Land for sale in the Cold Lake–St. Paul area, Alberta

About the Cold Lake–St. Paul area

The area

This is Statistics Canada's census division No. 12, in Alberta's Lakeland, northeast of Edmonton: about 31,800 km² with about 67,500 people in 2021. Its rural municipalities are the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 (about 12,900 people), Lac La Biche County (about 7,700), the County of St. Paul No. 19 (about 6,300) and Smoky Lake County (about 3,900), plus Improvement District No. 349. The City of Cold Lake (about 15,700) is the largest centre, followed by the towns of Bonnyville, St. Paul, Elk Point and Smoky Lake. Reserves of the Cold Lake, Kehewin, Saddle Lake, Beaver Lake, Heart Lake and Whitefish Lake First Nations are also in the division. The MD of Bonnyville alone has more than 80 named lakes and over 500,000 cultivated acres, mostly grain, cattle and bison.

History

Lac La Biche County sits on three treaty territories and the Métis homeland. The Denesuline of Cold Lake First Nations are among the peoples of the area. David Thompson reached Lac La Biche in 1798, the Hudson's Bay Company built a post there the next year, and a Catholic mission followed in 1853; the railway from Edmonton to Fort McMurray arrived in 1915. Construction of the air force base at Cold Lake began in 1952, and the Cold Lake oil sands drew workers from across Canada; by 1980 one of the country's two oil sands plants under construction was here.

Services and access

Bonnyville Health Centre, run by Covenant Health, has a 24-hour emergency department. Cold Lake is 294 km northeast of Edmonton, a little over three hours by Highway 28. The city runs Cold Lake Regional Airport as an uncontrolled aerodrome for general aviation; scheduled flights leave from Edmonton International. Cold Lake is home to 4 Wing, the busiest Royal Canadian Air Force base, and is a hub for oil sands workers.

Land and climate

Since April 2021, Alberta's disturbance standard for personal recreational use gives most waterfront owners general permission for docks and similar lakefront work without a separate provincial approval, provided they meet the standard. Back-lot owners who cross reserve land to reach a dock need the MD of Bonnyville's authorization.

Before you buy

The county or municipal district sets zoning in its land use bylaw and issues development permits; building, electrical, plumbing, gas and private sewage permits come after that. In the MD of Bonnyville, most rural land is zoned agricultural: up to 20 acres (or four lots) can be subdivided from a quarter section without rezoning, while more needs a rezoning and an area structure plan. Each of the other counties has its own land use bylaw and planning office, so check the one for the lot.

Sources

• Statistics Canada, 2021 Census population and dwelling counts (tables 98-10-0002, 98-10-0007)
• MD of Bonnyville, choosing the MD
• MD of Bonnyville, permit process
• MD of Bonnyville, zoning
• MD of Bonnyville, seasonal docks and shoreline access
• Lac La Biche County, county history
• Lac La Biche County
• Cold Lake First Nations
• City of Cold Lake, history
• City of Cold Lake, city profile and regional airport
• Covenant Health, Bonnyville Health Centre
• Edmonton International Airport, flights

Written by AcreScout from the sources listed; facts checked September 30, 2026. Rules change: confirm anything that matters with the municipality.