Ty Mikolas – Supplied Photo
As the 2025 Municipal Election approaches, Courier News reached out to all three candidates for mayor of Cold Lake to hear directly from them on key issues affecting the community. Here are Ty Mikolas’ responses to our questionnaire.
Note: The views and opinions expressed by Ty Mikolas in this article are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Courier News.
Question 1: What is your vision for the City of Cold Lake, and what kind of community do you hope to help build over your term?
“My vision for Cold Lake is a safe, thriving community for my children to grow up in. I believe we should lean into what makes us unique, such as ATV/OHV culture and our natural beauty, such as the lake and wilderness surrounding us. I think we first need to focus on safety, in terms of the homeless population and the opiate epidemic, and coming together as a community to solve these issues will go along way to further grow in all aspects.”
Question 2: What kind of leadership style will you bring to the mayor’s office, and how will you work with City Council, staff, and residents?
“In terms of leadership, if I had to compare myself to a kitchen appliance I would say I’d be most comparable to a microwave, I bring a type of energy and intensity that this community has been missing, I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade, and I will never submit to the dog and pony show. With that being said, I respect and admire all the people working within the city who truly give their all to make this place as special as it is, and I believe with a few small changes we could really take things to the next level.”
Question 3: How do you plan to connect with and listen to the people of Cold Lake during your time as mayor?
“I always take the time to make casual conversation everywhere I go, and that is how I’ve identified many of the issues I currently see around town. However, I believe that council meetings should have public attendance and participation encouraged, and I believe we should look towards a referendum type system where we as community members all vote on any pertinent issues within the community. I believe this will bring us together as a community, and together we are stronger than any individual concern or issue.”
Question 4: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing Cold Lake in the coming years, and how would you approach them?
“I think the biggest opportunity I would have as Mayor is to provide the people with an everyday person to communicate with. As a family man, raising 3 kids in “Post Trudeau” Canada, I am aware of the challenges most people are facing on a daily basis and deal with many, if not all of them, with my family as well. My biggest challenges would be dealing with issues where we as a community have been “handcuffed” by the provincial and federal governments, who have given us nothing but rules and regulations to follow, without upholding their end of the deal, as show with the recent failure to pass the “Jail not Bail” act.”
Question 5: How will you know if your term as mayor has been successful?
“My term as mayor will be successful if my daughters can walk to school safely without needing a walkie talkie, any negative rumours (such as importing the homeless or euthanizing dogs) are disproven with facts instead of a statement without evidence, and Cold Lake has no disruption to essential services such as EMS and emergency room doctors.”
