Grande Prairie Minute: Funding Advocacy, Kidney Care, and Aquatera Swimmer Stats

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

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• Tuesday is Standing Committee Day. At 9:00 am, the Public and Protective Services Committee will meet to discuss updates from the Grande Prairie Policing Committee and the Grande Prairie RCMP. At 9:45 am, the Operational Services Committee will meet. The agenda includes a discussion about undertaking a review of the City’s design and construction standards.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, the Financial and Administrative Services Committee will meet at 10:30 am, and the Invest GP Committee will meet at 10:35 am. To finish off Standing Committee Day, the Strategy and Communication Services Committee will meet at 10:40 am. All three of these meetings list “Service Area Update” as the agenda item, with no further information.
  
  
• City Council is advocating to the Province for funding a new program for the Grande Prairie Fire Department. The Advanced Life Support - Fire Paramedic Response Unit would pair a firefighter with a medic to respond to emergency calls and provide care until EMS arrives. The initial cost for this initiative is estimated between $250,000 and $500,000, with ongoing annual expenses projected at $1.2 million to $1.6 million. This program would also involve the purchase of an SUV and the creation of eight new positions.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• The provincial government has announced a $15.5 million investment in rural healthcare, with Grande Prairie receiving $2.42 million to enhance the hemodialysis unit at the Queen Elizabeth II Ambulatory Care Centre. This upgrade will allow the facility to care for up to 24 patients daily and is supported by a $1.5 million contribution from the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation. The hemodialysis unit will be named the Sargent Family Kidney Care Centre in recognition of the Sargent family's donation to the Foundation for the project.
  
  
• The Aquatera Outdoor Pool in Grande Prairie has concluded its season, having attracted approximately 19,348 visitors this year. The facility hosted 110 community and school bookings, alongside three free community swim events, including a popular Canada Day celebration that drew over 1,700 participants. Additional activities included $2 youth nights, themed swims, aquatics classes, and evening swim lessons.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie Public Library recently updated the community about the theft of its gaming equipment and a break-in, noting that some items had been recovered. In a social media post, the Library expressed gratitude to the RCMP for recovering the stolen gaming computers, though some items were found to be damaged and will need replacing. Community members wishing to assist can donate specifically for “teen gaming computers” through the Library's donation page. The Library also thanked the community for their support during this difficult time and commended City staff for their quick work in repairing a broken window.