Grande Prairie Minute: Issue 82

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

📅 This Week In Grande Prairie: 📅

• It’s Election Day! Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. In case you missed it, check out our 2025 Municipal Election Survey, revealing where Mayoral and Council candidates stand on key issues like safety, affordability, taxation, and accountability. We have published their unedited responses so voters can make informed choices. Some candidates answered, others declined - but all responses, or lack thereof, offer insight into their priorities.
  
  
• Alberta’s 2025 municipal election results are expected to take several days to be finalized due to new provincial legislation requiring all ballots to be hand-counted. Municipalities across the province have doubled or even tripled their election staff to manage the process. Counting will begin immediately after polls close but is expected to continue in shifts, with overnight pauses to prevent errors from fatigue. Advance voting and regular ballots will be tallied using these manual methods. Officials stress that the priority is accuracy over speed, with official results required to be submitted to the province by noon on October 24th. While the changes have drawn criticism from some municipal groups, the provincial government maintains that hand-counting ensures greater confidence in the election outcome. Residents are being asked to exercise patience as officials carefully process and verify each ballot.
  
  
• Grande Prairie has expanded its On-Demand Transit Service to include a new stop at Meadowview Mobile Home Park, aiming to make travel easier for residents to work, shop, attend appointments, or enjoy recreation. Riders can book trips up to three days in advance or within 30 minutes of pick-up, connecting to other on-demand stops or the city’s four main transit hubs: Towne Centre Mall, Prairie Mall, Community Knowledge Campus, and Northwestern Polytechnic. The service runs seven days a week, with late-night service until 11:00 pm Monday to Saturday and 8:00 pm on Sundays, at the standard fare of $3.25.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie Royal Canadian Legion is inviting school children to submit artwork, poems, or essays for Remembrance Day after the teacher’s strike prevented the usual school submissions this year. Entries should focus on the theme of remembrance, with top works receiving awards on November 11th. Poppy sales are set to begin on Halloween, October 31st.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie Public Library is hosting a year-long pop-up dinosaur exhibition in partnership with the Royal Tyrrell Museum, featuring a giant Albertosaurus head and related activities. The display celebrates Alberta’s paleontological history and the 40th anniversary of the Tyrrell Museum, highlighting discoveries from southern Alberta and the work of renowned paleontologist Dr. Philip J. Currie. Library staff plan a variety of programs for children and teens throughout the year, including special events during “Di-November.” The exhibit offers visitors a chance to explore the science and history behind Alberta’s fossil discoveries up close.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Make sure to cast your vote in the municipal election today! 

Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. 

Click below to find your polling station and other relevant voter information.

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!