Grande Prairie Minute: Issue 89

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

📅 This Week In Grande Prairie: 📅

• Today, at 3:00 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. Several delegations will present to Council, including Inclusion Grande Prairie. The organization plans to speak about improving inclusive recreation in the city and will present specific recommendations for Council to consider. The Gursikh Missionary Society GP will speak about a contract with Development Services for using the Public Utility Lot between two of their properties, which includes an annual fee. As a nonprofit organization serving the community, they are requesting that the annual fee and any related permit fees be waived.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 1:30 pm, there will be a meeting of the Council Committee of the Whole. The Committee will review the 2025 Municipal Election Report. The report notes that the City of Grande Prairie conducted its 2025 Municipal and School Board Trustee Election under new provincial rules, including a Permanent Elector Register and hand-counted ballots. Candidate nominations opened November 1st, 2024, resulting in 8 Mayoral, 25 Councillor, and 12 public school trustee candidates. The City organized advanced voting, 16 polling sites, and 12 institutional sites, supported by approximately 400 election workers, and executed a robust communications campaign using media, social posts, billboards, and mailouts. Voter turnout was 21.5% of 44,436 registered electors, similar to 2021 levels. Hand-counting ballots extended the process, with unofficial results posted nine hours after polls closed. The report says there will be ongoing evaluation of election procedures to improve efficiency and compliance with legislation.
  
  
• The Committee will also receive a presentation on the Discover Grande Prairie School Program, which offers students an interactive 1.5-hour session at City Hall to learn about municipal government and participate in a mock Council debate. Students are guided through three modules: the role of government, bylaws, and active citizenship. In Module 1, students explore the three levels of government, municipal services, Councillor responsibilities, and budgeting, and practice democratic decision-making through debate scenarios. Module 2 introduces bylaws, explaining why rules are necessary, how they are created, and the role of enforcement officers, with students proposing and debating new bylaws. Module 3 focuses on active citizenship, teaching students about democracy, pathways for civic engagement (letters, delegations, petitions, surveys, running for office), and leadership qualities. The program emphasizes hands-on learning through activities, interactive discussions, and debates, helping students connect municipal decision-making to their daily lives. The intent is that students leave with a stronger understanding of how local government works, the impact of civic participation, and how they can influence change in their community.
  
  
• The City celebrated the ribbon-cutting of its newly named Keyera Place, formerly the Activity and Reception Centre, with an all-day open house on December 5th. Mayor Jackie Clayton noted that naming rights provide a valuable revenue stream for the City and allow organizations to take pride in local facilities. Keyera Place is a 16,000-square-foot recreation centre that supports dryland sports and can be converted into an emergency centre with showers and sleeping space if needed. Community members were invited to explore the facility free of charge during the open house. The centre is designed to be an accessible, low-cost recreation option while also serving as a critical emergency resource for the city and region.
  
  
• The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce held its annual general meeting, introducing new Board leadership and award winners. Lori Pollock will serve as Chair, Jason Howrish as Chair Elect, Shane Mudryk as Vice-Chair, and Jason Anderson as Past Chair. New board members filling vacant positions include Serena Green, Gagan Sangha, Jodi Schultz, Dan Stojanovic, and Bruce Tattrie. The Chamber also announced its annual awards: Larry Gibson (Clem E. Collins Award for volunteerism), Brad Richards (Business Citizen of the Year), Lee’s Sheet Metal (Dan H. Minchin Award for long-term business achievement), and Maskwa Medical Center (Above and Beyond Award). Retiring board members Cord Spero, Danielle Hessler, and Laura LaValley were thanked for their service.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

The City will begin residential snow removal this week, after recent snowfall reached the required threshold.

Snow clearing will take place over two weeks, beginning with Hillside, Mountview, and VLA/Montrose neighbourhoods. Snow clearing is coordinated to occur the day before each neighbourhood’s garbage collection. 

What do you think of the snow clearing service in the City? Let us know what improvements (if any) you think should be made!

🪙 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!