Coaldale, Alta., will receive a grant to pay for police costs

The provincial government announced Friday it will give the city of Coaldale an annual grant to cover police costs.

Coaldale, 10 kilometers east of Lethbridge, signed a police agreement with the federal government in 2016.

The UCP says the city has since become the only municipality in Canada to pay 100 percent of the cost of an RCMP contract.

Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis says the $550,000-a-year grant will “remove a huge financial burden” and protect public safety.

“The Government of Alberta is committed to ensuring the safety and protection of the people of Coaldale with stable and predictable police funding,” he said.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure our communities are safe places to live, work and play.”

Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Ryn said the grant will benefit the community for years to come.

“We have tried to engage the federal government in this matter, but since 2015, our engagement efforts have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

“Thankfully, that hasn't happened with our provincial government.”

UCP says the grant will be adjusted in future years as the total amount of the municipal police contract changes.

Coaldale was served by Lethbridge Regional Police for more than a decade before the RCMP detachment was introduced in 2016.