Grande Prairie Minute: Advocacy Efforts, Big Sam, and Policing Transition Timeline

Grande Prairie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Grande Prairie politics

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• There will be an in-camera meeting of City Council this afternoon at 2:30 pm. At 3:00 pm, there will be a public City Council meeting. Council will discuss sale of City-owned land in the Smith Subdivision to develop new seniors' accommodations. On Wednesday, at 1:30 pm, there will be a meeting of the Council Committee of the Whole. The Committee will discuss advocacy efforts undertaken by the City, including around infrastructure projects, health care, education, and justice. The City is advocating for funding for a new medical center, a trades building expansion at Northwestern Polytechnic, and additions to Grande Prairie Composite and Charles Spencer high schools. The City also met with provincial ministers to discuss issues such as automated traffic enforcement, the planning of a new courthouse, and the Highway 40X project.
  
  
• Nominations are now open for the Annual Volunteer Awards, hosted by the City of Grande Prairie and the Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations (GP-RAVO). The awards recognize exceptional contributions from local volunteers, including the "Leaders of Tomorrow" for youth aged 13-18, the "Volunteer of the Year," and the "Corporate Volunteer of the Year." Nominations close on October 18th, 2024, with winners honoured on International Volunteer Day, December 5th, 2024.
  
  
• Grande Prairie Enforcement Services are encouraging business owners to join the AGENT Program, which was introduced in the city in 2018. This program gives police and bylaw officers additional authority to enforce the Trespass to Premises Act and Petty Trespass Act, allowing them to remove individuals from private properties, especially those with suspected gang affiliations. Officers can also act on behalf of participating businesses to charge and remove trespassers. Since its implementation, 387 businesses have signed up.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• The Grande Prairie Police Commission reported that everything appears to be on track with the transition to Grande Prairie's city policing model. The Commission highlighted successful recruitment efforts, as well as a new community engagement team to address social issues in the downtown core and park system. The first group of new recruits has already started training, supported by local resources, and the Commission expressed confidence that the training systems and budget remain aligned with expectations.
  
  
• A 72-million-year-old Pachyrhinosaurus skull, named "Big Sam," was discovered near Grande Prairie by the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum's paleontology team. Unearthed from the Pipestone Creek Bonebed, it is one of the largest fossils found there and was buried for the winter before its full excavation in 2024. The skull is expected to provide valuable insights into Pachyrhinosaurus anatomy, including the potential reconstruction of its brain. Although not yet on display, Big Sam has garnered international attention. Locals can observe the fossil's preparation through a lab window at the museum.
  
  
• It was announced that the CEO of the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, Tanya Oliver, will be leaving to take on a new role at Northwestern Polytechnic. She will become the inaugural Director for the Side Family Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the institution. The Chamber has expressed gratitude for her leadership and contributions during her tenure. Oliver's final day with the Chamber will be October 25th, after which the board will form a hiring committee to find her replacement.