Investments to enhance Canada’s strategic position while unlocking economic opportunities to support workforce development and Indigenous-led resource development
August 26, 2026 – Cold Lake, Alberta – PrairiesCan
Cold Lake has long played an important role in Canada’s security and prosperity. In the 1950s, the region became home to the first new Royal Canadian Air Force flying station built in Canada since the conclusion of the Second World War. In the decades that followed, Cold Lake also became a centre for innovation in Canada’s energy sector, helping advance the in situ technologies used to develop Alberta’s deep oil sands resources.
Today, Cold Lake remains an important centre for both Canada’s energy sector and national defence. As Canada navigates a more uncertain world, the region once again will play a critical role in advancing the Government of Canada’s efforts to build strength at home. Building on Cold Lake’s unique capabilities will help position the region to meet this moment, while ensuring local communities share in the benefits of future growth and investment.
Today, Matt Jeneroux, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Riverbend, on behalf of the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced $6.6 million in federal funding to advance Indigenous-led energy development and strengthen aviation training in the Cold Lake region.
A $6 million repayable investment will support Etthen Energy Corporation, a company wholly owned by Cold Lake First Nations, as it expands the development of heavy oil resources beneath reserve lands. The project will support well site and facility construction, along with the engineering and completion work needed to advance production.
By supporting Etthen Energy Corporation’s expansion project, this investment will create economic opportunities for Cold Lake First Nation, strengthen Indigenous ownership and participation in the energy sector, and generate long-term revenues that can be reinvested in the community. In doing so, it will also contribute to the federal government’s broader efforts to secure Canada’s prosperity by helping build a more independent, competitive, and resilient economy.
A further $600,000 investment in the City of Cold Lake will support renovations and upgrades to an aircraft hangar at the Cold Lake Regional Airport, establishing a training facility for an Aircraft Maintenance Engineering – Structures program. The new training space and equipment will help prepare workers for careers in aviation maintenance and respond to growing demand for skilled workers in the region’s aerospace and defence sectors. This investment also supports the Government of Canada’s efforts to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces by while building the skilled workforce and domestic industrial capacity needed to support our women and men in uniform.
Together, these investments will help Cold Lake build on the strengths that have made the region important to Canada for generations, while creating good jobs, expanding local opportunity and helping build a stronger and more secure country.
