Younger guests take in the scares at the Cold Lake Haunt, held before Halloween at CFB Cold Lake- Photo by Jennifer Bain / 4 Wing PSP

The Cold Lake Haunt once again brought thrills, chills, and plenty of community spirit to the city, drawing more than a thousand visitors for its spooky seasonal fun. This year’s event, held the weekend before Halloween inside the Mackenzie Arts and Community Centre (MACC) at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake, broke attendance records and raised funds for a worthy cause.

According to Event Director Andrea Lorinczy, the community embraced the Haunt with enthusiasm. “I’ve found the community response to the Haunt has been exemplary,”

The Haunt operated on an entry-by-donation basis, with all proceeds going to Valour Place. The result was a generous $2,322 raised for the Edmonton-based facility that supports military families, first responders, and veterans during medical stays.

The event also earned glowing reviews from attendees. “We received 7 pages of feedback and all of it was positive with quite a bit about favorite areas in the maze,” Lorinczy shared.

Attendance numbers reached new heights this year, with 1,020 people braving the maze—300 more than last year’s total. Lorinczy credited the event’s growing popularity to the support of the local community and the dedication of the event’s volunteers.

“We had 33 volunteers this year who gave a total of 812.5 hours to bring our event to life,” she said. “I want to thank both our team and the local community for their continued support. We wouldn’t be able to carry out this family event without them.”

Looking ahead, the Cold Lake Haunt team plans to keep the scares fresh by introducing new themes and potentially expanding the event’s schedule. “Our plans for the future of the Haunt is to pick a new theme every year and concentrate on that. We are hoping to add an extra day to our run next year, but I do have to cover that off with our volunteer base,” Lorinczy explained.