explained that the raw steel surface absorbs spray paint, making conventional graffiti removal products ineffective.

“Unless you actually sandblast it, it’s not going to come off,” Nagoya told council.

He explained that the City has instead been using paint and epoxy-based products to cover the graffiti.

The downside is that painted sections will not match the original raw steel finish.

“It’s going to be clearly, you can see here, that there has been paint over top of the wall in these areas,” Nagoya said.

He acknowledged that the repairs could leave the seawall looking patchy and suggested that painting the entire structure might eventually be necessary to achieve a consistent appearance.

City May Need Additional Resources if Vandalism Continues

The cleanup has also been delayed while crews wait for additional paint supplies.

Administration expects the work to be substantially completed during the following week, provided materials arrive and weather conditions allow.

Freezing temperatures could further complicate the paint application.

Nagoya warned that continued vandalism could put additional pressure on City staff and maintenance budgets.

“If it continues, we’re probably going to have to bring outside resources and painters and stuff like that because we just simply don’t have the resources to continue painting that wall at the pace that it’s coming in at,” he told council.

He also raised the possibility of installing permanent surveillance cameras along the waterfront.

However, cameras would require additional capital investment and ongoing operational funding.

The City has not approved a camera installation or a new enforcement program.

Councillors Frustrated by Damage to Waterfront Investment

Councillor Vining explained that he had brought the issue to administration’s attention after seeing residents discussing the graffiti.

He said his intention was primarily to ensure the City knew about the vandalism and could arrange cleanup.

“I was really just relaying it … to just try to make sure that we were aware that it was happening,” Vining said.

He noted that fewer people are on the lake at this time of year, reducing the number of people who might otherwise notice and report vandalism along the seawall.

Vining also pointed out that the City expects private businesses to remove graffiti from their properties and should do the same for vandalism affecting municipal infrastructure.

Mayor Bob Mattice expressed disappointment that the graffiti appeared so quickly.

He recalled visiting the waterfront with a delegation from Quebec and seeing no graffiti then.

“We were there on Monday with a delegation of people from Quebec and it was not there, and it was there the next morning,” Mattice said.

He described the waterfront as one of the City’s most visible locations and supported further discussion about how to prevent similar incidents.

What Happens Next?

Council approved a motion from Councillor Weber to refer the graffiti concerns to the Corporate Priorities Committee.

The committee will have an opportunity to examine monitoring, enforcement and potential prevention measures before making further recommendations.

For now, the City’s immediate priority remains completing the cleanup and restoring the appearance of the Lakeshore Drive seawall.

Administration has not identified who is responsible for the vandalism.