The Lakeland Catholic School Division Board of Trustees met with MLA Scott Cyr in Bonnyville, Alberta, to talk about keeping Catholic education strong in the countryside. The meeting happened about two months ago, and Cyr made it clear he wants to make sure local families can get good schooling close to home.
“We are grateful for his continued support and his understanding of the importance of rural Catholic education,” the division said. “His advocacy helps ensure students and families in our communities have access to strong opportunities close to home.”
Cyr represents the Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul area for the United Conservative Party. He was recently appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Transportation and Strategic Development and also serves as Alberta’s Military Liaison, a role that focuses on ties with the military community at 4 Wing Cold Lake.
The conversation touched on challenges facing country schools, like shrinking enrollment and long bus rides. But in Cold Lake, student numbers are booming – up 40 per cent since 2020, with 1,415 kids last year. That growth makes a proposed Catholic Collegiate High School the division’s top building priority.
Alberta Budget 2026 has $8.6 billion over seven years for 90 new schools, with 16 projects aimed at smaller cities and rural areas. The meeting put the division’s needs in front of an MLA who is now in a key position to speak up for the Lakeland region in the provincial government.
Board Chair Anna Brockhoff, a Cold Lake resident who works at 4 Wing, and Superintendent Sheldon Germain were among the trustees who met with Cyr. The division called the sit-down a good chance to stress how much country families count on local Catholic schools.
